40 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/66148fb84256eeae6d3185463aa602c2.mp4 42d9d3b33f3abae975040c1fa39eade7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dc6ae72f7d4ecb6d38fe928e1d73f8bc.pdf 5227ce1c7414cadec1fa772e7a64b9b0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Horton Mallory Length of interview (1:16:30) (0:25) Background Grew up and lived in Elwell, Michigan (0:45) Had worked on the farm with his father all his life (1:03) Was drafted into the Army [during World War II] and when he reported for his physical was encouraged to enlist in the Air Corps (1:45) Wanted to learn how to fly but was too short to be a pilot (2:15) Enlisted in the airforce and wanted to be a bombardier (2:30) Went to Saginaw, Michigan to be sworn in as private (3:15) Didn’t have assignment for him; waited 6 months before joining cadet corps (3:40) (3:45) Training Went to pre-flight school in Ellington Field, Texas (4:02) Had never been in Texas before and remembers the heat most of all (4:25) Learned mathematics, physics, Morse code, aircraft and naval identification (4:50) Was only there for nine weeks (5:04) Next went to bombing school in San Angelo, Texas (5:36) Base was in desert to accommodate the bombing range (6:20) Target set up with a shack in the middle used for practice (7:00) Received six more weeks of training to be a dead reckoning navigator (8:12) Used a compass, altitude, wind direction, and air speed to navigate (9:12) Through dead reckoning was able to arrive directly on target (10:00) (12:00) Active Duty Flew from Texas to Brazil, and in Brazil their plane had a fuel leak (13:30) Flew in a B-24 Liberator; the largest and fastest plane at the time (15:00) On flight to Europe took fire from anti-aircraft guns (16:00) One of the plane’s engines was taken out during trip to Europe (17:15) On first run they were bombing a railroad yard in Sophia, Bulgaria (19:07) In the plane he sat right in the nose of the aircraft and could see everything (20:23) Used a telescope with a gyroscope attached to it to aim the crosshairs (22:20) Carried 200lb, 500lb, 1000lb, and 2000lb and fragmentation bombs (25:00) Norden Bombsight put plane in auto pilot to accurately drop bomb (26:10) Bomb had a tail and nose fuse that went off at fraction of a second difference (28:00) Propeller on bomb would spin off and then the fuse would be set (28:45) 24-32 bombers flew in a formation at a time (29:20) Flew with same crew on every mission in the same aircraft (29:50) Flew at 20000-27000 thousand feet with freezing temperatures (32:15) Gun turrets attached to top, bottom, back and sides of B-24 bomber (35:00) While on European tour, encountered a German fighter jet (38:14) �Had confidence that commanding pilot would keep formation safe (40:32) (40:45) Active Duty Continued Bomber formations mostly flew with fighter planes escorts (41:45) One occasion bombers ran into group of 100 fighters; several were shot down(43:50) When a plane went down, it made him feel sick that his comrades died (46:10) Given flak jackets to wear, put his underneath him so he wouldn’t get shot (47:35) Rear gunner threw icicle-like formations out of plane to disrupt enemy radar(49:01) He personally flew 38 and 12 of those he received double credit for danger (50:00) Fellow gunner shot down on first mission with different crew (52:30) His pilot was operations officer, got to pick easy mission towards end (53:15) After they flew their last mission they celebrated at the local pub (55:48) During leisure time they went to theater in nearby town (56:45) Wrote letters to his family often, and received letters often being in air force (59:10) Kept track of how many missions he had left and looked forward to it (1:00:17) Never knew if next flight would be the last; very nerve racking (1:01:51) Everybody received flight medals and the pilot earned a silver star (1:02:14) He personally earned 5 flight medals; he called them survival medals (1:02:52) Overwhelming feeling of joy when he touched down after final mission (1:04:21) Returned to United States, landed in New York then Fort Sheridan, Illinois(1:04:41) Could not wait to see his parents for the first time after coming home (1:08:00) (1:10:00) Post Service When he was discharged received compensation (1:11:02) Got job with Michigan chemical in St Louis, Missouri (1:11:02) Quit the chemical lab and went to work on farm for rest of life (1:11:52) Built his own house with his father and got married (1:12:23) Started a family has 3 boys and 2 girls that work on the farm with him (1:16:30) � 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 MalloryH1183V Title A name given to the resource Mallory, Horton (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mallory, Horton Description An account of the resource Horton Mallory was born in Elwell, Michigan, and was drafted during World War II. He volunteered for the Army Air Corps, and trained as a bombardier. He flew in B-24 bombers out of Italy, and served a total of 38 missions in the later stages of he war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Weber, Mark (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 2011-05-12 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/352e3d73a6a374ce623570637d681bd3.mp4 f529eef345d071265952e6d0782fadda https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a4cb68960bb5b00f0a181058d9a7c4c9.pdf 34787d958bac3bbea22540be01fa20e5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Notes Length: 38:49 Bernard B. Maller WWII veteran United States Army; 1941 – 1946 (0:00) Before grade school • Born in Detroit, MI in 1920 • Has many family pictures of him growing up in an album • Father was in the fur business • Mom was a homemaker (2:30) Fur business • Dad had a workshop where he manufactured furs into garments o He was a pattern maker • Bernard got three different degrees in the fur business o Pattern maker – he would make custom patterns for customers so that the garment would fit well o Fur cutter o Fitter (3:35) Grade school • Chum around with the principal’s nephew o Across from the school in the basement of an apartment building was a grocery store that sold sandwiches, cookies, candy, milk, etc. o When Maller and friend didn’t like the food at school, would buy lunch from the store o Most kids went home for lunch (6:08) High school • Entered high school in 1932 • Graduated in 1936 • Played tennis but had to give it up after 1 year because had a stubborn wart on his heel that wouldn’t go away even after three operations (8:21) Graduation and after • Graduated in 1936 • Dad still worked in furs • Maller went to college at Wayne State University (which was called City College at that time) • Graduated in 1940 (10:30) Current events • Didn’t pay too much attention to the news but knew that it would affect his life in some way (11:05) Service • Enlisted in service and sent to Cheyenne, Wyoming then transferred to Virginia for Officers training �o Training took 3 months; “90 Day Wonder” o Immediately afterward, sent overseas (1942) as a Second Lieutenant (14:08) London • Arrived in London o The route to London was a zigzagged one but with good seas so not too many soldiers were seasick o On the way back to the states, the seas were terrible; Maller’s ship hit one of the worst storms ever recorded • Once in London, assigned to Quartermaster Headquarters o Job was to check everybody’s supplies and make sure everyone had what needed food and equipment wise (17:12) France • Was flown over to France to headquarters o Still worked in assigning and checking supplies • Paris o Needed to make sure that soldiers and civilians had food and clothing ƒ The Germans had confiscated all the food in Paris and gave it to people only when they saw it fit (not often) o Maller had an issue; there was a building that was 1 square block long and 4 stories high filled with liquor. Maller was responsible for redistributing the liquor evenly o Maller was not a big drinker so would often take a few bottles of champagne for his fellow officers at the headquarters (23:20) Belgium • Went to Namur but didn’t spend much time there because moving quickly; went past the Battle of the Bulge (24:20) Germany • Spent five and a half years here as part of the Army of Occupation o Still responsible for supplies and redistribution • Traveled a lot • Went to Cologne o Not a building left standing; just large holes that used to be basements. When walking around, saw that people had put tarps over the holes and made some makeshift electrical connections (29:00) Home • Came back to the states by ship, on a troop carrier • First thing that Maller saw was the Statue of Liberty (30:42) After the service • Got his degree with the GI Bill • Worked with his dad • Made women’s coats and garment • Custom tailoring shop called M. Maller (35:42) Masonry • Joined the Masons when 21 years old, right after the service at the Detroit Lodge • Never got married �• Loves working in the fur business � 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 MallerB Title A name given to the resource Maller, Bernard (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maller, Bernard B. Description An account of the resource Bernard B. Maller is a WW II veteran who served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1946 in England, Belgium, France, and Germany. Maller grew up in Detroit. In 1941 Maller enlisted in the Army, underwent officer training and was promptly sent overseas to manage supply distribution, a task which once included redistributing all the liquor found in a building one square block long and four stories high. Maller ended his time in the service in Germany as a member of the Army of Occupation. After the war, Maller continued to work with his father in the fur business. He joined the Masons after leaving the service. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Freemasons 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 2005-09-02 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/bd59d30757d77ccd6db49f92607a4a47.mp4 74fcd9d85ffc199cea4171e5408fd0b3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2462fa4e59fcaa1c3e7d9353abed2d7a.pdf 035819b06f1cbd052ff1b00b3806c0f5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Bernard Malewitz (00:43:17:07) (0:39) Background • Grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Burton Ave. [St.] • With his Mom and Dad and three sisters and one brother • Dad owned a plumbing and heating business o He now runs the business,  He was 8 years old when he started working for his father  Brought in water to the guys on the job sites 0:56)  Dad’s business helped put water lines into East Grand Rapids (1:42) • Attended St. Stephen’s Grade School (1:49) • University of Detroit for mechanical engineering • Graduated from Central High School • Drafted after WWII while he was in engineering school • He was deferred until the end of his semester, but the draft had expired by that time (2:01) (02:35) The Draft • There was a small draft in 1948 for the Berlin Air Lift, but he was still in college so he was deferred once again (2:38) • Korean War, he was one of the first on the buses • He was the 16th guy in Kent County Michigan to be called in for service (2:52) • He was sent to Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan (3:03) • Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training o Spent 6 weeks there (3:17) • He said the country was confused and drafted everyone in a hurry (3:32) • No one in the barracks had been there for longer than 5 years o 60 man barracks had more than 200 people in it (3:40) • Had to stop the draft due to the large inflow of recruits (4:00) (04:05) Basic Training • He was sent to Fort Meyer after his basic training (4:06) • Sent with other mechanical, civil, and architectural engineers (4:29) • He was sent to Fort Belvoir to teach (4:46) • Sent to teach water distillation o Taught for the rest of his service (5:00) • His basic training was very physical (5:12) • He learned to shoot o He went hunting with his father since he was a child • He easily made marksman • He said the trainers were tough, but he didn’t find it too difficult (5:45) �(05:50) Teaching during the War • He taught 38 hours a week, he was only supposed to teach 18 hours a week (6:14) • They did not have enough teachers towards the end of his service o In the beginning they had too many people teaching, so they were all spread out to different facilities (6:20) • He was sent back to have engineering training o Learned how to build bridges and various types of buildings (6:35) • Says that the military did not match the person up with the proper job suitable for the person o People were not qualified to teach what they were assigned to teach (7:13) • He was in the Corps of Engineers o Due to his schooling background (7:25) • He taught a water distillation course o So far it was only used in Guantanamo Bay o He taught a wide range of soldiers • From privates to generals from foreign military personnel (7:34) • The courses he taught were 4 weeks long (8:25) • Taught filtration as well as distillation o He and his class would go do field work at the Potomac River to learn how to use the equipment (8:43) • This class was important because it was a necessary knowledge needed in Korea (9:06) • The equipment was needed to filter out the virus Shish Tison [?](9:25) • Military did not realize this virus was killing its men for awhile o Many people got sick and died later on because of this water born virus (9:44) • It attacked the liver (9:47) • He taught the course for two years in Washington (10:43) • He was drafted for 21 months, and it was extended o He did not receive orders for the extension o He was not allowed to just up and leave so he took it in stride (10:47) • During his basic training he lived in 60 man wooden barracks (11:46) • He played on the military golf team (12:08) • He went from private to sergeant in 7 weeks o This was very rare o He should have been a first lieutenant (12:29) • He became head instructor o He couldn’t become a first lieutenant because he was drafted (12:44) • If he became an officer he would have to stay another year o He politely declined that, with a laugh (13:04) • Part of the reason for his declining was because his father wanted him out of the service as quickly as possible (13:10) • He and the other men had free time after they completed their various jobs and duties o Such as guard duty (13:23) �His Dad sent him his golf clubs and the fort had a huge empty space that he used as a driving range o Said his barracks looked like a country club (14:19) (14:25) Golf • He helped teach others golf (14:52) o Which helped his own game he claims • He and his fellow recruits went to a small clubhouse for drinks o He signed up for the clubs golf championship (15:34) • The day of the championship was very hot and dry, but he was winning (16:06) • The captain he beat for the championship was head of the army’s golf team o He was recruited for it (16:52) • Played against other Army posts, Navy, Air Force, and Pentagon teams (17:29) • He was a part of the Second Army (17:50) • He was qualified for the Army golf contests all over the country (18:49) • He did not consider his service a burden, and he was willing to serve his country. o He felt that he owed it to his country o However, when his time for his service was up, he was ready to go (19:19) • He and his fellow teachers rewrote the course curriculum (20:29) • He said that the course was ancient and outdated and that it was not taught properly to be of any use to the soldiers in the field (20:41) • He was sent to take a course on teaching in the military once his basic training was complete o He was taught by a civilian teacher • The teacher was a dynamic influence on him and his service • It was a good experience (20:47) • He got written up for teaching too many hours, but his class was always given good marks (21:18) • He taught a lot of kids right out of college, he enjoyed their enthusiasm and youth o He also taught older officers (22:24) (22:30) Off Duty Activities • Went out to town a lot (22:49) • He would go to the Pentagon’s bus station and he could go anywhere in D.C. o He saw all the monuments and battle fields (23:25) • He rode a bus with the honor guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier o He would never became one of those men • Too boring and basically spent their whole life cleaning he said (24:01) • He was in the service for 24 months (24:58) • He had students that had been in Korea and he heard many stories (25:06) • He wrote home a lot (27:15) • He spent a lot of his free time dating his wife, Jean, who he had met in Washington (27:26) • He met her through a blind date set up (27:53) • He married Jean after he got out of the service while still in Washington, before he made his return to Grand Rapids (28:25) • He saw a few USO shows during his service • �o He saw Bob Hope, but he doesn’t remember many of them (28:40) (29:00) After the War • At the end of his service he filled out his discharge papers and was glad to be done (29:11) • He contracted viral pneumonia while in the army (29:46) • He was sent into his discharge interview o He was discharged quickly, even though the pneumonia had given him back issue due to a faulty spinal tap (31:40) • He had to go to a doctor who was not a very good, nor professional, doctor o The doctor had an under qualified nurse perform a spinal tap • The same doctor would not help treat a dying “Colored” soldier o Bernard was offended (33:00) • The Jim Crow laws were still in effect • He was still in service when Truman started to integrate the troops [ed. note—this process started in 1948, before Korea] (34:45) • Racism was not a big problem that he noticed in his area (35:41) • He had a friend that was from Flint, Michigan who got out of the service at the same time o His friend owned a car, so they drove home together (36:01) • They toured through New York first (36:53) • He did not take advantage of the GI Bill o This was because he already graduated from college and had a job lined up anyway (36:56) • Meeting his wife was the best thing his army service gave to him o It was a good overall experience, and it teaches you many things, and how to get along with many different people o You learn discipline as well (37:19) • He did not keep in touch with many of his military friends (39:09) • He was a part of the American Legion for a while o It is a social club • He did not join any Veteran’s programs (41:26) • His father died shortly after his discharge (42:34) • He had a paid rank o He forgets how much he got paid for his service though (42:57) � 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 MalewitzB Title A name given to the resource Malewitz, Bernard (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Malewitz, Bernard Description An account of the resource Bernard Malewitz was born in Grand Rapids, and studied engineering at the University of Detroit before being drafted at the start of the Korean War. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers and taught water distillation techniques for two years in Fort Meyer, Washington, D.C. He worked to improve training procedures and manuals to be more useful to soldiers in the field. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Debra (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans 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 2008-10-06 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 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8e8ed1523f0fab96d9d8adf345d54074.mp4 656cd6f23bac62a92708b094fb6920a2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6c150f8cf6bb35fec77dd08ef1a00fa6.pdf 783c6f6056d35636af0d8385e0cf1846 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran History Project Frank Maleckas Jr. (01:37:00) Frank Maleckas Sr. Background • (00:20) His parents were European-born, and came over in 1910. His mother was Polish, and his father was Lithuanian. At the time, Poland and Lithuania were still part of the Russian Empire. • (01:05) At the time, Russia had compulsory military service. His father objected to the military, and was encouraged to emigrate by foreign agents. The agents helped him leave the country. • (02:20) His father left Lithuania essentially on foot and arrived in Germany. He took a train to Hamburg, and then took a train to America. Agents had talked him into leaving Germany. • (03:32) America was described as a “heavenly country” free of military obligation. • (05:04) The ship was full of Lithuanians, Poles, and some Russians and Germans. • (05:33) In Lithuania, his father had been a farmer. • (06:27) His father went to work at Niagara Falls, New York. A Lithuanian agent helped him secure a job in the area. • (06:44) Frank Sr. married while in New York. He and his wife had a son, Frank Jr., in 1916. • (07:06) While in Niagara Falls, Frank Sr. worked in a factory but didn’t care for it much as he was more accustomed to being a farmer. • (08:16) Frank Sr. subscribed to a Lithuanian newspaper and followed up on an ad from a real estate agency in Michigan. The newspaper advertised that there was a large amount of good land available in Michigan. • (09:09) The factory Frank Sr. worked in was a flourmill factory. • (09:58) Frank Sr. found a real estate agent who would help him move to Michigan and be a farmer. • (10:14) The real estate agent helped him secure land. This was about 1920. • (10:40) The farm was about six miles south and two miles east of Custer, near Barnes Lake. • (11:05) The agent helped Frank Sr. finance the farm. �• (11:34) The land was 480 acres of former timberland. The loggers had stripped it of timber, and left stumps. • (12:40) The loggers had been very wasteful and left logs with low quality wood behind. The land was full of rejected logs, in addition to the stumps. • (12:50) Frank Sr. used as much of the wood as possible for firewood. • (13:06) Frank Sr. bought horses, farm equipment, and cattle. Frank Jr’s Pre-Enlistment • (14:30) Frank Jr. graduated from Custer High School in 1936. • (14:47) Frank helped his father farm after graduating. • (15:05) Had never been sure of what he wanted to do after graduating. He always assumed, until his senior year that he would help his father farm. The superintendant wanted him to go to college. • (16:27) Frank hadn’t planned on going to college. He didn’t think it was a realistic goal at the time. • (16:20) He helped his father dynamite stumps. • (16:30) The superintendant was very forceful that Frank Jr. should go to college, and that he could help his father better with a college education. • (17:05) The superintendant knew people at Western Michigan University and wanted to arrange for Frank to attend there. • (18:26) Frank knew someone who worked on a car ferry in Ludington. • (19:25) Frank wasn’t sure if he could get a job in Ludington, as he had no way to go there and he felt he had an obligation to help his father farm. • (20:32) Frank suggested Western Michigan because he knew the superintendant had gone there, and he couldn’t think of any other colleges at the time. He was very worried the superintendant might hit him. • (20:54) Frank had been the “number two graduate” at the school. • (21:19) Frank worked on the car ferry in Ludington. • (21:38) He went to college afterward. • (21:48) Frank knew the man who worked on the ferry because he went fishing on a lake near Frank’s home. • (22:45) The superintendant made a phone call to the man in Ludington, and had Frank speak to him. �• (23:21) Frank was told he had a job if he came there immediately, as they needed help badly because of summer tourism. • (23:39) Frank talked to his parents, and began working at the car ferry. Enlistment • (24:02) He was drafted in 1941, after his fourth year of college. He was drafted before the Pearl Harbor attack. • (24:41) He was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division at Camp Livingston, LA. • (25:52) Despite following the superintendants plan, he was not able to secure a better job after college because the Army “snatched him up.” • (25:46) At Livingston, half of the men lived in barracks and the other half lived in tends. • (26:08) Frank was assigned to a heavy weapons company, and was assigned to be the expert machine gunner. • (26:43) America was not yet involved in the war, but the war was raging in Europe. • (27:01) He was in the military a few months into his year of duty when Pearl Harbor was attacked. • (27:17) Roosevelt cancelled all the discharges because of the attack. He advised the nation that they were “in it for the duration.” • (28:22) At the time, the American Air Force [Army Air Corps] was sub-par. Roosevelt issued an order than anyone already in the Armed Services must be allowed to transfer if they so wished and passed the physicals. • (29:05) Frank decided to take the tests, and passed first class. He had to remind his Sergeant he was allowed to transfer. • (29:50) He had heard mostly about pilots prior to his enlistment in the Air Corps. • (30:16) He took various tests and physicals and was assigned to be the navigator. • (30:59) He is unsure why he was assigned to be the navigator, but “orders were orders.” • (31:28) The bombers were long-range, and could go on trans-Atlantic flights, regardless of light or weather conditions. • (32:09) The pilot’s duty was to handle the plane; the navigators’ duty was to help them find their way. �• (32:37) He was assigned to the B-24 bombers. • (32:56) He was in training for about six months for navigation training. • (33:14) He flew planes specially designated to train navigators. All the planes used the same kind of navigation systems. • (33:44) There were schools throughout the nation; one was in Monroe, LA. There were other schools elsewhere. • (34:28) He was trained to navigate by the stars. • (35:30) The navigators also used broadcasting stations to triangulate their position. • (36:40) Triangulation had to be performed very quickly as the plane traveled 200 mph. Then they had to notify the pilot of their position. • (37:04) Navigation was especially critical over the ocean, as the radio aids could not be used. • (37:21) Navigators also used the sun and the moon to navigate. • (37:46) After being established as a qualified navigator, he was assigned to a bomb squadron. • (38:28) The Air Force had about ten thousand bombers, which were divided up into a few dozen bombs groups. First plane crash • (38:37) He was assigned to the 13th Air Force, which consisted of B-24’s. • (39:03) B-17’s, B-24’s, and the later B-29’s were all four-engine bombers. • (39:27) There were ten men in his crew- the pilot, the co-pilot, the bombardiers, the navigator, and six gunners. (There was a pilot, a co-pilot, a flight-engineer (who was also a waist-gunner), a bombardier, a radio operator, a tail-turret gunner, a front turret gunner, a ball turret gunner, and a second waist-gunner and himself) (Maleckas 17) • (40:23) All of the crew was officers, except for the gunners. • (41:24) Frank’s first pilot was Aldan A. Aleman • (41:43) Aldan was from Santa, Anna CA. He was a college graduate. • (42:01) Frank and Aldan were very close friends. • (42:51) The crew trained together. �• (43:04) They were assigned to pick up a new airplane in Colorado. There was an ice storm at the time. • (44:30)The pilot objected to the operation, because it was “not flying weather.” Command ordered the pilot to fly above the storm. • (45:44) The storm had rain which fell as liquid, but froze on contact. • (45:57) While in flight, the leading edge of the wing began building up a wall of ice. • (47:08) As they reached altitude, Frank gave the pilot an estimated time of arrival and directions. The plane began vibrating increasingly. • (47:46) The pilot couldn’t make the plane climb to the safe altitude above the storm, and the plane began to lose altitude. • (48:17) The plane began falling at 8,000 feet. • (48:57) The pilot advised everyone to put on their parachutes and prepare to bail. • (49:33) They were “in the soup,” that is, in the clouds. • (50:11) The order to bail never came, but he bailed anyway. • (50:48) The plane hit the ground and blew up. Frank was the only survivor. • (51:24) After the plane crash, Frank was “emotionally wrecked,” and hospitalized for a week. At the end, the doctor advised him he was “fit to fly.” • (52:10) Frank certainly didn’t feel “fit to fly” but decided the doctor was a better judge of his health and trusted his judgment. The Pacific Theater • (52:29) He next sent to the Pacific. He had to bail out again while in the Pacific, and landed in the ocean. • (52:50) After the second crash he was hospitalized for two weeks. • (53:11) He flew with many planes, and was assigned to a new crew. • (53:54) Frank saw combat in the Solomon Islands. • (54:15) He also saw combat at Guadalcanal. • (54:15) He found combat to be very unpleasant. • (55:01) The targets were usually enemy facilities, such as airports and sometimes harbors. �• (55:20) Air bases were the usual targets. • (55:37) Frank once flew over Truk Atoll, but the orders to bomb were not given, as it was only a reconnaissance mission. • (56:40) Estimates that 90% of his combat took place on the Solomon Islands. • (57:25)His crew attacked Choiseul and always encountered enemy fighters there. • (57:40) They also usually encountered enemy ground-fire. • (57:56) The Japanese vigorously defended their bases with anti-aircraft guns. • (58:15) The plane frequently came back with shrapnel and bullet holes, but no serious damage usually. • (58:40) Once, one of the planes lost a motor. • (59:25) They frequently flew reconnaissance, in addition to bombings. • (59:34) He doesn’t recall how many crews he flew with. He flew with four crews (Maleckas, XI) • (59:34) He doesn’t believe he flew on reconnaissance missions more than other navigators. • (01:00:02) Reconnaissance missions were very high priority. • (01:00:10) Reconnaissance missions usually lasted seven to eight hours of flight time, and about ten to twelve hours if pre and post mission procedures were included. • (01:01:04) Combat was usually within five hundred miles from their air base. • (01:01:20) The bombers usually had fighter escorts • (01:01:35) Japanese fighters were sometimes sent against them, and then the escorts would engage. • (01:02:01) Enemy fighters seldom got to the bombers because the fighter escorts usually took care of them. • (01:02:35) Frank flew fewer than twenty combat/bombing missions. • (01:02:46) Frank flew between twenty and thirty reconnaissance missions. • (01:02:57) The Japanese Navy was active in the area, and the Americans needed to be aware of their position, which was the main reason for the reconnaissance missions. �• (01:03:16) Sometimes, while on reconnaissance, they saw nothing, and other times they saw things they did not expect. • (01:03:39) The second time he was shot down, it was during a reconnaissance mission. • (01:04:44) While on reconnaissance, he saw a great variety of enemy ships, used mostly for transporting supplies. • (01:04:44) Once they flew over a ship that shot back, but that was rare. • (01:05:40) He did not encounter enemy fighters while on reconnaissance missions. • (01:05:18) They had standing orders to bomb a target while on a reconnaissance mission if an opportunity arose. • (01:05:41) Reconnaissance missions were longer-range than combat missions, so they carried fewer bombs to lighten the load. • (01:06:37) The vast majority (80-90%) of the time, the planes flew out of Guadalcanal, and sometimes out of the New Hebrides. • (01:07:14) He was never based farther North than Guadalcanal. • (01:07:27) He remained in the Air Corps until the completion of the War, and then he was put in a training post to train new navigators and pilots. • (01:07:56) He spent less than a year training, and was not made a trainer until later on. Second Plane Crash • (01:09:31) He earned a Purple Heart while in the Air Force. • (01:10:08) During his second crash, he did not buckle his parachute correctly. He landed in the Pacific Ocean. • (01:11:03) He spent a lot of time in the water. • (01:11:26) A B-24 dropped a life raft to him, but they forgot to inflate it so it sunk and he could not find it. • (01:11:56) He still had his life jacket, and he found several closed and floating bottles of oxygen. He tied the oxygen bottles to himself using his shoelaces. The gas-filled bottles helped him stay afloat better. • (01:12:39) The oxygen bottles gradually leaked and filled with water, making them sink. �• (01:13:11) He did not see any other swimmers while in the Pacific. He remained afloat for about two days. • (01:13:45) He thought he could see a highway on a nearby island. • (01:14:00) Frank thought he saw angels, which talked to him. The angles had wings on their back, and on their feet, which they used to skip on the water. • (01:14:55) The angels told Frank that they would not abandon him. • (01:15:21) He saw a door open in the island, and submarine came out of it. • (01:15:59) He had been losing strength, and was thinking about drowning himself, but the angels talked him out of it. • (01:16:35) He doesn’t think there really were angels with him that night he was seeing things due to the shock and exhaustion. • (01:16:46) After seeing the angels, he put his feet down, and touched the ground. • (01:17:22) He heard Japanese cars, but did not see any traffic on the island. • The island was undeveloped at the time, and no highway or cars were present. (01:17:46) • Once he was on shore he immediately slept, as he had no strength left. (01:18:04) • (01:18:46) When he awoke, he was prepared to fight any nearby enemy if need be. • (01:19:04) He had been exhausted because he had not slept at all for the two days he was at sea. He thinks this is also part of the reason he has a hard time remembering the episode. • (01:19:28) After waking up, he ate some plants and shot some fish. • (01:20:08) He also ate roots, and some crabs. • (01:20:34) He had to pull the claws and exoskeleton off the crab to get at the meat. • (01:21:07) He saw some natives in the ocean near the eastern end of the island. The island was Choiseul. • (01:21:38) He went to the natives for help. At first they were unsure what to do with him. Frank thinks they thought he was Japanese because of his sunburned skin. • (01:22:10) Eventually the natives took care of him, and fed him. �• (01:22:27) The natives were very nice people. • (01:22:56) One of the natives was an educated doctor. The natives used grenades to fish. • (01:23:49)They would throw a grenade, which made a large splash when it landed in the water. Fish would then swarm around it to inspect it and it would explode. Dead and stunned fish would then float up to the surface. • (01:24:43) There was a Coast Watch established in the area, which was staffed either by Australians or New Zealanders. • (01:25:23) The Coast Watch eventually found him. • (01:25:36) During peacetime, many members of the Coast Watch were local businessmen and entrepreneurs. During the war they had either refused to evacuate, been unable to evacuate, or had decided to contribute to the war effort. • (01:26:12) The Coast Watch made calls to get him off the island. • (01:27:49) The Coast Watch kept bases deep within the jungle. • (01:28:17) The Coast Watch was in communication with the American Headquarters at Guadalcanal. • (01:29:30) It took awhile for him to get picked up. It was very risky for them to land because of Japanese forces nearby. Additionally, it was a lot of trouble to pick up one man. • (01:30:07) Eventually a seaplane was sent out. • (01:30:23) The natives captured a Japanese prisoner to provide the Americans another incentive to send a plane. • (01:30:52) The natives and the Coast Watch were very well organized. They frequently provided the Americans with intelligence and prisoners. • (01:32:02) Frank thinks the plane was sent mostly for the prisoner. • (01:32:24) The seaplanes were also used to send supplies. • (01:32:36) The seaplane took him to Guadalcanal. • (01:32:52) After being brought back, his combat career in WWII ended and he began training recruits. • (01:33:45) He landed on the Philippines, the war was going well, and he was eligible for re-assignment. �• (01:34:23) When he got back, he met the superintendant Arthur Richter again. They needed a teacher, and so he taught at Frankfort High School. • (01:35:45) He taught from then on. • (01:35:54) He taught at Frankfort for twelve years, and then at Scottsdale. � 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 MaleckasF Title A name given to the resource Maleckas Jr., Frank (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maleckas Jr., Frank Description An account of the resource Frank Maleckas, Jr. was born in 1916 in Niagara Falls, New York, and grew up in Michigan. He attended Western Michigan University, and was drafted in 1941. After basic training in the infantry, he switched to the Army Air Corps, serving as a navigator on B-24s. He was the sole survivor of two air crashes, one in training and one in the Solomon Islands. He flew missions from Guadalcanal until the second crash, which he survived by keeping himself afloat for two days, making his way to shore on Choiseul, and being aided by natives and a coastwatcher. After his rescue, he was assigned to training duty. Frank wrote a book on his experiences: One 11 Millionth of a War. Elk Rapids, Mich.: Bookability Inc, 2000. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army. Air Corps 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 2008-03-20 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/0a321187a9a907253ee8f2938318f32f.mp4 1413c1606030a77e1f922b135df800dd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f233504d3d5e52e2a7a5ae3b373ad9ea.pdf b2b5f2381aeed207b2c51266a56c99ad PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Heather Majestic (40:51) Background Information (00:28) • Born May 11th 1971 in Pennsylvania. (00:29) • Served in the U.S. Navy. (00:34) • She had 2 sisters and both parents worked as teachers. (1:07) • Heather was a marching band in high school and served as the drum major. (1:15) • One of her sister’s served in the Air Force for 8 years. (2:50) • Both Heather and her sister served in the ROTC program as a way to get money to make Notre Dame a more affordable college choice in 1989. (3:15) • Part of being in the ROTC she was required to do summer training and was also required to take classes related to military work. (4:01) • Heather’s grandfather also served in the Navy and was awarded a purple heart. (4:39) • Heather’s involvement in the military was entirely voluntary. After a physical and fitness tests. She received 100% funding during college as a result of being in the ROTC. (5:30) Service in the ROTC (7:00) • She was required to take classes on Naval history and jargon. She also learned basic engineering and navigation. (7:12) • Every week the ROTC students had drill. Juniors and seniors were required to hold more leadership positions. (7:56) • A sailing and swimming exam needed to be passed by the students. (8:30) • In the summer the students were sent on cruses. She was sent on a ship to Guam and Japan. (9:00) • Picture of submarines Heather served on. The space was very cramp. There were not enough bed for everybody on the submarine. But because there is always someone on deck, there were always enough beds for the amount of people who were sleeping. (9:35) • Her grades were not good enough to fly jets but she was allowed to briefly fly a P3 reconnaissance aircraft. (12:16) • In Marine Week, the students were given M16s with blanks and practiced a beach landing. (13:14) • After completing the ROTC program at the end of college Heather was commissioned in 1993. (14:22) • After being commissioned she took 1 month off and then started back up and attended Navy Supply Course School in Athens, Georgia. (14:50) Supply Course School (16:00) • Heather then began her program in Supply course school at the University of Alabama [Georgia?]. The program lasted 6th months. During this time she lived off campus. (16:00) �• • • Most of the training was done as if the student would serve on a ship. One of the things she was taught to do was how to do food services and pay disbursement. (16:10) She also was taught on how to run a retail store and supply the ship. (17:31) After completing the course the students were given the choice as to what ship they wanted to go on. At the time (1993/1994) because Heather was a woman she was limited to serving on ships that were not in combat. (18:06) Service in Alaska (19:30) • She served for 1 year in Alaska on the Aleutian Islands with cryptologists. (19:36) • She did not have high enough security clearance as an officer to access most of the buildings she served at in the Aleutian Islands. (20:00) • After her year in service the law limiting women sailors to non-combat vessels was repealed. In 1994/1995 Heather then served aboard the USS Eisenhower (an aircraft carrier). (20:40) Service aboard the USS Eisenhower (22:30) • When heather joined the ship it was in the Mediterranean. She was flown first to Sicily, and then flown aboard the aircraft carrier. (22:33) • The ship was the first combat ship to have women aboard. (23:40) • The ship stopped in Turkey. When she was in port her sister in the Air Force met with Heather. (24:11) • Heather was sent to Haiti for 3 months while stationed on the Eisenhower to assist with the construction of roads and schools. There she was assigned with finding ways to purchase lumber and supplies. (25:22) • After returning to the ship the ship was doing sea trials. (27:12) • Heather was a lieutenant when she exited the Navy. (28:46) Shore Duty (29:19) • After serving aboard the USS Eisenhower Heather worked on shore duty with a Navy SEAL team. (29:19) • Heather worked for 2 years with the SEALs and requested to leave the military. In approx. 1997. (29:44) • She worked with SEAL team 2, witch served in cold weather, and purchased much of their supplies. (30:32) Women aboard Combat vessels (33:30) • There was sensitivity training done for the sailors before the women were to serve on combat vessels. (33:34) • There were pregnancies aboard ship but this was due to visiting families in port not relations between sailors. (34:31) • There were news crews that interviewed people aboard the first mixed gender crew that Heather served in. (35:41) �Final Thoughts (37:00) • She visited Japan and ground zero for the dropping of the atomic bombs. (37:08) • Her favorite place she visited was Nova Scotia. (37:36) • She learned how to scuba dive in Haiti.(39:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MajesticHNoId Title A name given to the resource Majestic, Heather (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Majestic, Heather Description An account of the resource Heather Majestic, born in 1971 in Pennsylvania, served in the U.S. Navy from 1993 to 1997. She went through the Naval ROTC program at Notre Dame University, and received her commission after graduation. She then took training in Naval Supply, and served for a year with a cryptology unit based in the Aleutian Islands. While she was there, the rules were changed to allow women to serve on combat vessels, and she was assigned to the aircraft carrier Eisenhower, and sailed with the ship on cruises in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, and spent three months on detached duty in Haiti on a humanitarian mission. She was then transferred to shore duty where she served as the supply officer for Seal Team 2. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Swift, Morgan (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 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 2012-05-25 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/2a067bdbda22e80ecc36eb01dc5f44e0.pdf 5541a54461476874cfe5f3272e570875 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Simon Maier (18:27) Background Information (00:26)  Before being drafted in the fall of 1954, Simon was a farmer, part time carpenter and was married. (00:29) Service (1:00)        Though Simon’s unit was ordered to go overseas, the unit never left the U.S. (1:03) He was an electrician and was assigned to the 6th Armored Division on the west coast of the U.S. (1:26) His unit was later utilized by the Air Force to construct runways. (2:00) In the winter of 1956 while assigned to the Air Force there was a flood. The Army was called in to assist with clean up and a bridge construction. Simon’s unit assisted with this task which included moving a house. (2:24) The house the men had to move was cut in half by the cable they would use to move it. The man who owned the house was frustrated because he wanted to salvage the lumber. (5:08) One night after the flood occurred, the levies broke a second time. This resulted in a solder’s wife and child dyeing in a nearby flooded town. (6:20) While the National Guard was sending men over to train on a firing range Simon was at, the truck flipped and 3 men were killed. (7:35) Life During Service (8:00)    Simon served on duty 8-10 hours a day. He was allowed to leave base to eat dinner at home but only had 45 minutes. (8:01) Simon recalls that the food was usually very good. (9:16) Because his family did not have a telephone in his house, Simon mostly wrote letters to keep touch with them. (9:46) Training (10:26)    After he completed training Simon was sent to electrician school and demolition school. (10:46) On Christmas, the men were able to have friends over for a little party. (11:17) Simon was trained on the M1 rifle as well as the .50 caliber machine gun. (11:50) Effects of service (12:15)    When Simon was in the military the men he served with were fairly diverse and mostly simple common sort of men. Overall he enjoyed his experience. (12:19) Simon has made and retained some very close friendships as a result of his service. (13:00) He does not recall there being any fights or very much crime where he served. (13:55) �Service cont. (14:55)     Simon was originally trained to set up camps from scratch. He specifically was trained to setup the entirety of electrical systems. These skills were never put into practice. (15:00) During the flood that Simon served in, the Army did help restore the area. (15:50) The military base even opened up part of their quarters during the flood for civilians that had no place to go. (17:00) Meeting the people Simon served with was by far one of the most rewarding aspects of Simon’s service. (17:30) � 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 MaierS1361V Title A name given to the resource Maier, Simeon (Interview outline), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maier, Simeon Description An account of the resource Simon Maier served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956. He trained as an electrician and got assigned to the 6th Armored Division on the west coast of the U.S. For most of Simon's service his unit was contracted by the Air Force to build runways. He also assisted in pickup after a large flood in 1956. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dutcher, Hannah (Interviewr) 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. Army Korean War, 1950-1953--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 2011-11-10 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 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/e1790ac3d4ffffe921115687e325670c.mp4 af21187bca5ac16629a9c9766a1c2052 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a8cec137cbe4dee98311bc60936b97c6.pdf 5ee96d1020db95bcaa37bd975d820a68 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Donald Mahoney (40:00) (00:01) Background Information • Donald was born in Revere, Massachusetts in January of 1931 • His dad was a truck driver and his mom wrote for the Boston Globe • He joined the Reserves first in early 1948 then the Marines and went to Parris Island, SC (2:25) Training • • • • • • Donald described basic training as “hell on Earth” and “hot and humid” They had to change their outfits 4 or 5 times a day He left SC and went to NH to a Marine barracks and was a security guard at the front gate His job for a year and a half was to check people coming in and out In march of 1950 he went to Camp LeJeune, NC and was assigned to the 2nd battalion of the 6th Marines for combat training On August 13, 1950 he took a train to Camp Pendleton for 2 weeks of advanced combat training and moved to the 7th Marines (5:35) Deployment to Korea • • • • • • • • • • • On September 1, 1950 he boarded the USS Bayfield It took 14 days to get to Kobe, Japan and then to South Korea Donald got seasick, but not for the entire time He didn’t know much about what was going on in Korea at the time As a Headquarters Company they supported the Line Companies Sometimes he was a runner between companies They first went to Seoul, South Korea and they secured it on September 29, 1950 That night a bullet grazed him across the face On October 3, 1950 he went to Hungnam and boarded a ship called the General Sultan They went up and down the coast and got off at Fort Mason After that they moved to central Korea (11:55) Attacked by the Chinese • On June 17, 1951 the Chinese fired mortars at Donald’s unit and he was hit in the left leg and chest • He was taken by helicopter to a MASH unit and then took a train to Pusan • Donald boarded a hospital ship called the USS Haven and spent almost a month there �• • • • He felt that “the doctors and nurses were incredible” He would read and play cards to pass the time He was able to catch up with a friend who he had not spoken with since boot camp After getting off the ship he returned to the front line for a few days (15:51) Conditions in Korea • • • • They slept on the ground Received C rations and cigarettes The temperature got down to 20 to 30 below zero He couldn’t clean himself up that well (18:55) Back to the US • • • • • • • • • • They landed in San Diego, CA and then went to Camp Pendleton for processing In 1952 he was stationed in Boston, MA He did clerical work on reserve reports Met Ted Williams when he came to the base Donald spent a month at a Naval hospital in Chelsea, MA because of a shrapnel wound from a year ago Donald then went to Quantico, VA for 3.5 years where he was a data entry analyst and transferred text to code He went to Kansas City then to Chicago While in Chicago he was up near Grand Rapids, MI and met his wife They went to El Toro, a Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Monica, CA He was in the 5th Data Processing Platoon and kept records of Air Wings for 3.5 years (26:00) Back Overseas • • • • In 1964 Donald went to Iwakuni, Japan Donald went to the Olympics and visited Hiroshima He was stationed there for 13 months In January of 1968 he went back to Kansas City and retired from the Marines (30:40) Post Retirement • • Donald worked at machine tool factory building surface grinders for 32 years His position was a Production Expert (31:34) After Retiring From Work • Donald joined the Korean War Veterans club �• • • There are about a dozen of them that meet at the VFW, and belong to a national organization called Tell America They go to schools, rest homes, churches, and hospitals to tell their personal stories and show visuals He also belongs to the American Legion � 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 MahoneyD Title A name given to the resource Mahoney, Donald (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mahoney, Donald Description An account of the resource Donald Mahoney was born in Revere, Massachusetts in January of 1931. He joined the Marines in 1948 and was sent to South Korea to fight in the war in September of 1950. Shortly after arriving they took Seoul, South Korea and that same night Donald was grazed by a bullet and earned his first Purple Heart. He earned his second Purple Heart when he was attacked by Chinese mortar fire and hit with shrapnel. After the war he was stationed as a data analyst in Boston, Quantico, Kansas City, Chicago, Santa Anna, Iwakuni Japan, and then back at Kansas City. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans 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 2008-07-17 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/f87f4865e161fefdf4c3df8be2ddeac1.mp4 6d2c05c2d821b55f966128c80d48cc61 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7537d3eca3aab109f56fb567115e9185.pdf 9cab062c169115c969be6c2a9e7e86ae PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Robert Machiele (06:56) (00:15) Background Information • Robert was born on March 7, 1944 in Zeeland, MI • His father worked at a casket factory • Robert worked making kitchen cabinets before the war (01:41) Training • Robert went through 8 weeks of basic training • He then spent 8 weeks in wheeled vehicle mechanics school at Fort Knox (02:08) Adaptation • There were more than 40 men per room • They did what they had to so they would get along • He was in Virginia for a year (02:45) Leaving the US • Robert was first sent to California then flew to Anchorage, Okinawa, and then Vietnam • He didn’t see any action but he saw a lot of destruction • Robert was a mechanic and worked on the Road Construction Company • He was able to send letters home and occasionally phone home • On his days off he would sometimes ride with the truck drivers (04:26) Back to the US • • • • • • Robert went home in 1968 before the war ended His family met him at the airport to greet him Some people in the community were negative because of the unpopular war It was easy for him to adjust to being home because he was not gone long Robert kept in touch with some of the friends he made for a few years Being in the Military and in Vietnam helped him appreciate his freedom and become more mature � 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 MachieleR Title A name given to the resource Machiele, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Machiele, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Machiele was drafted into the US Army in 1966 and served with a road construction unit first in Virginia and then in Vietnam. He was in Vietnam in 1967-1968, where he was not involved in combat, but saw a good deal of destruction. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McCarthy, Nicholas (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army Vietnam War, 1961-1975--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 2008-05-16 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/374c6b1911135ec572dabc75b5b11069.mp4 3dc9330be1514ae4de8ab04772d5dae6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f3395aceba2b6f992e81ad504a2132fa.pdf 59db1f5c5102fa3d08b22e7c83c1a849 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Eddie MacDonald Length: 35:11 (00:25) Background Information • • • • Eddie was born on a farm in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1936 His father worked for GM and spent time working on their small fruit and dairy farm He went to school in Byron Center, Michigan and graduated in 1954 After graduating Eddie began a plumbing apprenticeship (3:30) Army Enlistment • The Army had started a new program that allowed people in college or an apprenticeship to enlist for a period of only 6 months • Eddie enlisted in 1957; the Korean War had ended, but many were still worried about the Cold War • He went through training at Fort Leonard Wood for 8 weeks • They had class sessions, physical training, bivouacking, and rifle training • Eddie worked well with the discipline and later felt that everyone should be in the service for at least 6 months • Many of his drill sergeants were Korean War veterans (9:35) Advanced Training • Eddie was allowed to return home for Christmas Break and then was shipped to California for advanced infantry training • The fort was a very large and modern facility • They began working more on infantry with rapid fire machine guns, 30 calibers, BARs, 105s, and bazookas • They would go bivouacking for 2-3 weeks at a time for field training • They did not get many breaks or much time to relax • At the end of the 6 months Eddie became part of a control group that was similar to a reserve unit that was to be maintained for 6 years (15:55) Back to Michigan • Eddie returned to his home in Michigan and continued in the plumbing business and got married in 1959 • In 1961 Kennedy had called on the country to enlist and Eddie received a letter saying that he had been “invited to rejoin” the service • He was able to apply for temporary deferment for a few weeks, but would ultimately have to rejoin �• • • The entire 32nd Division of reserves had been called up and they were mostly from Wisconsin with a few from Michigan Eddie was sent in a train from Chicago to Fort Lewis in Washington They were not sure where they were going, though most figured they were going to Berlin or Vietnam (19:40) Fort Lewis • They later found that the 4th Division of Fort Lewis had been sent to Vietnam and they had been sent to Fort Lewis to replace them • The men began training again and working on the rifle range • They kept hearing rumors that they would soon be sent to Vietnam • Eddie’s minister’s cousin lived in Tacoma and he often visited his home and had dinner with his family • Eddie’s wife later moved to Washington and they lived together off the base (30:00) After Service • Eddie and his family moved back to Michigan and he continued working in his plumbing business • He had been in Washington for one year and was done with the reserves afterwards • Eddie stayed in contact with many of the men in his unit • Eddie had learned to be respectful, earned discipline and integrity • The time in the service had opened his eyes to the rest of the world � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MacDonaldE Title A name given to the resource MacDonald, Eddie (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource MacDonald, Eddie Description An account of the resource Eddie MacDonald enlisted in the US Army in 1957. He trained as an infantryman at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. After six months, he was sent home in reserve status and then called up in 1961. He served two years, much of his time spent at Fort Lewis in Washington, and was not sent overseas. 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. Army 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 2008-11-08 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/ed69e28efa630a4942bc30434adbfbbe.mp4 47eb9d8f260a889e0b2ad249a32e5da8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/91490fbb012f28505933f9f795b7b7a7.pdf d14a7179843429f38cce32b104649a22 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview    Ken Maatman (1:20:27) • • • • • (3:30:00) Grand Rapids Michigan April 24 1920 Graduated from Grand Rapids Central Worked for Western Electric Company for one year after graduation Went to Grand Rapids Junior College till Pearl Harbor was announced (4:29:00)Enlists in the Army by January 29 1942 • • • Western Electric Company Installed equipment in Bell Telephone offices- Holland and Grand Haven area Crew of 5 guys Installed all of the wiring in the office to hook up equipment • • (5:19:00)Enlists in the Army 21 years old Outrage at the attack on Pearl Harbor-immediately wanted to be a part of events Went to United States Army Recruiting office –Grand Rapids Post Office Working for the phone company automatically went him and others who worked for the phone company to the signal core Reported to Fort Custer within a week Father felt it was a good idea, Mother did not think the same • • • • • • (8:03:00) Fort Custer The guys are separated by what was on the paper work Acres of barracks and men walking around as Ken gets off the bus Reported to Barracks-spent 3 months in basic training Received uniform upon arrival-was not custom fit (10:38:00)Began day at 5:30 a.m. for role call Calisthenics, breakfast, and then basic training • • • (12:49:00)Camp Crowder, Missouri New post specializing in Signal Core The Camp was not finished-part of their job was clean-up construction mess Classroom settings become part of their routine to learn Signal Corps • • • • �• Selected to go to Fort Monmouth New Jersey • (16:15:00)Fort Monmouth New Jersey Learned all aspects of Signal Corps Climbing telephone poles, laying wires etc. Ken enjoyed doing this job and felt he wanted to do something that benefited the military and the goal they had in the war Trained here for about 3 months • (17:35:00)191st Signal Corps Came from all different posts around the country • • • • (19:00:00)Joined 82nd Infantry division-Camp McCain-Mississippi Tar paper shacks Trained for role while working with infantry-approximately 3-4 months Ken wanted to apply for OCS-felt he wasn’t doing enough for his country This gave him the rank of 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation • • • • • (21:28:00)Fort Monmouth New Jersey OCS training Advanced basics and leadership role Became officer giving orders to recruits Continuously exchanged letters with family members Graduated as officer-no formal ceremony but did receive a certificate • (24:25:00)Back to the 82nd Infantry division-Officer Ken wanted to do more-applied for the Army/Air Core-accepted • • • • • (25:09:00)Sent to basic training Maxwell Field Alabama Stayed for primary training-PT17’s-3 months Became Pilot-wanted to fly Mitchell Bomber Advance training-single wing model plane Started learning maneuvers Ken developed Vertigo-released back to the Signal Corps • • (27:15:00)Fort Jackson-Signal Core-191st –South Carolina Received overseas assignment-didn’t know where though Needed China, Burma, India specialist • • • �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Constant state of flux on base-hard to establish relationship at this point with the guys Officers attended briefings, discussed men to be transferred, calisthenics, drills, and weapon training Ken was pulled out of the company to go to Wilmington California to accompany signal equipment and training equipment to Calcutta India (32:10:00)Wilmington California Waited around for 3 months-checked in daily waiting for ship to come in Norwegian freighter contracted to take Signal companies equipment escorted by one officer for each division On water 53 days before arriving in Calcutta India Traveled alone at sea doing a zigzag course Total of 7 officers from the Signal Corps aboard ship Meanwhile 191st infantry being mobilized to meet equipment in India The men had no idea what to expect in India Ken had never been out of the country before Ken noticed the people were very different in India that unloaded the ship-they were very small and dark skinned people (37:50:00)The guys went off ship looking for a place to stay and there was a mass amount of people-they didn’t think they would ever find a place to stay so they returned to the ship (38:32:00)Ledo India Equipment had to go by train or convoy 700-800 miles north from Calcutta to Ledo Headquarters for the supplies 191st infantry came to Ledo nearly 2 months ahead of Ken Companies separated according to specialties on stations all across the new Burma road They were installing pipe lines and communications down the Burma road also There were battles going on in Southern Burma (42:00:00)Burma was a jungle-nearly 150 ft deep Jungle carried mites that would give you lethal amounts of Scrub Typhus Mosquitoes carried Malaria Cholera, Dysentery, infections from leeches you couldn’t remove from your body 6,900 were killed in old campaign of China Burma India and the same were taken out for illness (45:00:00)Groups of men deployed to various locations to service communication devices �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1,000 officers and 700,000 [ed. note—these numbers are much too high] Signal Corps men were headquartered here Some men were stationed in jungles where the Anoka head hunters were located along the India Burma borders Quartermasters and engineers would send messages telling them where they needed devices set up Had advantage on knowing what was going on with the war because they would monitor and record communications going over wire (48:40:00)Aircraft warning personal wandered into Naga area. They were greeted by Naga men with spears and were put up for the night with a guard to stay with them. They had bomb fire ceremonies and the men thought they were hostile toward them. Turns out that they were fighting off bad spirits from the aircraft personnel to protect them. Recorded message said that ‘the Nagas had gone to a village about 5 or 6 miles from them and wiped out a village of 100 people. The Nagas came back with 30 heads. We have pictures to prove it. Please send grenades back on next drop. We may need them’ The men were installing, repairing, replacement equipment (51:50:00)The officers traveled down the Burma road supervising the men and the progress Kun Ming-brought supplies to here-ended up flying over hump to Kunming, China Traveling on the Burma Road-the road was carved out of the mountains or thru the jungles. It was like riding on a shelf with total drops on the side. Many trucks fell off road and couldn’t be recovered. At times the rain would wash out parts of the roads and would have to wait for days for the engineers to clear it. (54:00:00) Monsoon season from May to October 110-150 inches of rainfall in this time Aircraft that flew over didn’t have doors on the plane and passengers would have to hold onto a rope to move around on the plane The ‘hump’ was the Himalaya Mountains-change in weather made this area dangerous Ken was in an instant hail storm-Pilot circled and climbed in one location until over the hail storm (57:00:00) Ken was responsible for Burma road leading from Burma to Ledo and turning into Kunming China for communication equipment 191st Infantry had no combat losses Had one C47 that went down-courier on board-sent out rescue party that failed to reach him into the jungle 2 men on other plane crashed over same area the first went down and they were also never heard from again �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (100:38:00) They had the sense they were winning the war The Great Retreat out of Burma-British and Americans were badly defeated [referring to earlier events] Points determined who would be going home first-from one month to five months (103:35:00) VE [VJ?] Day-they had picked it up thru the radio-Ken and the men were happy that the war was over (1:04:20:00)Calcutta India Big cities were strange in India-many people living on the streets People in villages were more friendly-lived in shacks City people were disease ridden, deformed, many beggars Made baseball diamond and volleyball court while they were in India At the end of war they had little to do. Much of the equipment was dumped or given to the Chinese. Gave them plenty of time for recreation. (1:07:13:00) Two men made movie-8mm tape-recorded events while the 191st Infantry was overseas and brought it home-transferred it to video tape-Casper Fabragal and James Baskerville, both New Yorkers made the film-still show the film at reunions (1:10:45:00)Heading home Brought into staging area for 1 to 2 weeks waiting for your ship Ken’s ship went to Fort Lewis Seattle-troop ship-took 32 days-the ship was full (1:13:55:00) There were docks loaded with people waiting to greet the men on the ship. The men were very proud of their accomplishments. Fort Lewis-staging area before going to Camp McCoy Wisconsin Discharge process involved going back through your records and checking to see what illnesses you had while you were in the service Ken can still not give blood because he had a touch of Malaria while he was overseas (1:15:25:00) Parents met Ken at Grand Rapids train station-very pleased to have him home Two other brothers of Ken’s were also in service-all came home alive *Ken is very proud of the opportunity to accomplish the tasks that are put on officers in the military at this time. He is very proud of the opportunity to do something that big. The memories of things that he seen, with cruelties and discomforts, had great �affect on individuals. Feels the work he did had big effect on the work he did after he was out of the military. *(1:19:00) Ken shares that when he was in Kohima, there are cemeteries’ where American Soldiers are buried and he found a sign on one of the crosses where a soldier was buried. “When you go home, tell them of us. For your tomorrow, we gave our today.” �. The United States Military Awards of 1st Lt Kenneth B. Maatman for service with (he United States Army Pacific Theater, World War II and U.S. Army Reserves Bronze Star Medal Service: All Services Instituted: 1944 .' Criteria: Awarded for heroicor meritorious achievement or service. Army Good Conduct Medal Service: Army Instituted: 1941 Criteria: Exemplary conduct, efficiency and fidelity during threeyears of enlisted service. American Campaign Medal Service: All Services Instituted: 1942 Criteria: Service during 1941-46 withinthe American Theater. '" Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Service: All Services Instituted: 1942 Criteria: Awarded for service in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during 1941-46. World War II Victory Medal Service: All Services Instituted: 1945. Criteria: Awarded for service in the U.S. Armed Forces, 1941-1946. China War Memorial Medal Country: Republic of China Instituted: 1945 Criteria: Awarded to personnel who served in the ChinaTheater, 1939 - 1945. Combat Service Commemorative Service Medal Honors military personnel who servedin an overseas combat theater. ". Asiatic Pacific Victory Commemorative Medal <Victory over Japan) Honors military personnel who served in the Pacific Theaterduring WorId War Il. World War IT Victory Commemorative Medal Honors service in the U.s. Armed Forces during World WarIl. Overseas Service Commemorative Medal Honors service in an overseas theater or expeditionary operation. u.S. Army Commemorative Medal Honors honorable service in the U.S. Armybetween 1775 and 2000. National Guard and Reserve Commemorative Medal Honors service in the U.s. National Guardand Reserves over the past 200 years. �,;.... ,. I ". ~ . 'I' Pi'."" ;.~: ~ -, ·r ~, .c".>;··", " ~/ ",:.~I: ~J . :Ir.'- ', .. ~ . ' ~')"""":' ..r:,·'.\.['~.{:;0·."". . tJJ:~'" ___ . . _ .... \ .-;« ~ rJ\::tj .'.~ . ....,.. . - ~._ '... ...... __.-.. ~ .'-------,. .'l-<\~.:l' , .... .:'\....I'--J ..·.·,_.j--.~~ .. ~ .. -,:/: ,,~ .... ~., ;"'",,.-.JJiit.. - ...'-. -._1 :-. . ~ Phyllis Koning 1/ L7 ( tJ V ?k ~1 y- .?1b==-.:...:;tA...=----._- _ -~chM.~F= ~~ Z-- CL~~~_M-~_.tl'0-~ _~ iJd~~#t~~ __ ~ -~~_.~--~~­ _J_~1--C_~~ .. /f~C;U~­ ~~--~ --._­ ___ Lrj.L~ ~ Z2. ~:t~ ~_ ~A~s!fe,_, _t..._'!=~;=­ ~.u_~w_~~+­ -~!=-f-L-Ic~J-#a...~~ ~ .~~~~/lL~ --~~~~~ -~i ~ awuLIa.LLi ;1 ilL The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad Athens • 13-29 August 2004 DS311 /6 t-/ ca» - (;).e ~ ()A.e.. ~~~ ~,~, --£Y ~ ~ ~M ~ 7t r 4J: ~ fcJ...f)" ~ r~ /lA.L- ~ ~ ~p~~~~ ~~~-~ l~ ~~~/~F . . ~••. L \ . ~ ,'J I~ ~~ ~­ , .. ~~ ~ , �Velma R. Maatman 1358 W. Thornberry ~t., SE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 August 20, 2004 Mr. Michael Lloyd, Editor The Grand Rapids Press 155 Michigan, NW Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 Dear Mr. Lloyd: My husband and I think the enclosed article from The Modesto Bee newspaper in Modesto, California, shoUld appear in The Grand Rapids Press. I hope you agree. Col. Koning's article appeared in The Modesto Bee newspaper July 25, 2004. This is an account-oI what the United States is doing in Iraq to rebuild services for the Iraqi people. Terrorism is only one part of what is going on in Iraq. Col. Koning returned from Iraq July 1st after a six month tour of duty as Commander of the Southern Engineer District where he was engaged in the reconstruction of civil services. He had 4,000 Iraqis working for him. Colonel Thomas L. Koning was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, graduated from the West Point Academy, and now resides in Concord, Massachusetts, with his wife and two children 'where he is the commander of the New England Engineer District outside of Boston. His parents, William and Phyllis Koning, were born and raised in Grand Rapids and lived here until after graduating from ~he University of Michigan. They now reside in Modesto, Cali­ fornia. Col. Koning's grandfather, Gillis Vandenberg, worked for. The Grand Rapids Press over 40 years. Please give this article your attention. Thank you. For more information you may contact: Judy Sly, editor of Opinions Page The Modesto Bee Modesto, CalTIOrnia Phone: 209 578-2317 E-Mail: jsly@modbee.com Sincerely, o~~ It? ~"'---' Velma Maatman (Mrs~ Kenneth) � 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 MaatmanK Title A name given to the resource Maatman, Kenneth (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maatman, Kenneth Description An account of the resource Ken Maatman was an Officer in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. He supervised the installation and maintenance of communications lines in the China/Burma/India theater, particularly along the Burma Road in the last two years of the war. Letters and military documents appended to outline. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army 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 2004-09-09 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/775cebdf47f36282deae1147a73ca584.mp4 c3ae25b7559a8b42e07156128a345830 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f62c55732feaddd7b18096bf460de350.pdf 49e90600927c29ca8e4465376a879a9e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Alan Lust (23:15) (01:00) Background Information • Served in the Air Force, 1971-1979 • He was born in Ohio and worked for a bus company that his uncle owned before joining the service • He worked there from the time he was 18 till he was 21 and does not recommend working for anyone that you are related to • He went to visit a Navy recruiter, but they were at lunch • There was a Marines and Army recruiter, but he was not interested in those branches, so he wound up at the Air Force recruitment building (3:10) Travel • Al traveled to an air base in Germany • He was in Thailand for 6 months • He spent 5 years working with bombers in North Carolina • Al spent his last year of service in Korea (3:50) Thailand • They had heard that the Viet Cong were planning to attack their base • They were mortared and shot at many times in Thailand and it was not fun at all • Al was never too fearful because he never experienced heavy combat • He worked with F-4s that carried many radar guided missiles (7:30) Entertainment • The men played a lot of cards • They wrote letters back to their families and friends • He never called the states because it cost about $9 per minute • He was very stressed out and drank heavily, which he is not proud of (11:00) Christmas in Thailand in 1972 • They spent Christmas loading bombs; it was not a good Christmas knowing that what you were doing might kill many people (13:45) The End of His Time in the Service • Al left Korea and headed towards California • He had decided that he wanted to go to college • He was in North Carolina when the war ended and he thought it was all a huge waste; there were so many deaths and we did not accomplish our goal �(17:05) Al’s Career • He wanted to go to college to become a Pastor • Al worked on a mission dealing with the homeless for 16 years • He was a rescue mission chaplain and a substance abuse counselor (18:20) Looking Back • Al believes that war is terrible and it is ironic because there are things that are worse than war, such as “passiveness in the face of evil” • He believes that was is necessary when power lies in the hands of someone evil • He has gained much pride and satisfaction from his time spent in the service • A military experience is very beneficial for any young man; it provides responsibility and experience • Al’s highest rank was E-5 and he was in the Air Force from 1971-79 � 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 LustJ_001A Title A name given to the resource Lust, Alan John (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lust, Alan John Description An account of the resource Al Lust was born in Ohio in 1950 and enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1971. Al served in Germany, Thailand, and Korea. While in Thailand, Al worked on flight missions against the Viet Cong. Al stated that he was mortared and shot at many times but never experienced any heavy combat. After his time in the Air Force, Al worked on a mission dealing with the homeless for 16 years. He also was a rescue mission chaplain and a substance abuse counselor. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McAlpine, John (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Air Force Vietnam War, 1961-1975--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 2005-05-24 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/fa42a7f6d514d7553f4626098a0e95ad.mp4 9337b675c91321fe05f9bc3a51530a7f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5445c10dd4be8ae91ffeadc9a222bc11.pdf a9af2daf04a17e22e516e50faa4fecae PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee’s Name: William Lysdahl Length of Interview (00:26:44) Background: (0:00:14)  Served in the Navy  Enlisted because it was his duty  Was 17, his father signed for him, thought it was a good idea Enlistment: (0:01:34)  A lot of physical training, did not consider it really hard  Boat training at Great Lakes  Gunner training at base in Virginia  New Orleans, got their ship  Went to Boston, set sail from Boston to the Panama Canal, then to the Pacific, where he stayed for the rest of the war  Not many casualties in his unit  Most frightening encounter was a typhoon (0:03:30)  Made necklaces out of seashells for their girlfriends  Story about Patrol duty and a bombardment of a Japanese island (0:05:05)  Received medals for participating in war-zones  Wrote letters back home, that was the only way to keep in touch  Thought the food was good o Had steak o Was a lot better than ground soldiers’ rations o Had plenty of supplies  Sank 8 submarines without gun-battles (0:07:30)  Slept down below o Had to cover up mattress with a fire-proof cover o Eventually hung up a hammock because it smelled so bad  For entertainment they boxed or watched movies o Every 3rd day on an island, they’d go ashore and play ball or other sports  One of the officers almost got washed overboard when he lost his footing (0:10:08)  Liked all the soldiers he worked with o Did not share the same opinions as the officers  Did not keep a journal, and was glad of it, because he didn’t want to relive deaths and battles After the War: (0:11:50)  Never considered re-enlisting  Was in the Pacific when he was discharged. Stopped in Hawaii, then to Los Angeles �             Wanted a glass of cold milk most; all they had was powdered milk on the ship and it was too warm Went to work, and took a few night classes when he returned Made a lot of friends, but did not keep in touch o Had friends in Kentucky, the Dakotas Joined the American Legion Was a salesman after the war Does not regret joining the war o Does not agree with certain decisions, but does not regret his time American Legion o Gives out scholarships o Sends boys to different organizations o Work with the community, have fish-frys His service time does not affect his life Remembers he was in St. Louis seeing a movie when Pearl Harbor was attacked o Remembers wanting to fight, but was too young at 16 Remembers anchoring on an island, could see the bottom of the ocean (0:16:48) o Looked like an aquarium, could see all the fish o Skipped from island to island o Rescued pilots and crewmen from downed planes Served on the USS Spangler (0:19:08) o Did not have big enough guns to take on a cruiser Chose the Navy because he thought he’d have a chance to see more of the world o Saw as much as he wanted to Discharged on December 1st, 1945, at 20 years old � 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 LysdahlW Title A name given to the resource Lysdahl, William (Interview transcript and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lysdahl, William Description An account of the resource William Lysdahl entered the Navy at age 17 during World War II. He served in the Pacific Ocean on ships conducting antisubmarine patrols. He was discharged on December 1st, 1945, at the end of the war. He was 20 years old. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Balczak, Melissa (Interviewer) Miller, Leigh (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 2005-06-08 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/7de259065388008bc16d0bd0820fde58.mp4 227b5084a32d6e5dbb50011cb18292d1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e25b125e3cf10f3a0ef6da76ce89a983.pdf 267259e861e7c6e512169b5e63a589a2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee’s Name: Jerry Lyons Length of interview (0:45:04) (00:26) Background  Born December 20, 1922 (00:33)  Served in the 32nd division, 107th Medical Battalion, Company D during World War II (00:37)  Left service as a T-4 (01:00)  Served in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippine Islands (01:19)  Was living in Grand Rapids, MI when drafted (01:25) (01:52) Training  Departed for Fort Custer in January, 1943. Remembers that it was very cold. (01:57)  Sent to Camp Wood, Texas. Trip took about three days. (02:26)  Boot camp mostly included marching in various conditions. Describes training with tank destroyers. (3:22)  Was transferred to a different camp after about four months. (05:27)  Traveled to New York City by train, saw the Statue of Liberty. Told that they were going to the South Pacific (06:15) (06:44) Arrival and Training in South Pacific  Traveled by convoy down the East Coast, through the Panama Canal, and then to Brisbane, Australia (06:44)  Jerry traveled on the U.S.S. Uruguay, which was a South American luxury liner at one time that was refitted for the troops. Trip took about a month. (07:32)  His ship nearly hit a liberty ship that had a broken rudder (08:11)  Had gun practice while on board (09:00)  Dropped anchor off the island of Bora Bora. Describes his experience swimming and their interactions with the natives. (09:26)  Describes arrival in Australia. (11:50)  Marched to Camp Asbury, about 30 miles out of Brisbane, joined 32nd division. (13:17)  Describes the friendships he acquired and the occasional trips into Brisbane. (14:07)  Describes training in Newcastle. (16:48)  Traveled to Hollandia, New Guinea, and then left for Leyte, Philippines on D+4 (17:14) (18:30) Service in South Pacific  Describes first experience fighting (18:30)  Describes experience driving the ambulance on Luzon, Philippines (19:48)  Sniper had hit their ambulance during an attack on their camp. Bullet hit about two �inches from where his head had been. (21:10)  Describes some close calls while traveling through mountains. Taken to hospital once he had been hit in the shoulder. Returned to the unit afterwards and received Purple Heart. (21:47)  Describes how the ambulance he worked in dealt with certain weather and terrain conditions. (23:56)  Received Bronze Medal for the retrieval of a wounded person. Also received Good Conduct Medal (25:06)  Kept in touch with family through letters. Family made a record in which they all sang and sent it to him. Listened to it often. (26:15)  Proposed to his wife while in the service because he didn’t want to lose her. Married her when he returned to the United States in February (27:50)  Describes recreational activities he enjoyed while in the Philippines. (30:00)  Describes rescuing a wounded man with three other men while under fire from a sniper. (31:37)  Briefly describes military circumcision. (35:13)  Recalls that some men were slightly unscrupulous, but most were honest and dependable. (35:50) (37:00) Post-Service  Returned to California by boat and then returned home in February 1946. (37:14)  Worked as a truck driver in the early 1950s. Worked for Frieden Calculators and later did sheet metal and furnace work. (38:57)  Military experience taught him that it is necessary to have an army to protect our country. Was glad that he could serve his country, but decided not to continue serving because he cared about his family. (39:46)  Thinks that the military discipline and getting away from home was good for him. (40:40)  Would hate to see family members go into the service, but emphasizes the power or prayer. (41:04)  In spite of all of the negative aspects of the United States, thinks that we live in the best country. Thinks that those who have served their country should be proud. (42:35)  Recalls attending a veterans’ parade and realizing that everyone was there to thank them. Realized that even though he might not have contributed much, as a group the military accomplished great things. (42:58) � 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 LyonsJ Title A name given to the resource Lyons, Jerry R. (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lyons, Jerry R. Description An account of the resource Jerry Lyons, born December 20, 1922, was drafted while living in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. He served during World War II as a part of the 32nd Division, 107th Medical Battalion, Company D. His service took him across the South Pacific to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippine Islands, where his unit supported the division in combat on Leyte and Luzon. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Lyons, Jacob (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 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 2005-05-12 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/b72738f3e68ff70985d6f7d2b22ab908.mp4 122b81de54276dc260dcce5ff9ef817b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/503b12b874d2dba9f89036ad147c53d2.pdf cd548a290aba682d9051f931de6d2710 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Glenn Lyons (2:15:27) Background Information (1:55)                            His grand parents immigrated to the U.S. and lived in South Dakota, Illinois, and then Michigan. (2:48) His grandparents worked as farmers in the early 1900s late 1800s. (3:32) His father was the oldest of 4 children. (2 boys and 2 girls) (4:00) His father worked in a furniture factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (5:11) Glenn was born April 4th 1920 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (5:28) He is the 2nd youngest of 6 children. (3 girls and 3 boys) (5:45) At the age of 2, his family moved out to Silver Lake, Michigan, in 1922. (6:57) After several years in Silver Lake the family moved once more to Cannonsburg, Michigan in 1925. This is where Glenn began school. (8:16) The school was a 1 room school house with 2 stories. 7th grade and up was upstairs, downstairs were all the other grades. (8:34) After several years in Cannonsburg he moved south of Rockford, Michigan. (8:58) He then moved once more in Rockford and attended White Swan public school. (9:58) As a child he enjoyed ice fishing. (10:30) When going to school he had to carry his lunch to school every day. He recalls being intimidated by the older kids in his class who were older. (12:30) A pot belly stove was used to heat the school. (14:00) At age 15 he worked for 20 dollars a month in 1935. He was hired to milk cows by hand and assists in a saw mill. (14:27) He graduated elementary school in after 8th grade (approx. 1935) (17:44) He graduated from Pratt Lake one room school house. (18:05) He started high school at Pratt Lake in 1937. He wanted to play football but could not due to his chores at home. (18:50) After walking to school all first semester he purchased a 1928 Model A Ford for 50 dollars total. (20:00) His father then got a job at a canning factory. To get there, he used Glenn’s car. (20:27) He recalls the seizing of other countries by Germany during the late 1930s and early 1940s. (21:56) While in the 10th grade (approx. 1938/1939) he was kicked out of his home because his father couldn’t afford to have him live there. He applied for jobs in factories but he was not hired due to him being too close to the draft age. (23:03) He did find a job as a farm hand. (24:10) He met his wife originally in his one room school house. In 1938 he re-met her. (24:40) He was drafted into the U.S. Army on November 24th 1941.(26:40) After he was drafted he tried to enlist in the Navy but they would not take him due to his mother's tuberculosis. (27:02) He was drafted in the 2nd wave of draftees from Grand Rapids, Michigan. (27:40) �Basic training (27:44)                           He was then sent to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan. (27:49) The first thing they had him do once he arrived was peeling potatoes at 4:00 in the morning. (28:00) He was then sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky. This was the furthest he has ever been from home at the time. (28:50) He was in Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. Basic training lasted approx. 9 weeks. (29:19) Basic consisted of a lot of marching and learning of military discipline. (29:30) When finished with basic, he was going to be chosen to stay at Fort Knox and be a corporal and assist in training, but he was replaced and then sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. (30:00) He recalls that while in Kentucky during the winter of 1942 it rained often. (30:30) When he arrived at Fort Benning, Georgia he had not had any furloughs. He was given a 10 day leave in April of 1942. During his leave he traveled by train Back to Michigan. (31:48) He had to take a train to Atlanta then to Chicago then to Grand Rapids, Michigan. (32:10) While on his furlough he married his wife. They were planning on getting married in August but instead got married to his wife Florence on April 10th 1942. (34:48) He returned back to Fort Benning and became a supply truck driver. (36:05) The men were given the opportunity to drive the tank. The tanks the men used were shift tanks, with airplane engines in their back end. (36:59) He was then sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (approx. June of 1942) (38:25) His truck was so heavy with all the men’s supplies when driving to Fort Bragg that he fell behind other men who traveled by truck. (38:50) He was instructed on the drive to Fort Bragg to stay over on the right side of the road. The ground was soft due to rain. As a result the truck flipped and a man in the back of his truck had his ear cut off. (39:30) A wrecker from the division was sued to tip the truck back over. (40:15) At Fort Bragg the tanks learned maneuvers. The men were given new tanks [M-5 Stuarts] with Cadillac engines in them (41:13) The cannon on the tank was small at 37 mm. (41:58) The company was then told they would be shipped to Africa. (42:30) The men were given landing practice with the tanks while stationed in Virginia. (43:14) While in Virginia he was given a 10 day furlough. (45:20) He was then sent to New Jersey where he would assist in the training of men for tank landings. At this time he was a corporal. (46:06) Before being shipped out he drove a supply truck to New York to ship over to Africa. (48:33) He shipped out on a flat-bottomed ship formerly used to ship railroad cars. (49:57) While being sent over to Africa, men had particular jobs aboard the ship such as a guard and lookout. (50:37) 2 days before arriving in Casablanca in Africa he spotted a torpedo and warned of its approach. The ship successfully evaded it. (50:50) Arrival in Casablanca (52:00) �     He arrived in Casablanca on December 24th, 1942. His job once the ship landed was to unload supplies. On Christmas he ate with the Navy. It was the only Christmas while in the service where he didn’t have some sort of assignment. (52:42) There were some French in Casablanca at the time when he arrived. (53:53) From Casablanca he was supposed to be moved with his company to Sicily Italy to aid in the invasion of Sicily. However he fell ill and was hospitalized for 5 days, missing the invasion. (55:11) After his hospitalization he was sent to Oran in Western North Africa and shipped out by boat to Wales. England. (57:00) Arrival in England (57:00)      He was then sent by train from Wales to Oxford, England In December of 1943, where he stayed in a Barracks. (57:35) When being sent from Oran to Wales, the men were given ice cream by the Red Cross. (58:39) The trek in the Atlantic was choppy and many of the men got sick. (59:30) There were so many troops on the ship he sailed on to Wales that some men were assigned to sleep nights and the others assigned to sleep days due to lack of beds. (1:01:05) While in England, they did go in to London on one occasion and see sights and visit pubs. (1:04:43) Invasion of Normandy (1:05:00)        His company went into Normandy on June 16th 1944 (10 days after the invasion on June 6th.) (1:06:20) At this time he was still a Liaison Corporal (a Jeep driver.) (1:06:35) While landing on the beach, a ship next to him was hit by a mine and the ship was destroyed. (1:07:00) He unloaded on a shallow part of the beach. When he drove the jeep into the water it was shallow enough that his feet didn’t get wet. (1:07:50) The beach was covered with destroyed equipment and the terrain looked to have been worn horribly. (1:09:00) At the time of his arrival, only 10 square miles had been secured by Allied forces [actually more than that, even at Omaha, but the beachhead was still much smaller than planned]. (1:09:50) His captain than instructed that he wanted to go to the front, so Glenn took him in his jeep. He recalls while he was driving this there were times he was told to drive fast and not slow down due to the spotting of snipers who fired upon the jeep. (1:10:03) Service in Northern Europe (1:11:00)   After arriving, his company was supposed to invade a town. The day before the company next to him was hit by a German bomb. (1:11:56) The men took the town with some combat and moved on. Shortly after he was given a leave of absence and moved on to Paris. (1:13:23) �          His company moved through the intersection of Belgium, France and Germany. (1:14:58) He and his commander had coffee at a Frenchman’s house. Shortly after leaving the house was struck with an explosive round. (1:15:45) While moving across the European countryside, the company went under fire by another American company on their right who mistook them for the enemy. (1:18:00) He served in B Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (all light tanks) (1:18:50) When the military began a spearhead maneuver his company was on the outside of the spear head providing cover. (1:20:09) Shortly after the men moved back and took a house to make into the head quarters in December of 1944. (1:20:40) The men had Christmas dinner on December 31st 1944.(1:22:48) Air support was sometimes given. The men would have assistance form P38s and P47s. the P38s often were subjected to friendly fire. (1:28:58) The men would often start being shelled by artillery without warning as they advanced. He was nearly struck by a shell but never was seriously injured. (1:23:40) Some men became shell shocked as a result of this fire. (1:24:41) The surrender of the 41st infantry (1:25:40)   The [someone from the] 41st Infantry [German infantry division] called his division and said that they knew of the Allied approach and were going to surrender. (1:25:50) The Germans came in a covered truck. When the curtain was lifted the germens opened machine gun fire on the American company. Latter, Glenn’s company arrived and one surviving American from the massacre told of what happened. (1:26:05) Service in Northern Europe (cont.) (1:26:15)       The cold weather led to many problems with engines including difficulty starting or tanks trucks and jeeps. (1:26:38) When entering the boarder of Germany many German forces had retreated. The advanced was more of a cleanup rather than invasion. (1:29:34) Near the end of the war Glenn had the job of taking men who had enough points for leave to locations where they could get picked up. After words, it was up to him and his radioman to reconnect with the company. (1:29:20) While in no-man’s-land with several other officers, he was passed a bottle of alcohol that the other officers were drinking. However because he was caught with the bottle, his stripes were cut off and he was bumped from a corporal to a private. Now he operated the radio and the former radio operator was the driver. (1:30:00) He was later told that because the officer who bumped him down didn’t know who he was to just sew his strips back on. Several days later he was a corporal once more. (1:31:15) He crossed the Rhine River, however was unable to see it due to “asphalt Blindness.” This refers to the impaired vision men had when following a tank on asphalt and having the tank rip up the ground and throw it in the air. (1:31:31)] �        He had to visit the medic to have his eyes washed out. (1:32:40) He became the assistant driver of a staff tank due to his inability to see. His vision later returned at 4AM the next day. (1:33:20) He got pneumonia and stayed in the hospital for a few weeks. When he was relived he caught a supply truck back to his unit. (1:34:18) When he rejoined his unit, the commander of a tank got sent home after getting enough points. She he was then made a tank commander. (1:35:00) At this time his company was in German heading to Berlin. When they arrived there the Russians turned them away. (1:35:42) It took 3 attempts to enter the city before the Russians allowed Americans access. (1:35:18) The company seized a large building for the men to stay in. while exploring the basement of that building they found that it was full of dead bodies. (1:36:38) He was then given a 3 days leave of absence in the U.S. But after turning in their tanks at the France German Border in August of 1945, he heard that Japan had surrendered. (1:38:02) Post surrender service (1:38:50)          He then took a train from Germany through France. (1:38:50) He was told that his company was to replace the occupation forces on the French Riviera. (1:40:21) He got on a ship headed to Boston. He gambled to pass tome o the ship. (1:42:00) While crossing the Atlantic they hit a Hurricane near the Canary Islands. (approx. September 1945). (1:40:30) The top deck of the ship had women on it but he and the other male soldiers were not allowed to visit it. (1:43:00) He landed in Boston in October of 1945 and was sent to Camp Grant, Illinois. (1:43:15) He was discharged at Camp Grant, Illinois and then was sent by train to Chicago. (1:44:14) The train tickets and taxis between two different train stations were paid for by the military. (1:44:38) He took a train back to Grand Rapids, Michigan. (1:45:10) Life after Service (1:46:17)         His wife stayed with her mother on Ramsdale Avenue in Grand Rapids Michigan.(1:46:20) His first job was painting a house for pay. (1:47:10) He then was hired on a dock. While there he saved the foreman after having a heart attack. (1:47:49) In April of 1946 he bought a 120 acre farm. (1:48:55) On January 3rd of 1950 he had his first daughter. (1:49:26) In 1952 he sold his 120 acre farm. (1:49:48) He then went to live with his wife’s sister and brother-in-law where he worked the farm for a short time before going to live with his brother. (1:50:00) He then bought a house on 6 Mile Road with some farm land. (1:50:35) �              He then received a job in the yard in a plaster mine in Grandville, Michigan. (1:51:20) He then received a job as an electrician for the Grandville mine. (1:52:70) He worked her for 2 years and never received one raise. (1:53:19) He was then made the high loader on the dock. (1:54:09) He had one child in 1952 and another in 1956. (1:54:19) He worked in a factory making stoves and then later refrigerators. (1:55:00) During the summer, the factory laid men off to go work on the farm. During this time he received a job for a farm hand. (1:58:05) He then started work for Pioneer Construction Company. (2:00:05) Soon after being employed at Pioneer construction he was made a truck driver. (2:03:56) He retired in April of 1984 after working at 2 construction companies. (2:06:04) He built his house in 1954. (2:08:15) On April 7th 1985 he had a heart attack. (2:08:44) He recovered from his heart attack by walking frequently. (2:09:48) He has been married to his wife for 64 years. (2:12:18) Final thoughts on service (2:13:00)   He doesn’t think he would have enlisted if he wasn’t drafted. But he thinks the experience was rewarding and he was thankful he wasn’t hurt. (2:13:19) He belongs to the VFW and the American Legion. He served as a chaplain for one of these organizations. (2:14:30) � 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 LyonsG1311V Title A name given to the resource Lyons, Glenn (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lyons, Glenn Description An account of the resource Glenn Lyons was born April 4th 1920 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and drafted into the Army in November, 1941. After a year of training, he was shipped to North Africa, with the 2nd Armored Division. He spent most of his military service as a jeep driver in a light tank company in that unit. He missed the invasion of Sicily due to illness, but was with his unit from Normandy until the end of the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Blough, Ivan (Interviewer), Blough, 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. 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 2005-12-15 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/aa16a57eb8efea7f583d57abeb49ca37.mp4 0f72e96739c0330afe6a1ba3319891ad https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c79b4775892d02dce324eeb2993c0b18.pdf e8ee4bf598dd122eb31dd3927c54ba5b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: Other veterans & civilians Name of Interviewee: Ron Lyon Length of interview (01:02:26) (0:00:10) Background Born in Flint, MI on November 14, 1941, three weeks before Pearl Harbor. (0:00:26) Grew up about 20 miles northeast of Flint. (0:05:07) Father served in the Philippines in the infantry during World War II. Was colorblind and therefore able to see through camouflage. (0:01:00) Father worked as the head of the catalogue department for Buick. (0:06:27) Was the oldest child. Had one sister and a brother. (0:07:07) Suffered from hay fever, asthma, and several allergies throughout grade school. Despite this, he played sports until 10th grade, but had to quit when his symptoms inhibited his breathing. (0:02:56) Attended Lakeville High School. Describes the consolidated school system. (0:07:35) When his health kept him out of sports, he dedicated his time elsewhere. He played first chair trumpet in the band, participated in all high school plays, was the head of the Drama Club, and participated in Debate Club. (0:08:53) Attended community college for a few years studying pre-med. Wasn’t getting much out of it and decided to join the service to learn discipline. (0:09:51) Looking back, wishes that he had gone on to become a veterinarian. (0:11:15) Joined the service in September, 1962. (0:02:49) (0:11:52) Service in New York City Signed up for a missile defense site for New York City. Compared to his small town, New York City fascinated him. (0:11:52) Asked him to go into the army as an officer, but he declined. (0:12:55) FBI had to perform a background check on him before giving him top secret clearance. (0:20:52) Had a top secret clearance and therefore took care of all nuclear warheads and tools for his company. (0:13:39) Training for this included special advanced classes. (0:13:55) Was at the base during the Cuban Blockade. (0:14:05) Was the only one on base with top secret clearance on base during the John F. Kennedy assassination because the base was undergoing maintenance and everyone else had gone to New York City for the weekend. (0:14:21) Describes being instructed by a general from the SAC Air Command to arm all missiles with nuclear warheads and put up as many as possible, to put the guard dogs patrolling the perimeter on attack mode, and to shoot anyone at the gate that he didn’t recognize. (0:15:51) Didn’t know what was going on until the news of the assassination came on the radio later. (0:19:07) Recalls that the experience was very scary because he was a [Spec-4] at the time and had �never dealt with an emergency without supervision. (0:20:06) Explains the constant fear during the Cold War. (0:21:40) After the missiles were armed, helped manage and fire the missiles (0:22:58) Says that if he had been ordered to fire a missile or shoot someone if it were absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t have hesitated whatsoever. (0:23:20) The first sargeant and the lieutenant and had returned by the time that Kennedy was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Was relieved once the higher officers had returned. (0:25:03) Was stationed at this base for 14 months. (0:25:49) Was able to see several Broadway shows because he was stationed in New York City on the weekends. Received the tickets for free from the USO. (0:25:58) Recalls that being in New York City was an adventure. (0:29:49) The base closed down and was turned over to the National Guard. (0:30:38) Describes the switch from small nuclear warheads to high TNT missiles before he left. (0:30:50) Worked with the state police and was in charge of the Nuclear Biological Chemical Warfare team. (0:31:46) (0:32:15) Service in Germany Worked in the 9th Chemical Company outside of [Mannheim], Germany, which suppored all of the 7th Army. Provided gas masks, flame throwers, and decontamination trucks. (0:32:15) Represented his base as the Chemical Corps during the [War Games with other countries] because he was the only one with top secret clearance. Was the lowest ranking person in attendance. (0:32:57) Was in Germany for 14 months. (0:36:05) Was surprised that he was sent there because he hadn’t had 18 months of experience, which was the requirement. Was thankful because he was able to see various parts of Germany, Switzerland, France, northern Italy. (0:36:30) Was frequently left in charge while his first sergeant was out trying to sell things that were new to biological and chemical warfare to the countries of NATO. Every time he was left in charge, his first sergeant would award him three or four days of vacation. (0:37:36) Attended a 30 day program at the NCO Academy which included map reading, instructional training, and leadership. Only had about two hours of sleep every night while there. Describes his daily routine. (0:39:39) The top four received a promotion, but was 5th in his class. (0:41:52) Describes skiing in the Alps. Had broken his ankle 6 weeks before while playing in a basketball tournament on post. (0:47:35) (0:51:13) Life after Service Arrived in New Jersey at an Air Force base near Fort Dix and was discharged. (0:51:42) Returned to the Flint area and worked as a salesman for 7 or 8 months. (0:51:18) Was married three times after the war. (0:52:19) Applied for Skilled Trades at the Chevrolet Metal Factory and worked there for 36 years. (0:52:37) �Returned to college at the University of Michigan in Flint while working and got a degree in Urban Studies. (0:55:07) Has had several strokes and the cognitive portion of his brain does not deal well with stress. (0:57:42) Says that the service gave him a lot of discipline and gave him a deep understanding of army regulations. (1:00:07) Received several Solder of the Quarter and Soldier of the Month awards. (1:01:23) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LyonR Title A name given to the resource Lyon, Ron (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lyon, Ron Description An account of the resource Ron Lyon was born in Flint, MI on November 14, 1941. After a few years at community college, he realized that he wasn't getting anything out of college and decided to join the service. In September of 1962, he signed up for a missile defense site for New York City. After being investigated by the FBI and taking several advanced classes, Ron received top secret clearance and took care of all nuclear warheads and tools for his company. He served for 14 months in New York City and 18 months in Germany. 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 Other veterans & civilians--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 2008-08-11 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/8fa4452548bbcc332216ea398af2a34b.mp4 df5a0c88582e08cae64e8b371412a5ea https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e27b95708164ee664ede2ff6d9ac5a31.pdf c67e8c8e99c00f937819dc8ad82c222e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Elbert Lyles (36:30) Back ground information (00:09)             Born May 10th, 1920 in Mississippi. He grew up in the area. (00:10) His mother worked as a maid and housekeeper. (00:30) He was an only child. (00:53) He completed school through the 10th grade.(approx 1936) (1:03) He went to segregated schools. (1:15) In 1936 he got a job working on an ice truck delivering blocks of ice. The blocks of ice weighted about 300 pounds but they were cut into 60 5-pound blocks. (2:30) He did this work until he began working in a cotton seed plant. (3:15) In the late 30s before Pearl Harbor he had no idea of what was going on in Europe. (4:05) He recalls hearing about Pearl Harbor on the radio in 1941. (4:27) He didn’t have a drive to join the military after Pearl Harbor, however, his friends did. Soon after they left, Elbert decided that he might as well join too in 1942. (4:55) After enlisting he was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky in 1942. (5:55) Basic training (6:00)               He arrived at Fort Knox via bus. (6:08) When arriving, he was assigned clothes as well as a barracks. (approx. 30 per barracks.) (6:33) He was trained separately from the white soldiers. (7:09) There were several black officers training him including a black Lieutenant. (7:17) The training consisted of exercise, weapons training, and military discipline. (7:46) He thought it was easy to adjust to military discipline. (8:30) He believed that he was treated fairly and that the white officers treated him fairly as well. (9:11) He received no special training after completing basic. (9:40) He was sent to the port he would ship out of from via train. (10:07) He sailed to Africa in a large navy ship. He recalls that the boat trip made the men sick. (10:50) They were approx. 200-300 men on the ship and they were free to move around. (11:17) He sailed in a convoy that traveled in a zigzag pattern. (11:40) There was a U-boat sighted when traveling to Europe but it was eventually chassed off. (12:10) He arrived in Oran, Algeria. (12:52) Service in Africa (12:55)(1942-1943) �          The men were loaded up on truck after arriving and driven to camps. (13:04) Here he served as a cook for an engineer battalion. (13:10) He was given a little bit of training for being a cook after he was assigned this title. (13:34) He cooked for the entire unit. (14:07) The cooks slept with the other men. (14:29) For sleep the men mostly slept in houses aside from tents (14:42) The soldiers he was with were constructing facilities and roads to set up a camp. (15:05) He saw a lot of native Arabs. It was very easy for him and other men to associate with them and trade. (15:45) The men were not allowed into town or villages unless given a pass. (16:50) He moved place to place within North Africa. He stayed in North Africa for a relatively short amount of time. Approx. 6 months. (17:06) Service in Italy (17:50)(1943-1944)                    After serving 6 months in North Africa he was sent to Sicily and Italy. (17:55) The men arrived in Italy from North Africa through Naples. (18:10) The battalion served delivering things to front as well as making repairs to roads and facilities. (18:38) While most men were about the same age as Elbert, there were a few that were 5-10 years older than him. These were mostly enlisted men. (19:02) The men cooked day on day off. If it was his day on he had to wake up earlier than the other soldiers. (19:20) At times the men had fresh food. However most of it was canned. (19:55) When he had a day on cooking, he was required to work essentially all day. (20:46) When given a day off, he spent his time around camp, using a pass to town, or sleeping. (21:07) When the men went to town they typically drank. He didn’t notice the Italians treating the Americans poorly. (21:19) Segregation was a new idea to the Italians. The White soldiers would tell the Italian civilians that the black soldiers were monkeys with long tails. (21:58) Some Italians could speak English. When they talked to soldiers they just wanted to know what was going on and why they were there. (22:37) While in Italy the men were sent up to the front briefly but then taken back to their position. (23:32) The Germans would occasionally bomb the places where he and his battalion were building. His Battalion did take casualties. (24:09) They were never close enough to come under fire by artillery. (25:25) While in Italy he was there for 3 years and 2 months. (26:16) He was given the chance to visit Rome. Here he was sent in a group by truck. (27:03) They stayed in Rome over night and they were given a place to stay. (27:59) 2 men in his battalion from Chicago got into a fight and one ended up killing the other. (29:37) He and his mother wrote to each other often. (30:09) �The German surrender. (30:57)     His camp was very excited about the surrender, hoping they would go home. (31:01) Because the weather on the way back was nicer, he did not get seasick. (31:45) He believes he arrived in Boston. (32:35) After arriving in the U.S. he was sent to a camp before he was discharged. (probably Fort Knox.)(32:50) Life after service (33:25)        After returning back he returned to the cotton seed plant where he worked before he enlisted because they had to guarantee him his job back when he returned. (33:30) He then received a job working in a hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (33:48) This job was arranged by his uncle who already resided in Michigan. (34:01) After working at the hotel he began working at a furniture factory in Grand Rapids. (34:34) He got married after service and has 1 daughter. (35:00) He doesn’t believe he gained very much experience form his military service. He does not know if it was worth doing. (35:34) He disliked being away from his family and friends. (36:12) � 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 LylesE1184V Title A name given to the resource Lyles, Elbert (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lyles, Elbert Description An account of the resource Elbert Lyles was born in Mississippi in 1920. After leaving school in 1936, he worked as an iceman and in a cottonseed plant. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served in both North Africa and Italy in an all black engineer battalion. During his time in service, he served as a cook for his battalion who had the task of delivering supplies to the front and setting up more permanent camps. In this interview, Elbert gives an overview of what his cook duties entailed and how being an African American affected his military service. 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 2011-08-31 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 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/6abc21f0646e0fef5a8994bd2b4dbd18.mp4 5ca809f491c476b57fd3bfa77833a6c4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8a90d4896d6972f4c6aefb95e44edf8d.pdf 6164bdc45b8894c47f7676a353fb53c7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam Wayne Luznicky Total Time – (01:17:00) Background     He was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1947 (00:15) His father was a machinist and his mother was a clerk in a local food store He has an older and younger sister (00:29) He attended Mark Twain Elementary School and Kelly High School (00:45) o He left high school in 1964 and joined the Marines  He wanted to join the Marines because they were the best (01:11)  Joining the Marines was a way for him to escape issues in his neighborhood and at home (01:17) Enlistment/ Basic Training – (01:22)    He joined the Marines in October of 1964 Basic Training was in San Diego, California o He went to the recruiting station in Chicago on the day he was supposed to report and spent the whole day sitting around (01:46) o He was put on a bus and taken to O’Hare International Airport and took his first airplane ride of his life (02:08) o When he exited in San Diego there was a Drill Sergeant in the terminal, waiting for all of the recruits o The recruits were told to “shut up, spit out the gum, put out the cigarettes, and get in that vehicle over there” (02:32) o They took a small truck to the base  There were 10 men in his group When they arrived, the recruits were told to quickly move and get to a certain location (03:26) o They stood at attention for roughly one hour before they were allowed to go inside (03:50) o Once they went inside there was a lot of screaming and yelling by other Marines o They had to take all of their civilian attire and “contraband” and send it home (04:09) �             o They had two minutes to shower and shave (04:15)  They received their “bucket issue”  The bucket was used throughout all of training (04:45) The soldiers then received their first pair of trousers, socks, belt, covers, and a yellow sweatshirt o The yellow let everyone know that you were new (05:17) The soldiers were assigned to many busy tasks – cleaning floors, swabbing them, running a floor buffer, etc. They continued Police Call work (06:31) He was then assigned to his platoon – he was assigned to Platoon 3001 Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Recruiting Regiment (06:47) o They were taught how to make their racks, square away their foot lockers, and were able to shower When soldiers first started marching, they had to link arms with the Private on both sides (07:41) o There was tape on the pavement that was set up at a thirty inch pace (08:06) They learned Marine Corps. history o They spent roughly 1/3 of their time on Marine Corps. history (08:44)  They learned the nomenclature and operation of the M14, first aid, hygiene, different aspects of living in the field, and some other things The physical training included pushups, sit-ups, and squat thrusts every morning (09:58) o They would have to run, there was an obstacle course, confidence course, bayonet training, and hand-to-hand combat training o He was average when it came to the physical aspects of training (10:33)  It was not difficult – the biggest problem he had was the rope climb  The Drill Instructor gave him some personal help (10:57) There were some Marines that were overwhelmed by the training (11:16) o They were put into a special squad – they remained with the platoon but were put into a squad that had more time spent on physical conditioning Every Marine graduated that he was there with (11:58) Around the third week of Basic Training, he took his aptitude test (12:26) The rifle range was three weeks long (12:46) o The first week was familiarizing oneself with firing the rifle o The second week was learning the different positions one could fire from o The third week was snapping in (13:10)  Snapping in is squeezing the trigger but not firing real ammo He had been in training for three weeks before the rifle training The last week of rifle training was qualification (14:11) o They were supposed to qualify in the morning but there was a heavy fog – they had a stand down and had to go through the qualification process later in the day o It was Christmas Eve of 1964 �         o They were allowed to have packages sent to them (14:49) Because they did well in their qualification, the Drill Instructors allowed the packages to be opened and everyone could partake in the goodies (15:25) o Some held back from eating the goodies – there was always payback o One Private received a box of cigars (15:56)  The Drill Instructors made the non-smokers smoke the cigars The soldiers had a nice cooked meal on Christmas (17:09) o He did not want to partake again because he knew there would be payback once again o The following day, the Marines had to go four miles down the beach doing Double Time (17:50)  They had to go from Camp Pendleton to Camp Del Mar There were seventy men in his training platoon (18:17) When they returned to San Diego, California from rifle training, the Marines had four more weeks of Basic Training (18:27) o Basic Training totaled fourteen weeks The first week back in San Diego was spent on Mess Duty After that, there was more classroom work (18:54) They were fitted for their uniforms as well At this point, the Drill Instructors were not as harsh as they had previously been There were two different physicals that they had to go through (19:36) o The first was the standard pushups and other activities (19:41) o The other was physical readiness testing  He had to wear full field gear and do certain drills  All of the events were timed and had to be done properly (20:40)  His platoon did extremely well ITR Training – (21:20)       After Basic Training, he had ITR (Infantry Training Regiment) (21:27) ITR was at Camp Pendleton in San Onofre, California (21:32) ITR training consisted of learning how to fire automatic weapons, having demonstrations of the rocket launchers, the 60mm mortar, the M79 grenade launcher, they threw hand grenades, learned about white phosphorous, smoke grenades, they learned infantry tactics, etc. o The M1 was used in the ITR (23:00) o They all fired the BAR and the 50 Caliber They learned how to ride in helicopters and deploy once they hit the ground (23:28) They participated in a war game (23:40) o Operation Silver Lance  He was a part of the aggressor force The ITR was a six week program (24:00) �            He, along with some other men, were told that they were going to report to Naval Air Station in Memphis, Tennessee for Aviation Training He was able to go home for a 20 day leave before reporting to Memphis (24:45) At this point he was very aware of what was going on in Vietnam o He was aware of Vietnam before he enlisted (25:20) The first Marines landed in Da Nang, Vietnam when he was wrapping up his ITR When he arrived in Memphis, he went to the receiving barracks (26:31) o He spent a week there until he was put through a series of tests where he was asked different questions o They were able to express any preference for a job (26:58)  Some of the jobs were aircraft mechanics, hydraulic mechanics, sheet metal men, etc. o He qualified for anything he wanted (27:49)  He ended up choosing to be a mechanic (27:58)  He wanted the chance to work with helicopters The training to be a mechanic was roughly three months long He was trained how to use a file, a drill, what the different manuals were, how to be an aircrewman, and went through simulated jumps o They were taught the different principles that aircraft operate on (26:33) After the training he was certified as a general mechanic He never trained on a specific type of aircraft (27:59) He graduated in early August of 1965 He was assigned to the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, North Carolina (30:25) o He was assigned to the VMFA (Marine Fighter Attack Squadron) 323  They were shipping out but it was decided that he would stay behind (30:48) o He then worked with the VMFA 513 (30:58) He did regular maintenance and mechanic work at Cherry Point on the Phantom F4B (31:30) Specialized Vietnam Training – (31:40)    In January of 1966, word came that the military was looking for volunteers to go to Vietnam (31:53) o He jumped on it and volunteered  It was where the action was and he wanted to see how he would react to a combat zone (32:10) He heard talk of Da Nang Air Base and the night that it was hit o The weapons were locked up in the armory when they were hit (33:07) He then went home on a short leave before reporting back at Camp Pendleton (34:11) �    o He went through another month of infantry training that was tailored for Vietnam o They watched movies of the atrocities that the Viet Cong committed (34:44) o They went through field problems  One field problem was “Nightmare Alley” and it had all of the booby traps that one could encounter in Vietnam  There was a simulated POW (Prisoner Of War) (35:25)  It was a SERE course (Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion) (35:37)  The simulated POW camp lasted three days (36:20) When they were in the POW training camp, they had to find a way to get out o The “enemy” had taken most of his equipment except for his can opener and PFC Chevron (38:09) o He and another Marine started scraping at a piece of wood that became weak enough that they could set it on fire o They were eventually cut loose (39:03) While he was training for Vietnam, he never had any second thoughts about what he was doing The worst part was simulating an abandoned ship – they had to swim the length of a swimming pool (39:32) o By the time they were given there equipment, it was all waterlogged from previous training They then boarded an aircraft that stopped in Hawaii to refuel and eventually landed in Okinawa (40:10) Active Duty – First Tour – (40:37)       The Marines were processed in Okinawa o They spent three days there drinking beer and waiting to be shipped out o At this point they did not know where they were going to be shipped out to (41:07)  He just knew he was going as a replacement When they left Okinawa, he looked out of his porthole and the engine was on fire (41:51) They switched aircrafts and then flew to Da Nang, Vietnam (42:01) o They landed around noon His first impression of Vietnam was that it was hot (42:20) o He also noticed that Da Nang Air Base was very busy They had noon chow before he processed and on his way to Chu Lai, Vietnam (42:44) o Chu Lai was thirty miles south of Da Nang He had heard that Chu Lai was contested and not a secure area (43:08) o The “bad guys” were taking pot shots and occasionally attacking the airfield �                 o When he got off the plane in Chu Lai he saw smoke rising everywhere – it turned out that they were burning their sewage (43:35) He was then assigned to VMA (Marine Attack Squadron) 214 (43:54) o He was a mechanic on the E4 Skyhawk Every day he would report and would work standard maintenance jobs (44:47) The mechanics would also have to man the perimeter at some points as well (45:11) o It was typically every fourth night o He was using an M14 and sometimes the M60 (45:25) There were a couple of nights where they took fire on watch (46:36) o They were mortared a couple of times o The attacks were more harassment than anything else (47:02) There were four Fixed Wing Squadrons and some helicopter units in Chu Lai He remained in Chu Lai for his entire first tour (48:36) He would sometimes have to fix battle damage done on aircraft The morale of the unit when he was there was very high His unit had Caucasian, black, Chicano, and oriental individuals (49:43) There was a small PX, a club where soldiers could get beer, and a show where movies were played o The only time he went was when the TV show “Combat” was playing (50:22)  They were mortared in Chu Lai as the TV show played Germans sending mortars against the Americans He worked seven days a week (51:18) He received his first R&R at Christmas of 1966 and he spent it in Singapore (52:07) o Singapore was fantastic for him o It was one of the cleanest cities in the East (52:13) o He did not have a choice of anywhere else to go o His R&R was five days long o It was not difficult for him to return to Vietnam (52:36) He was in Vietnam for nine months before he received his first R&R When he returned to Vietnam there was no change in his attitude (53:22) o There was high morale and they were proud of what they were doing (53:30) He finished out his tour in Chu Lai – he had enlisted into the Marines for four years In the process of returning home he processed out of Da Nang and the following morning he flew to Okinawa o He spent five days in Okinawa (54:09) o He had to get his uniform ready to wear home o He had lost a few pounds while in Vietnam (54:30) He then flew from Okinawa on a civilian flight that went directly to Treasure Island near San Francisco, California (55:12) �    o After he processed through there he got on a plane to go home for thirty days (55:29) o He went home in May of 1967 When he was returning home the soldiers were told of anti-war protestors (55:46) o They were told not to confront them o They were told not to wear their uniform when they were home (55:57) He was then assigned to back to Cherry Point, North Carolina o He was assigned to the MAG 24, VMFA 531 – they flew the Phantoms At Cherry Point, there were some other Vietnam veterans there (56:33) o When he joined the Marines, there was still a high morale o There were some that asked him of his opinions on the war (56:58) o Some were nervous to go and others were eager to go (57:11) He was at Cherry Point from late June of 1967 – late January of 1968 (57:32) Active Duty – Second Tour – (57:37)           He then volunteered to go on a second tour of Vietnam o Stateside duty was a pain to him (57:44)  The inspections bothered him  He was used to just doing his job It was not difficult for him to get reassigned (58:32) o One NCO told him that he could go to Vietnam if he signed the waivers (58:45) o At this point he was a Sergeant – E5 ranking After he signed the waiver he went home for a few days before reporting to Camp Pendleton (59:14) His mother had anxieties about him going back His friends at the time did not understand what he was doing When he was back at Fort Pendleton, he had to repeat some of the training that he had already done (59:57) o Some of the training had changed o There were a lot of night field problems (01:00:08) o He fired the M16 for the first time o The training curriculum was improved and had changed based on experiences (01:02:13) His first training was better than his second training (01:02:45) The morale of the guys going through in his second training was normal but not as high as the first time he went Some of the soldiers were draftees (01:03:14) o The draftees did not want to go He then flew in a civilian aircraft to Okinawa – they stopped in Alaska to refuel before going to Okinawa (01:03:58) o He spent a couple of days in Okinawa before traveling to Da Nang, Vietnam �         o He then went to Chu Lai, Vietnam where he was assigned to the VMFA 323 and worked on Phantoms (01:04:16) Chu Lai was much larger than the previous time he had been there o He got there in April of 1968 (01:04:46) As soon as they landed, blacks and whites were separated because they had learned that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated (01:05:03) o He does not believe that the majority of the black Marines enjoyed getting the news as separate from the white soldiers o He did not recognize any segregation between the Marines The morale changed at that point (01:05:56) o On the second trip, many of the men just wanted to get their tour over – on the first trip, many felt as though they were cavaliers (01:05:54) In Chu Lai he volunteered to do a thirty day stand on perimeter duty o He was with the Army on the perimeter (01:07:13)  It was some distance from the Air Base o The Americal Division that he worked with were very professional (01:08:01)  He believes that 7th Marine Regiment did a better job than the Americal Division On his second tour the enemy’s ordinance changed – they were shooting rockets instead of the occasional mortar rounds (01:08:42) o There was some counter-fire that occurred (01:09:10  There was one night where they hit the enlisted men’s club  The soldiers were sitting in an open area drinking beer when they saw an aircraft coming in to bomb – they saw a secondary explosion and celebrated His second tour finished in late October of 1968 (01:11:14) He spent just over six months on his second tour The process of coming home from his second tour was the same as the first time o The one difference was, when returning from Okinawa, he flew to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro near Irvine, California (01:11:48)  There were quite a few of the soldiers that were getting off there There was an attempt to get the men to reenlist (01:12:12) After the Service – (01:12:18)       The LAPD and Los Angeles Sheriffs Department were at El Toro, trying to recruit the soldiers (01:12:19) He spent a week in El Toro getting civilized (01:12:36) He then received his physical and processed out He received the same advice about anti-war protestors after his second tour (01:13:20) He had one encounter with war protestors in downtown Chicago, Illinois roughly one month after being home When he returned home, he spent two weeks relaxing (01:14:22) �      He then got a job with a finance company (01:14:34) He then decided to go and become a police officer and joined the Chicago Police Force o He worked there for five years (01:14:50) After he worked as a police offer, he worked at a factory as a supervisor (01:15:34) o He eventually began working as a machinist He went back to school and took some classes His family had vacationed in Hesperia, Michigan (01:16:21) o They had a small cottage there He was divorced and he met his wife in Hesperia – she was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LuznickyW1462V Title A name given to the resource Luznicky, Wayne (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Luznicky, Wayne Description An account of the resource Wayne Luznicky was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1947. He joined the Marines in October of 1964 and took his Basic Training in San Diego and infantry training Camp Pendleton, California. He then went to Memphis, Tennessee, for aviation mechanic training, and was assigned to Cherry Point, North Carolina where he worked on Phantom F4B. In January of 1966, Wayne volunteered to go to Vietnam. He was stationed at the Air Base at Chu Lai. After his first tour of Vietnam, and spending some time at Cherry Point, North Carolina, he volunteered for a second tour, and was again at Chu Lai from April to October of 1968. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV 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 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--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 2012-11-01 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/b74ec057d8d3a5e6495ba124071e4c92.mp4 eeca720846c64a09cf727ba2e342099d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ec986f9ef610b89f2ac18f01dcd51a5f.pdf 37c919ffdb2674088a68b02167ca92d0 PDF Text Text GrandValleyStateUniversity Veterans History Project World War II Jay Lutke (1:05:04) Background Information (00:02)    Born in Michigan in May of 1918. (00:02) Jay was inducted into the Army on May 1st (1943) just before his 27th [25th?] birthday. (00:12) At the time of his draft, Jay was married and had 2 girls. (00:46) Basic Training (1:35)      He attended basic training at Fort KnoxKentucky. (1:39) Jay recalls having to carry 60 lb. packs up and down Misery Hill while at FortKnox. (2:05) Jay and one of his friends from training would often go to Tennessee during the weekends. This was without any passes. (2:50) Overall Jay enjoyed his time in basic. He was in good physical shape at the time. (4:08) Jay served in the 702nd Tank Battalion attached to the 8th Infantry Division in the 3rd Army. (5:00) Voyage overseas (5:20)    Jay shipped out of New York. (5:20) There some men who got sick on the way to Europe. Going back, however in November [1945?], there were high swells that caused sea sickness. (5:47) Jay arrived in SouthamptonEngland, in late summer of 1943. He soon moved to LiverpoolEngland [possibly the other way around?] (7:16) Service in ()           Though the men were taught all positions in a tank in training, Jay served specifically as a gunner. (8:01) Jay believed the differences between the German tanks and the American was like the differences between a rifle and a BB gun. (8:55) The Sherman tanks could outmaneuver the German tanks. (9:13) Jay was brought to his company by truck. On the day of his arrival [in France?] the First Sergeant had been killed. Jay was later assigned to do guard duty. (10:34) Jay was with his company for approx. 1 week before he was assigned a tank. (11:30) He spent much of his service in the countryside of France ultimately ending in Austria. (12:12) For combat, the armored units led the way to push back the enemy forces leaving only pockets of hostiles behind. Jay was assigned to clear out these pockets. (13:11) The unit did take many casualties. (13:45) While in Austria, Jay fraternized with a civilian and helped him get a meal. The man was struggling to get enough to eat. (14:45) While getting the man food, Jay’s company left without him. He got a ride with a jeep back to his company. (16:22) � Description of the inside of a Sherman Tank. (17:40) Action (18:38)          Jay once went on a night attack with no reconnaissance. The men traveled to a town they were to take. But as the tank traveled, it got stuck against a tree on a hill. (18:42) Jay had to disable all of the guns after the wreck. This means that the .30 and .50. caliber machine guns needed to be removed from the tank. (20:16) A flare was lit to signal the tank wreck. This in turn gave away the company’s position. The men were then fired upon. (20:40) After the men abandoned the tank, they needed to go back to it to recover several grease guns. (21:50) The men did encounter some German soldiers. They did not fire upon them as to not give away their position. (22:15) The men came to a clearing that they had to cross while taking fire. Jay ran across the field in a zigzag motion to avoid being hit. (23:25) On a different occasion, Jay’s unit pulled into a camp with barracks. The men were excited to get a good night’s sleep. Instead the men had to serve guard. (25:13) Jay had to clear pockets fairly regularly. This task was shared between another tank companies. (28:04) Jay did meet General George Patton while traveling through France. (30:34) Life During Service (32:06)               During winter, the tanks got very cold. The hatches were almost always left open. Men did sleep under the tank to keep warm. (32:11) When there were no company cooks around, the men survived on C rations. these rations could be best described as edible. (33:05) As the end of the war approached, Jay did encounter some civilian resistance. (34:30) Jay was wounded and was awarded the Purple Heart. (35:59) While in Austria, Jay stayed with the tank while his fellow soldiers looted a castle. While guarding the tank he spotted some deer and shot them. (36:30) Jay was offered a goose dinner by some civilians he had met while traveling. (38:20) Jay also tried fishing by dropping hand grenades in the deepest part of a creek. (36:00) Jay was nearly court martialed after he shot some deer with the .50 caliber machine gun. (37:00) While in town, Jay and several of his friends found a VW beetle. After riding it for a while, the men were ordered to evacuate the vehicle and leave it. (42:00) Jay’s officers were very highly respected. They acted less as officers and more alike the common soldiers. This made them more relatable and thus amiable to the common man. (44:54) The men were able to write to his family. (45:40) The stress, particularly with dealing with the cold, was hard to take for Jay. (36:37) The men were able to get a reasonable amount of sleep, despite having to serve 2 hours of guard duty every night. (48:00) Jay was able to make several close friendships while overseas. (50:43) End of War and Service (51:54)  Many of the cities that Jay passed through in Germany were completely destroyed. (52:40) �     For [after?] 6 months (from May 1945-November 1945) Jay lived in a Cigarette camp [camp near the coast used for processing returning soldiers]. (53:34) The men spent much of this time after the German surrender playing pickup ball games and watching movies. (53:41) The older generation of the German people was much more passive about the Americans moving in than the younger ones. (54:10) While voyaging home in November of 1945 the ship experienced 30 ft. swells. (56:17) Jay was sent to FortMeade [Dix?] New Jersey once arriving in the U.S. where he was discharged. He was given a ticked for a train back to Michigan. (57:42) Life after Service (59:00)     Jay’s father, who worked as a builder, was anxious to get Jay back to work. He then began a career in construction. (59:10) His time in the service gave him lots of perspective on the topic of war. (1:00:00) Jay is thankful for his service and was thankful that he remained safe. (1:02:16) All together Jays’ service was approx. 2 years (May of 1943-November of 1945). (1:03:11) � 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 LutkeJ1085V Title A name given to the resource Lutke, Jay (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lutke, Jay Description An account of the resource Jay Lutke, born in Michigan in May of 1918, served in the U.S. Army from approximately May 1943-Novmeber 1945 in Europe during World War II. After completing his basic training at Fort Knox Kentucky, Jay was assigned to the 702nd Tank Battalion attached to the 8th Infantry Division in the 3rd Army. Jay spent his service traveling through France and Austria clearing pockets of resistance, and remained in Austria and Germany for about six months after the German surrender. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Bolthouse, Marv (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 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 2010-11-02 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/1559f08573cc574159834a3b670bcd35.mp4 16a7e633638775607ed60c68f8237c49 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/410a301021f6b15ed74dc68282ecc9ff.pdf d1f98afab233c4f55f6e4c75fb7c0027 PDF Text Text ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW DR. GARY LULENSKI Born: Resides: Interviewed by: Richard Massa, for the GVSU Veterans History Project, Transcribed by: Joan Raymer, January 3, 2014 I’m Dr. Gary Lulenski, Vietnam veteran. 1970-1971, I was stationed in Chu Lai, Vietnam as a medical company commander. Interviewer: Today is Thursday, November 19th 2009, and we are at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The interviewee, as I mentioned, is Dr. Gary Lulenski, and the camera operator is Bill Langbehn, and the interviewer is Richard Massa. We are performing this interview as part of the Veterans History Project being conducted by Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. 1:02 Interviewer: Gary, what branch of the service? I was in the United States Infantry and I was what was referred to as an obligatory volunteer, because in medical school if I hadn’t been willing to sign up for some active duty time, then the directors of the programs for training, called residency, they would be disinclined to look favorably upon you, because then you might get drafted and taken right out of the middle of the year. You were one of few, and very much needed, so I signed up in 1966 to into the very program after part of my training was completed. Interviewer: Did you finish your medical training and then go into the service? No, I finished medical school, a year of internship and a year of surgical residency. 2:03 Those were granted without much problem. If you really wanted to spend another three or four years becoming a fully trained surgeon, like I am, then you would have to enter a 1 �sort of lottery system where about one out of twenty physicians, who attempted to get that deferment, only a few received it. Interviewer: Now, was part of your medical training, schooling, covered by the GI Bill after serving? That’s a good question. After I returned from active duty I had four more years of training. I didn’t know it when I went in, but I was eligible for some portion of my—my income came from the GI Bill for educational purposes, so for those four years I did receive some additional payments. Interviewer: You entered the military program and what, and where, was your military training? 3:05 At that time all the physicians, medical corps, the physicians were all in the medical corps, and then the medical service corps, who were, basically, the executive officers and the right hand people for the medical corps officers, and the veterinarians and the nurses, we all went to Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, so I had a basic training course there for six weeks. Interviewer: After that did you go directly to Vietnam? I think I went home for a few days. That was a while ago, a few years ago, and I think I went home for a few days, but I went from Cleveland, Ohio to Tacoma Air Force Base and from Tacoma to—stopped in Anchorage, stopped in Guam, and then on to Bien Hoa airfield in Saigon. 4:01 Interviewer: Were you married or single at the time? I was married and I had one small boy, Jeffery, and they stayed in Cleveland. Interviewer: Do you remember arriving in the country? 2 �Yeah, I do remember arriving and getting g in country. Even though it was so long ago, of course we’ve had our course going on this and it helps to revive memories and I hope more good than bad. But, flying into Bien Hoa and sitting with some other physicians, and some enlisted men and officers, someone in the row next to me said, “Well, I hope this is better than the last time, because the last time that I came over here there were rockets coming into the airports and we had to get off the plane and go directly into bunkers”. I’m thinking, “Oh, this can’t be, I can’t be here and have to go down some chute and go into a bunker”. 5:02 We landed without a problem, but in 1968, during the Tet Offensive, and afterwards, the Bien Hoa airport took not only rocket attacks, but mortars and sappers. That guy was not making it up, he was telling the truth. Interviewer: What rank were you when you arrived? I was a Captain when I arrived, because during the Vietnam War you were given credit for time in service for your medical training. In my case that was four years of medical school, and two years of post-graduate school, so I was given the rank of Captain and I was considered to have six years in the service. My father was in the same position as medical corps company commander as I was, but then in the 2nd World War they didn’t give credit for your training. 6:00 Interviewer: What was your position? Were you a company medical corps commander, or a person who worked for someone else? No, I was a company commander. My MOS directed me to be in charge of a company of a hundred and forty men, as opposed to a general medical officer who would be assigned to a firebase. We had about thirty general medical officers and they were out in the middle of the jungle on a hill, so I was in a division area where we had a very secure 3 �perimeter. We were on the South China Sea and I was in charge of the company. How they expected me to know what to do with a hundred and forty people, some of them who were half crazy, and how they expected me to do that with six weeks of learning, I don’t know. Interviewer: You were not in any area where your medical facilities came under direct fire? 7:00 There were rocket attacks during the 1970-1971 period, but no significant mortar attacks, no significant attacks by units and we didn’t have any significant explosions caused by sappers. We had two fixed hospitals and I assisted surgery at each of those to some extent, and then I had a dispensary with two other physicians. I was in charge of daily care for soldiers in the Americal [23rd] Division. Then we had an inpatient facility for those wounded and were going to have what was called delayed primary closure. A soldier that was wounded with shrapnel did not go to the hospital and have those wounds closed up right away, unless they were life threatening. So, one of my responsibilities was to decide when, and how, to help those wounded. We also had an extensive inpatient rehabilitation unit with two fulltime, fully trained psychiatrists, and they lived right next to me. 8:00 So, we had all kinds of people, sentries, motor pool people, and they had the division surgeon and his staff just on the next little hill—we had all kinds of people. Interviewer: Could you describe a typical day and what a typical day would be like? Well, we had sick call every morning except Sunday, and one of the three doctors would be assigned to morning sick call. One of the doctors would be available the rest of the day for any type of urgent or emergency problems. One of the doctors would make 4 �rounds in the hospital, in our hospital, not the big hospital. In our units, where we had malaria victims too and, in fact, quite a few, so one physician would be in charge of those patients and if there was some decision about doing surgery, then if it wasn’t myself who had made the rounds and it was one of the other two general medical officers, they would ask me whether I concurred, or what we would do. 9:11 So, the afternoon, often times, was surgery and then there was a physician on call in the evening and we all strayed, basically, in the division rear. I had my own Jeep, but Chu Lai, even in 1970, was not a place you wanted to go, so I never did take my Jeep out of the division area. I could have, but I chose not to. Interviewer: Were there cases of more serious injuries that came to your facility? No, the more serious ones would go the 312th Evacuation Hospital, which was a big hospital. Every specialty of physician, or at least every specialty of surgical trained physician, was available at the 312th Evac Hospital. 10:02 Then the 27th surgical Hospital, those were the places where there were not only military casualties, but often times where civilian casualties would be taken. My role was to help take care of those that didn’t require immediate surgery, didn’t have any abdominal wounds, didn’t have any broken limbs, so mostly those were what we call soft tissue injuries, and many of those soldiers were able to return to duty and we didn’t have anybody that was really getting sick, or was having something bad happen. If that were to happen we were supposed to transfer that patient to one of the two bigger facilities. Interviewer: Did you ever have occasion to treat any of our service people who had been prisoners of war? 5 �No, I don’t think we had any prisoners of war. We certainly didn’t have any assigned to my company and I don’t think in the division rear. 11:07 There may have been some— the troops from out in the jungle, they would come to us if they were advised to by the general medical officer, or if they were close to our division area. Some of them may have been prisoners of war, but I don’t recall sitting down and talking with anybody that said, “This is my second tour of duty and the first time I had to spend some time with the Vietcong, because they captured me”. I don’t remember any conversation like that. Interviewer: Did the enemy avoid, or in any way attempt to target medical facilities? That’s a difficult question. I know that the answer in 1968 and 1969 was yes. I think by the time I was there, the attitude of the enemy was just sort of “hold in place”. 12:05 So, we had rockets come in and one of the rockets, actually, did hit the Air Force clinic, which was the same as mine. It wasn’t, though, intended specifically, that was just at the airfield and unfortunately that rocket hit the building and didn’t destroy any planes and didn’t impact the runway, but it sure did make a mess of the clinic. Interviewer: Did your facility treat enemy combatants? No, we did not---there were specific rules and regulations for treating any combatants and they had to be treated at a facility like the 312th where they had military police and security personnel. We didn’t have any military police; we had sentries, but not a unit. 13:05 During your time there, were you able to communicate regularly with your family at home? 6 �We had a pretty good system called the WATS system, and you’d have to walk over to this hill, which had all of its telecommunications towers on it, and then you would sort of take a number and sit in line, and most of the time, if you were patient, and, of course, I would do that on a day that I wasn’t assigned to sick call, or wasn’t assigned to morning call, and if you waited there, usually you could get through. When that rocket attack occurred, unfortunately, the way it was presented in the United States, including to my family, was that the army outpatient facility had been struck by a rocket and the physician and all ten other people in the facility were dead, so my family thought that was me. 14:04 I found out that’s the way it had been delivered, so that day I went to the WATS facility and tried to do whatever I could do to get ahead, beg and plead, so I could let my wife and father and mother know that I was not in the facility that had been struck by a rocket. Unfortunately, I had to go and pronounce all those people dead. That was one of the things I had to do and that was very unattractive to do that every third day, graves registration. Interviewer: Other than that, which was a memorable experience, do you have any other specific things that stand out? Well, by the time I was in Vietnam, we had terrible trouble with drug abuse. 15:04 That’s why our rehab facility was full, that’s why we had so many enlisted, and even some officers, being discharged on what was called a two twelve general discharge, and many of them had been involved with drug use and were considered unfit to remain on active duty, so I would have to go and do the physical exam that would precede their being dismissed. About everything happened, we had fraggings, we had some grenades thrown in the first sergeant's office, we had guys drive their trucks off the road, we had 7 �people shooting weapons in my company area. There were a lot of strange, memorable things that happened, but I guess I look back upon it, mostly, as the good part of it. 16:03 Most of the time it was comfortable, peaceful and maybe even boring, in the rear area. But, when it was bad, when it was terrifying, it was still really terrifying, like in 1968, everywhere. Interviewer: Did you have a feeling there were enough supplies, food, facilities for self-sanitation? Yes, I think that the people involved in supply did a terrific job. We always—we had our own staff, we had two full time cooks and some assistants and they did good work. It was a little interesting—I found out later in the year, when I went to Da Nang a couple of times, and when I went to Saigon to present this drug survey I had conducted, I saw all these people eating steak and I’ll tell you, we never saw a steak in my company. 17:04 So, here I was in the Americal Division, so I knew there was some filtration going on there, but we had excellent supplies, people, and I think that, as a group, we were very grateful to those people and even the maintenance people did a great job. If we had a truck break down, it wouldn’t take long and it would be fixed. Interviewer: What ways did you find to relieve the stress of all your experiences? Well, when I got there my medical service officer told me that they had plans to build a basketball court and I thought, “Well that’s a good thing to do”, and then a couple of days later I saw these bags of cement coming in and a couple of days later these guys in my company started putting up wooden frames and started making cement. 18:00 Somewhere along the line I asked my medical service officer, I said, “Well, where did you get all that cement?” Well, you understand he didn’t really have an answer for that 8 �and I kind of figured it out later on and I think that’s where some of our steaks went, but we did get the basketball court done. Then the Marine Air Group, MAG 12 had been into—left before I got there, but the Marines, they were dedicated to taking good care of themselves, including exercise. So, they had a racquetball, paddleball, squash, handball court made out of concrete, solid wood floors, brick walls, and I played a lot of handball. I played enough handball to have my hands get kind of pulverized, but I had one of our medical service executive officers, a wonderful guy, and he liked to play handball. 19:00 He found out that I could be teachable, so we played a lot of handball and we had good facilities. I think, probably, the people out on our firebases, I don’t know what they did to break up the tension and do something physical. We had lots of room and the firebases were just small little tops of hills and bunkers, wires, sentries, and I don’t know what those troops did to keep themselves fit, except, of course, they went out into the jungle, but we had good exercise facilities. We could swim in the ocean too and we did that fairly frequently. It was safe by the time that I was there and I don’t know if they would have done that in 1968. Interviewer: At the firebases were the medical facilities adequately protected? 20:00 Every firebase had a bunker protected clinic and the way that medevac was done, at least About through time that I knew what was going on, and that would be 1967. I had a good friend of mine who was in Vietnam as a combat commander and I learned some more from him. The firebases all had bunker protected, underground facilities where they could provide some even units of blood, do some things to triage, or stabilize, a wounded soldier, because unless it was clear that the wounded soldier had to go 9 �immediately to one of the major hospitals, he was usually taken to the firebase, because it was much closer, and would be stabilized there, given plasma, given whatever was appropriate, and then a medevac helicopter would take those wounded soldiers to the division rear. 21:11 Some of the soldiers that were taken out of the jungle, and out of combat, they were not flown in by medevac helicopters, because they were flown in by whatever helicopter pilot was bold and brave enough to go out and go there. I got to know some of those guys, because I flew around doing the drug survey—a different breed of people. Interviewer: Did you visit some of the firebase medical facilities on occasion? I visited all the firebases, all thirty one of them, because I did this drug survey, and I had a responsibility to go out there and support the doctors anyway, so I did a lot of flying in helicopters, but I decided, with two enlisted men who had been out in the My Lai area and we were talking about how bad the drug problem was, and they were saying, “Yeah, it really was”, so we decided, “Well, let’s find out how bad”, so we began to do a questionnaire. 22:07 These two guys were social workers and they knew statistics and I had majored in Psychology, so I knew statistics, so we put together a questionnaire and we distributed it. We had fourteen thousand soldiers in the Americal Division. We had about seven thousand respond and that was good information, and because of that I flew around a lot more. Interviewer: What did the survey show? During the winter of 1970 and the spring of 1971, about thirty to thirty-five percent of enlisted personnel in the rear supply, maintenance type areas, admitted to more than just occasionally. 23:05 They admitted to frequent, or habitual drug use of illegal drugs. 10 �The number of officers was less, but still pretty significant. About ten percent of the questionnaires filled out by troops that were in the field, admitted to frequent use of one or more of the illegal drugs that were available. So, when that was done, we summarized the data and I discussed it with the division surgeon and he kind of was confused. He said, “Well, alright”, and he looked it over and he said, “Well okay, let’s go talk with the division General”, so we did and he kind of, “Hmm”, and I don’t think he knew what to say, really, so a couple of days later he called me and the division surgeon back and he told the division surgeon, “I want this Captain Lulenski to present this material”. 24:05 I said, “Well, yes sir”, and he said, “I mean I want you to go out on MACV headquarters and present this material”, so I did. It was good that we were beginning to leave, because it seemed like the drug problem was overwhelming. We even had LSD sent in from the states and being used. We had two frightening episodes where it was clear that two of our soldiers had been sent LSD and they were completely blown away and they had thrown grenades. That made some of their comrades nervous enough that they turned these guys in to CID and then those two guys, they just disappeared. Interviewer: What drugs were the most used? Well, of course, the most used, or you could say the most used drug was marijuana, because it was so prevalent. 25:07 But, the problem in Vietnam was you weren’t sure what was in it. There was opium, heroin, barbiturates, methamphetamine, cocaine and hallucinogens, and of course, the largest producer of opium in the world then, and now it’s in the Golden Triangle up near the border of China, Laos and Cambodia. When I was in Saigon a CIA officer presented the whole story on how the drug trafficking was done and protected by the Kuomintang Army and sometimes flown into Saigon on Air 11 �America cargo planes, so that was a presentation I was not likely to forget. In fact, we’re going to talk about that in one of our seminars in the spring. 26:04 About the drug problem, the drug trafficking, how it was done, and there’s a great segment in the movie “American Gangster”, about exactly how it was done. It’s very much like I was told by the CIA officer. Interviewer: Were there any policies, procedures, or changes that came about as a result of your drug survey? I don’t know that my drug survey had a real impact, but I think what was happening, was that there was an attempt to try to really rehabilitate and educate the soldiers who were involved with drugs. I think in the early part of the Vietnam War they were just—if they weren’t court marshaled, or severely disciplined, or, I don’t know, worse than that maybe, if they weren’t punished severely, that would be unusual. 27:01 I think by the time I was there, it was more an effort to rehabilitate. I mean, they talk about the drug problem right now and mental illness right now, in 2009, in November. I think there’s a lot of effort that’s gone into help our troops who are presently returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and I could see some of that when I was in Vietnam. Some attempt to—we had psychiatrists; I mean the psychiatrists weren’t there to be punitive. They were there to be of mental value. We had a psychiatric social worker who was an enlisted man, and he could sit down and try to help one of these young eighteen, or nineteen year olds who probably didn’t know what he was doing. But the drugs were everywhere, on the firebases, and get them through the wire around our perimeter. 28:04 Some of the people who cleaned our Quonset huts, or hooches, some of those people you could buy drugs from. I found that out from some of my company people. Then when two of my 12 �medics, who I work with every day, were caught by the CIA because they were heroin addicts, then I didn’t think I was so smart. Interviewer: Was part of the drug problem due to boredom or fear? You hit it right on the head, boredom was a big cause, because there was nothing to do and in fear a way to get round it and put it away, was the other reason that drugs were used. So, you did that just right. Interviewer: To go back to your time on the base, was entertainment provided, or did you go off the base for entertainment at any time? 29:05 No, the USO and all the people involved did a great job. We had an officers' club and an enlisted men’s club, and we routinely had quality entertainment. There were some groups that came from the states, or from other English speaking countries, Australia, and then we had some groups that were from the Southeast Asia area, but we had lots of entertainment and most of the time it was well done and the troops enjoyed it. We had movies regularly. Once in a while things got out of hand and then we might have some kind of scuffle going on. The doctor who was on call might get called over to the outpatient clinic and sew up somebody who got punched in the face, but it general it was a lot of entertainment in the division rear. 30:08 I don’t know what the guys out on the firebase, I don’t know what they did. I don’t think there was any room to have much entertainment on the firebase. Interviewer: Did you have any opportunity to go on leave? I got to go on one week on R&R and I went to Hawaii and met my wife. Then they had a new policy that came into effect in about 1970, I think, when things started going down 13 �in activity and ferociousness, and I was allowed to return to the United States for one week, so I had two weeks out of fifty-two where I was not in my Quonset hut, in Chu Lai. Interviewer: Back to your time at the facility there, were you awarded any citations or medals? 31:06 I was awarded a Bronze Star, but not for any particular act of bravery and we all received service medals. I can’t remember—I flew a lot, but I did not fly enough to have any award for that time. Combat medics who flew a certain amount of time received an air medal besides their combat medic award and they deserved it. So, I didn’t receive anything special, but that was alright. My friend Stanley was awarded a Silver Star for heroism beyond belief, and that happened in 1967 and he was awarded the Silver Star by the Secretary of Defense and in his interview he has a picture of that and that’s very impressive. 32:00 Interviewer: Can you tell us a little more about his experience? My friend Stan McLaughlin was company commander of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and he was in at the worst time and in the worst area. He was in Vietnam between June of 1967 and January when he was wounded when he stepped on a mine. He was in the jungle and the Vietcong and NVA were everywhere. So, on one occasion he and his company went out and recovered a captured a long range reconnaissance platoon [patrol] and that was no easy accomplishment, because they were out in the jungle and they didn’t have Air Force support and it was almost impossible to bring helicopter support in. They rescued that group and he received the Bronze Star for that. 33:00 they had another episode where they attacked a large bunker complex that had just been put up. It was probably a regimental battalion headquarters for a NVA or VC 14 �regiment, and he led his troops into there and they, basically, wiped it out, and he exposed himself as the company commander and he received an appropriate award, so he received the Bronze Star and received the Silver Star for those two days in December. Interviewer: Do you recall any particularly humorous or unusual events? Well, you name it and we had it happen. There are all kinds of things that happened that were unexpected, humorous, or almost like crazy. 34:00 I think the one I remember the best was because I had just gotten there. We had an officers' party, and there were a lot of parties. We had parties in the company, which would actually include the officers and the men, as long as I said it was okay to do things together, and I thought it was, but then again I was a doc. We had lots of parties and one of the first ones I was taken to by my administrative service officer, was at the MAG 13, their outdoor patio cookout area, I mean first class, and there were officers there. I didn’t know anybody except my administrative service officer who was a 1st Lieutenant. There were a group of guys that were all hanging out together and I found out a little later that these were all warrant officers. 35:02 Warrant officers were helicopter pilots among other things and they were only eighteen or nineteen years old, so they usually wouldn’t be involved with officers' parties, but they were officers and I want to tell you, I thought I’d seen a lot of crazy things in my college years, but I never saw anything like that. I mean, I don’t know how these guys could have possibly recovered and flew their helicopters the next day, but they recovered. It was humorous and it was crazy and as I look back upon it, it was kind of like a statement on, “Man, this place is really weird. This is not the world that everybody said”. Interviewer: Did you get a photograph of those parties? 15 �No, I didn’t take my camera. I did have some pictures that I ended up saving. 36:00 Some pictures that are interesting of some of the officers and one of one of our firebases. I showed that picture when I presented about the Tet Offensive in one of our classes. The pictures of the firebase and in the spring that firebase was completely overrun, so I had some interesting pictures, but if I had known that party was going to end up like it was, yeah, I would have tried to take a camera, but I was not expecting that. Nobody got hurt, so it was still humorous and crazy, but it was not like dangerous. Interviewer: Were there pranks that were played just for fun? All the time, all the time, every day, every day and they played pranks even on the people like psychiatrists, other officers, like in the medical battalion, would play tricks on the psychiatrists. That was a big time activity in the rear, thinking up ridiculous pranks. 37:03 Interviewer: Can you give examples of some of the pranks? Well, being the company commander, I didn’t get too much involved in doing pranks. I guess I would have gotten more involved, I guess, if I was my medical service corps officer, or one of the other sergeants. Of course, a lot of these pranks and crazy behavior were between a group like officers and the enlisted men, but also between what was called “the druggies” and the other people. In many cases they were way into alcohol too much. There were a lot of pranks and silly things done and I didn’t get too much involved in it. I don’t remember any prank that was pulled on me that made me feel like an idiot. 38:02 It might have happened. Interviewer: What did you think of your fellow officers and soldiers and their preparedness and competence? 16 �Well, you know there are two kinds of officers in my division. There was the obligatory volunteer, or the enlisted officer who went to OCS, or was drafted as an enlisted man and was allowed to go to OCS, or of course, anyone who graduated from one of the military academies. The people in the higher ranks, most of those were career officers. There were big differences, big differences between the career officers and the part time limited action officers. I had to deal with five or six division surgeons, all of them were career medical officers. 39:01 Their attitude was quite a bit different than myself and the other officers that I worked with. We knew we were only going to be in the military for two years, but that was all alright. One of the things that was really disturbing to me and a lot of people, and my friend Stan, was you know, when someone got to be down to a hundred days left in their commitment, their interest would obviously start going down and they would start marking off the calendar. It became two a digit midget once you had ninety-nine days and you look at the enemy and there’s nobody counting off days who is in the enemies group. Their commitment was as long as it took, so there was a real conference between officers and officers and between viewing the time in Vietnam, on our side, and the time in Vietnam on the other side. 40:00 Interviewer: Was there a distinction between the career officer and the non-career officer in Vietnam? Well, the career officer was looking at his career and things that would benefit his career. Why did they go to Vietnam? Well, I got to know the division surgeons pretty well and I got to know one of them pretty well. Mostly they went because it was a way they could get advanced in rank and spent a tour in combat. Well, I wasn’t going to get advanced in rank by a tour in combat, nor is any other doctor who is going to be in the military for 17 �two years. It was totally inappropriate and there were a lot of differences like that. A career military officer is looking at his career and what else would you expect him to do? Interviewer: Were they more of an administrative type people rather than hands on medical people? Well, the division surgeons, as a group, especially the one who was in my same field of surgery, he was a very accomplished and dedicated surgeon. 41:08 He was in charge of the residency training program at Fitzsimons Hospital for many years. I actually talked with him several years after I got back. Obgyn division surgeon, Obstetrics/Gynecology, well I don’t think he did very much and yeah, there was a lot of administration for the division surgeon, the medical battalion officers, and those are the people I knew. I don’t know about operations officers, or security, or intelligence officers. I think a lot of the medical officers were career and they were involved in patient care, they were at the hospitals. This ears, nose and throat surgeon, Dr. Kekorian, man he handled some of the worst cases. If they had some terrible neck wound, they had fully trained ear, nose and throat surgeons at both hospitals, but he was probably the best, most experienced, head and neck surgeon. 42:08 So, he would get called in often for the worst civilian and our own American troop casualties. Interviewer: Did you think, at the time, to keep a diary of your experiences, or was it something you think you didn’t want to remember? I wish I had now, because my attitude about everything has changed a lot. For a lot of years I was just very resentful and actually, it took many years until my friend Stan and I began to feel the need to share and get rid of some of these bad feelings. I had a lot more bad feeling than he did, but there was a lot of animosity while I was there. 43:01 18 �Animosity between career officers and non-career officers, animosity between the drinking sergeants and the druggie enlisted men and we had racial problems too, no question about it. Anyone that wants to say that was not true is just trying to fool you, or are dazed and confused. We had lots of racial problems. So, there was a lot of resentment and if I had it to do over again, where I am now, I would have liked to have kept a diary, because I would have remembered a lot more. Now, since my attitude has changed and also true for my lifelong friend Stan, we have remembered things, we’d just talk, I was just with him and we remembered things that we had never remembered before. I don’t mean just a few things, I mean a lot of things, a lot of things I’ve answered to you, and you have very good questions, are things that if you’d asked me ten years ago I probably would have said--I probably would have just sat here and said nothing. 44:06 So, I think there’s a lot of goodness that comes out of history project, things we’re doing now, today, the class we’re holding today, here is Southwest Michigan and I think it’s even changed the attitude of the American people. If you were here for our week-end last year, and if you could come for our veteran, Vietnam Veterans week-end this coming June, where we’re going to have the eighty percent replica of the Vietnam War memorial, there’s been a huge change, people want to know, they want to hear what veterans have to say, they want to know what their feelings are and they don’t necessarily think the Vietnam War was a good idea, but there’s no reason to blame our soldiers, especially not the ones who either enlisted, or were drafted, or were obligatory volunteers. 45:02 Interviewer: did you have a chance to interact with any of the Vietnamese? 19 �Yes, I was in charge of the medical assistance program where we went to help the Vietnamese every other Saturday, in a village that was on an island in the river that was near Chu Lai, and I don’t know the name of the river, but maybe I did at one time, but we interacted with them a lot, because we would go every other Saturday morning and we— actually I had the authority then, in some cases, if there was really a sick child, or an adult with bad infection, I had the authority to have that person taken by, we had a medevac helicopter, not one that stayed there . We would never have a helicopter stay in a place like that; they would come and drop us off. We had the authority, we had two radio operators. And we had the authority to call in the medical helicopter if I decided that we were going to send this child to the hospital. 46:05 We interacted pretty well there—it was not like the civil action programs which we learned about in our course. Those people, like the leader of our group, Don Alsbro, they interacted with the people all the time. Fred McLaughlin, helped the people relocate in a fortified hamlet. He interacted with the people all the time and I appreciated getting to know something about the Vietnamese and their history. I never learned much of the language. There’s always problems trying to interact with the people, and one Saturday when our helicopter dropped us off and flew away and we walked around the building where we had always had the medical assistance program—the back of the building was where we landed and that was still there, but the front of the building was gone and there were no people there. There were some graves there from the home security forces, and the Vietcong were proving that, “You may think that this is secure and you may have your children taken care of by these Americans, but you’re wrong”. 47:07 then we didn’t do any more medical assistance programs. 20 �Interviewer: How did the Vietnamese people treat you, or respond to you, other than in the formal setting where you’re trying to help treat them, but in day to day interaction? The day to day interaction was limited to the Vietnamese that were either working, or in something that involved our military, so we had people that would come in and actually clean the clothes, they’re called “hooch maids’, and there wasn’t much interaction there. It was like servants and you didn’t have much opportunity to get to know people. Now, I know a lot more about how many of our soldiers did get to know people, but I didn’t have that opportunity. I told you I never went beyond the fence, so I never, really, was going to have the time to spend, to sit down and try to understand. 48:10 But, I’m glad we had those civil action programs. Now, a group of our people just went back and the Vietnamese are, at least apparently, half glad that we were there. They are very friendly and the animosity that you might think would be overwhelming, the difference in political philosophy that’s still there, the group that went from our “Lest We forget” group, they’re going to present their experience , but I already know it was terrific. Interviewer: Now, when you became a “two digit midget”, did your behavior change at all? Not much, not much, but I’ll give you an example that I remember now, and I don’t know why I remember it now. There were a lot of bad things that physicians had to do and orthopedic physicians at the hospitals still had to do a lot of amputations. 49:08 It wasn’t like the Civil War, but it was still bad and I found out from various physicians that it was a syndrome among orthopedic surgeons, a pattern of behavior, when they get down to a certain limited few days left, they wouldn’t want to do any more amputations. They 21 �would try to get one of the other surgeons to do it and that was not just isolated, it was like, “I don’t want to do this any more, it’s not why I became a physician. I don’t want to spend time doing amputations”, so there’s a good example of what happens when you get down near the end, among medical personnel. Interviewer: Were there any certain precautions you had to take going into the villages? No, I didn’t go into the villages. 50:06 I didn’t ever come close to getting hit by a rocket, but we all kind of just sort of hid out, you know we hid out. We kind of stayed in our own area. We didn’t have a desire—of course I went to firebases, but we didn’t have a desire to go out there, because it was pretty safe where we were. Interviewer: Do you recall the day you left? I’m a little hesitant to tell you what happened when I left, because up to this point I don’t think anybody would say that I was unbalanced, but leaving Vietnam was an incredible horror show, an incredible and horrific time for me. 51:03 I’ll sum it up in two minutes and then we can finish our interview. I was supposed to go from Chu Lai to Da Nang and from Da Nang to Cam Ranh Bay, everyone left from Cam Ranh Bay. I had to have my 201 file and the clever doctor that I was, I found out the sooner you sign into Cam Ranh Bay, the sooner you leave the country, you don’t have to wait until your deros date, you can leave early and boy that was exciting, and so exciting I didn’t, even hardly, want to tell anybody else. So, I got all ready to go and I go over to get my 201 file and it’s not there. It’s not there and I’ve been there for three hundred and sixth two days, how could it not be there? That I remember all very well, “Don’t know”, “Well, find out”, and they found out, “Well, it’s in Da Nang, it’s a company in Da Nang”, “Well, I’ve never been in 22 �a company in Da Nang”. 52:04 So, then I had the privilege to go the Adjutant General's office and boy, whoever saw me, and fortunately it wasn’t Don, because he was in the Adjutant General's office, in that same division, but it wasn’t him. Some officer had to put up with me demanding why my 201 file had been misplaced. Finally the Adjutant General of the division demanded, his medical company commander talk to the Adjutant General and I made enough of a stink that I got to and he was not happy with me either, but he had a helicopter go and get my 201 file. He brought it back, I got in the plane and flew to Da Nang and the plane was overbooked. They take us off the plane and we sat in the tarmac about eight hours until that plane went down to Cam Ranh Bay and came back. Then we got on the plane in the dark, went down to Cam Ranh Bay and now the time for signing in early is pretty much gone away, but that was nothing compared to the next couple days. 53:02 My wallet fell out of my pants and I had no ID card for about six hours total panic. I went in the same door to take my duffle bag and I was supposed to hand my manifest in and go out the other door, but instead I went back out the same door I came in, so now I didn’t have a seat on the plane. I went to the officers' club and was sitting there, and the wallet was returned by a warrant officer, by the way. I’m sitting there and this guy comes in and says, “Is there a Captain Lulenski here?” As soon as he said that I looked at my briefcase and thought, “Oh no, you didn’t hand your manifest in”. He comes over and I said, “I know why you’re here”, and he said, “Captain, you do not have a seat on the plane”. I remember saying, “Just do something, I mean, get me on the next plane”. 54:02 Well, before that happened, that night we were all in the officers barracks and just to prove a point some sapper—some sappers came in and they blew up one of those huge oil depots, storage depots like we had here on the 23 �island, St. Joe river, gigantic, blew it up, blew some of the officers in the building I was in out of their bunks, and now the Cam Ranh Bay airport is closed and it’s on red alert. Nobody’s going to get a new manifest, nobody’s going to get on a plane, no planes are going to leave, and no planes are going to come in. That went on for two days, everything was totally shut down and the explosion was—I can’t describe it, I mean, it was like an atomic bomb and it was close, straight at the end of the runway. 55:02 So, finally I did get some sergeant to go and take me and I got a new manifest. Now, I’m kind of past my date that I was supposed to leave, I mean I’ve been there forever now, but I’m gonna get on the plane and I go and get up on the stairs and this is the last thing I’ll finish with. There’s a drug smelling dog there with some type of MP and he sees I’m a Captain in the medical corps, its right here, and he said, “Captain, do you have and type of drugs or illegal weapons?” I said, “I only have a prescription for sleep medicine from one of my fellow medical officers”. He looked at it, it was a prescription, it was my name, it was a benign sleep medicine, and he said, “You can put that in my hat and you can get on the plane”. 56:01 I looked at him and I looked at the dog, looked at the plane and I got on the plane. That was my last moment in Vietnam. Interviewer: A memorable one and because of your delay, your family was probably waiting for you to arrive, could you contact them? No, when the base is on “red alert” you don’t contact anybody, and once you’re in the plane you don’t contact anybody. I contacted them when I got to Tacoma, Washington. Travis Air Force Base, it was Travis. 24 �Interviewer: Now you mentioned one friendship that you made and continued after your service. Were you involved, or did you have a number of others you were in contact with? No, and that’s because of the nature of being there, but my friend Stan and I went to high school together and I just had dinner with he and his wife, and my wife, about three days ago. 57:01 We were very close before and stayed that way. I’ve never gone to a reunion of the Americal Division, so I’ve never had the chance to see if any of the other medical officers were interested. I maintained contact with two medical officers who served with me for a while, but I guess I should call Dick Rose up , I think I should, but now, you know, I’m thinking about going back to a reunion of the Americal, because there were good people there, and we have some people here that were in the Americal and they’re good people. Interviewer: Now, did your medical experience in the service help guide you to your current specialty? I had to make a decision of a specialty to go into before I went into the military, but my experience there solidified my dedication to being a surgeon, well my father was a surgeon too. 58:03 He was a surgeon with the 82nd Airborne. He was fully trained and I was kind of going down that path anyway, but I think it strengthened my personal desire to be a surgeon. I was very impressed with the dedication of the medical officers. I was overwhelmingly awed by the heroism and the dedication of the corpsmen, the medical corpsmen combat medics. I guess it certainly has changed my view of nurses and people that I work with that are in medicine, changed my attitude when I was in my training because of the way those people acted and how long they worked. We had that Firebase 25 �Maryann overrun and there were a hundred and forty casualties, about half were killed and the other half was wounded. 59:01 I went over and helped out for a while because they needed every surgeon they could find to help, all the ones that were in charge of specialties, even eye surgery, and those people like my father, they just kept on, they just kept on twenty –four hours. I know they did—my father operated for seventy hours behind German lines on D-Day, D-Day plus one, so I guess the military brings out the best in a lot of people, certainly some of the doctors I know, it did. Interviewer: Can you describe your arrival back in the states; did you have any kind of re- indoctrination to normalcy then? No, coming back to the states was just get out of your uniform as fast you could and hope that you weren’t going to be attacked by some group, because you were a “hateful baby killer”. 60:00 Interviewer: Were you afraid of that? You bet, yup, and it was pretty much the same, there was not anybody gonna say, “Welcome Home, you did a great job”. Stan, when he got to his assignment place, he figured, you know, someone would say something—here’s a guy with Vietnamese decorations for doing work in the hamlet and the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with V, Bronze Star, this is a military hero and no one said anything. They said, “You’re going to go to your next assignment at such and such”, and that’s kind of the way with me, they said, “You’re going to Fort Carson Colorado”, and I said, “Okay”. So, it’s not too surprising that when I left the service, I didn’t continue in the reserves. But, it was the American public had turned so much against it by 1971. 1:01 You could just feel the 26 �coldness and the—actually it was worse than coldness, there was actually absolute hate— didn’t want to be in the war. Interviewer: Do you see any similarities between that and what we’re seeing today? Yeah, we don’t have time for that hour, but I sure do, sure do, that nature of the warfare, and the most recent thing is the taking away of many free fire zones, exactly the way it was when I was there. You can see the enemy, but you can’t shoot the enemy. Interviewer: Is there anything else you would like to talk about? No, it’s been excellent and I want to congratulate you on an excellent job and if you developed those questions yourself then you are a special person. 1:50 Interviewer: Thank you for coming. 27 �28 � 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 LulenskiG1032V Title A name given to the resource Lulenski, Gary (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lulenski, Gary Description An account of the resource Dr. Gary Lulenski was an ‘obligatory volunteer' and held the rank of captain for the entirety of his service because of his previous medical schooling. He was stationed in Chu Lai, Vietnam as a Medical Company Commander for the Americal Division. Completed a large-scale drug survey which showed interesting trends. His service was from 1970-1971. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Massa, Richard (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 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--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 2009-11-19 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/b83c5f2f9e0ca4689d129d8c6be658b8.mp4 517d9ef81118aff9b5b0dcaf7afc6cbe https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ee7b6033cfba88c7c9f92269d1f37bdb.pdf c0442628dbc96c7e3637a1d7ce1db608 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of Interviewee: Phil Lugtigheid Name of War: Vietnam War Length of Interview: (00:17:21) Childhood and Pre-Enlistment (00:04) • Born in Grand Rapids, MI • Enlisted in the Air Force at age 17 in April 1962 Training (01:30) • Enlisted in Detroit, and was sent to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX for 5 weeks of basic training. • (02:00) He then went to Chanute AFB in Illinois for 34 weeks of training to learn to be a flight controls and autopilot repairman. Active Duty (02:25) • After training, he was sent to George AFB in Southern California. • (03:01) His wing would go to Spain for 6 months at a time for air defense command. • (03:30) He also spent some time in Alaska. • (04:45) They would train to support airplanes on alert status by boarding airplanes on a few minutes notice with whatever equipment they could grab. They would be dropped off at the other side of base and they would have to repair flight systems with whatever they had brought along. • (05:35) He was also sent to Taiwan for 2 ½ weeks, and then to Vietnam for 4 ½ months where his wing flew Army and Marine support missions. They stopped in Hawaii and the Wake Islands on the way over. • (07:57) He made many friends while he was in the Air Force, but he did not stay in contact with them. • (08:30) His job was to repair autopilot and other systems which the pilots reported as malfunctioning. They were generally electronics fixes. • He would communicate by letters and phone calls while he was overseas. • (10:21) He took some courses at a community college when he was in California. • (11:16) While they were in Vietnam, they were attacked by the NVA a few times while they were on their base in Da Nang, Vietnam. The NVA were able to get on the base a few times and they blew up some airplanes. • (12:30) He was in the Air Force for 4 years, but was only in Vietnam during the early part of the war. • (13:36) He was supposed to be sent back to Vietnam, but he didn’t have enough time left on his enlistment to go back. Post-Service (14:03) • He went to Michigan after he was discharged with a friend. • (15:35) He attended Grand Rapids Junior College and Western Michigan College on the GI Bill. � 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 LugtigheidP Title A name given to the resource Lugtigheid, Paul (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lugtigheid, Paul Description An account of the resource Paul Lugtigheid was born in Grand Rapids, MI and served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He joined the Air Force at age 17, and became an autopilot and flight controls mechanic. He was based in California and spent some tours of duty in Spain. He also spent a tour of duty in Da Nang, Vietnam on a base working support for aircraft. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kailey Rosema (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 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force 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 2009-05-31 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 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/6024f5a6bd38e3cff6de21082b2909ec.mp4 c21882bbf86c1ff7292cde955f39a112 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7b8057744bb9b912d78f33eb903ab1e0.pdf eeda8905ff89b1f47b8118a6b809ffa8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Harvey Lugten (52:36) (00:05) Background Information • • • • • • Harvey was born in Holland, Michigan in 1922 and graduated from Holland high school in 1940 His father was a cabinet maker, but lost his house and job during the depression Harvey worked as a paper delivery boy during school and began working in manufacturing once he was done with school Harvey worked in a tool room and was deferred from service 3 different times because of his job Once he was drafted he had his choice of joining the Army or the Navy He had always enjoyed going sailing and fishing so he chose the Navy (6:55) Training • Harvey was sent to Great Lakes Naval Academy in Chicago for training • They went through lots of marching and other physical activities for 9 weeks • He was then sent to machinist school in the same area of Chicago • Harvey was later interviewed to join in submarine school and went through psychiatric testing as well • He passed his testing and was sent to submarine school in Connecticut • The submarine service was very selective and the classes were difficult • There was hands on training and they were working in subs the whole time • He then had training in submarine diesel school • Both courses lasted 13 weeks and Harvey spent about 6 months altogether training in submarine school (14:55) Overseas • Harvey finished his classes in 1944 and took a troop train from Connecticut to California • He boarded a troop ship headed for New Caledonia and then was transferred onto a coastal steamer • They stopped in New Guinea to stay for a while on a very old and beat up base and then left for Brisbane, Australia • While in Australia Harvey also visited Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth on the western side of the country • They took trains across the country that were very old and slept on straw • They only thing in Australia to eat was mutton and after that, Harvey never ate mutton again �(18:20) First Sub War Patrol • Harvey had been staying at a sub base in Fremantle, Australia • They then left on the Hake, USS 256 submarine, which had just returned from 2 previous war patrols in the Atlantic working to fight German U-boats • The sub had also been on 5 patrols in the Pacific and was successful in sinking Japanese vessels • On Harvey’s first patrol, he witnessed the sinking of a Japanese destroyer and a ship • On another patrol Harvey and others had been attacked by 147 depth charges for 16 hours • When attacked by a depth charge, everything on the ship is shut down and it operated for “silent running” • They turned the devices back on after the attack and the sub had been flooded with about 4 inches of water (25:20) Submarine Crew • When Harvey joined the crew he had been a replacement member • Much of the rest of the crew was experienced and had already been on 5 patrols in the Pacific • The sub contained a control room, torpedo room, officer’s quarters, mess hall, engine room, and maneuvering room • Harvey worked in the engine room while they were on the surface • Every man worked for 4 hours on, 4 hours off, and so on • While they were submerged he worked on maintaining the level of depth for the sub • Most war patrols lasted two months and then they would have two weeks off while the sub was at port (35:50) Third War Patrol • For his third patrol Harvey traveled to Manila Bay, but the ship was called back to the US for an overhaul due to the beating it took from the depth charges • They traveled to CA for the sub to be worked on and Harvey had time to go back home on leave • He had been at home in Michigan on VE Day in May of 1945 • Once he was back in California they headed for Pearl Harbor and then Wake Island to load up on fuel and supplies • The sub was then on lifeguard duty near Saipan, helping to pick up downed pilots • Then they headed to Tokyo Bay for the Signing of the Peace • They left Japan and headed back to the Eastern US • The sub was sent to Connecticut to be decommissioned (41:15) Discharged �• • • • • • • • Harvey was discharged in February of 1946 and planned on going back to college after that He started a little late in the semester at Hope College in Holland, MI The GI Bill helped him pay for most of his classes Harvey got married while in college and dropped out He built his first house on his wife’s property in Holland Harvey worked at GM for a few years, but decided to go back to college and graduated in 1954 He received a degree in mathematics and then went to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo for his masters degree Harvey eventually became the superintendent for Byron Center schools and remained in the position for 20 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 LugtenH Title A name given to the resource Lugten, Harvey (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lugten, Harvey Description An account of the resource Harvey Lugten was born in Holland, Michigan in 1922 and graduated from Holland High School in 1940. Harvey was drafted into the service and had his choice of the Army of the Navy. He chose the latter and went through training at Great Lakes Naval Academy in Chicago. After basic training Harvey went to machinist school and then submarine school for another 6 months. After training he was shipped to Australia where he later boarded the USS 256. Harvey went on three war patrols throughout the Pacific and was later discharged in February of 1946. After his time in the service, he received his masters degree and later became the superintendent for Byron Center schools in Michigan. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans 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 2008-10-14 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/75d9937eb43320576c6d4ee8342564ef.m4v 3163937d868a95cb4fe01c393df640c9 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1253d716bc88ed3aab9014c94b77a443.pdf 5c7d58b20ecb8c2520f77b7070e140f7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Korean War Gordon Ludema Length of interview (12:23) (00:00) Background Served as a staff sergeant for the U.S. Air Force. (00:17) When the attack on Pearl Harbor occured, he was 11 years old living on a farm in Dorr, Michigan. At his age, he didn’t have much of a grasp of what was happening. (04:29) Worked in a garage as a mechanic while in high school. (00:39) Enlisted in the Air Force after high school in order to avoid being drafted into the army. (00:27) Joined the service in August 1948. (00:56) (01:06) Basic Training Basic training took place in Texas for 13 weeks. All of their drilling was done in 100 degree weather. (01:11) Didn’t learn to fly until after basic training. (01:28) (01:41) Service Overseas Served in Japan when the Korean War started. (01:41) Flew 104 combat missions while in Korea. (01:56) Flew DC-3 planes, one of the oldest Air Force airlines. Every country involved in the Korean War had them. (06:55) Served as a radio operator. At night, his unit was responsible for dropping flares while the enemy was moving their convoys. This allowed U.S. fighters and bombers could wipe out their convoys. (02:02) Dropped three or four flares at a time that were equipped with parachutes. (07:32) Recalls that his missions were very scary. Says that their planes were shot at almost every time they flew, but were only actually hit once when a large shell had gone off. They dove to miss it and could hear the shell pellets hit the plane, but were not shot down. (02:29) His most memorable experience occured while flying over Wonsan harbor in North Korea. Their plane lost power at 5,000 ft with surrounding mountains at 6,800 ft. Describes their circling manuevers to avoid them. (02:56) Kept in touch with his family by writing them weekly. (03:30) In his free time, he took courses through the United States Armed Services Institute. Describes his free time as rather boring and slow. (03:50) Was never injured during his service. (06:50) Was stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, and duscusses the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thought that the bombings were drastic, but necessary. (05:15) His outfit was on alert to move into China, but the operation was cancelled once MacArthur was fired. Didn’t think that moving into China would have extended the war. �(08:46) Had a three year enlistment agreement that was extended for an extra year. Because he had furlow time, he was discharged a month early in July of 1952. (06:20) (08:21) Life After Service Was living in Coopersville when the Korean War ended. (08:21) Still keeps in touch with one of his good friends who served all four years in Korea with him. Hasn’t seen most of the people that he flew with in years. (09:30) His outfit, nicknamed The Fireflies, does not organize reunions. (09:55) When he returned to the United States, he began working in the car business purchasing cars at auctions for car dealers in Michgian, Indiana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Still buys and sells cars today. (10:19) His experience in the service made him realize that although he doesn’t like war, it can be necessary when talking is ineffective. (11:06) Thinks that our current involvement in Iraq is necessary and that more action against the insurgents is still needed. (11:42) � 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 LudemaG Title A name given to the resource Ludema, Gordon (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ludema, Gordon Description An account of the resource Gordon Ludema served as a staff sergeant for the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After high school in August of 1948, he enlisted in the Air Force in order to avoid being drafted into the army. After spending 13 weeks in Texas for basic training, he learned to fly DC-3 planes before his outfit went overseas. He served as a radio operator and at night, his outfit was responsible for dropping flares so that U.S. fighters and bombers could attack enemy convoys. While in Korea and Japan, he flew a total of 104 combat missions. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chrzanowski, Ryan (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force 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 2005-06-07 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/b4aa17c0da9cccdc0381b833833384b4.mp4 428f33bdc6afd24b274a5145f2f8fc5f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4a4f12f103dca0589d7c6a166533bbad.pdf eea8206d1fcef617fed9a94184b434f6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Post- Persian Gulf War Era John Luckett Interview Length: (00:00:10:30) Early Life/ Naval Training (00:00:13:00)  Luckett was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1972. (00:00:14:00)  He has two sisters: one older and one younger. (00:00:15:00)  Luckett’s family moved to Grand Rapids when he was 12 years old. (00:00:22:00) o While living Grand Rapids, he attended two different elementary schools and two different high schools. (00:00:30:00)  Luckett was the only one in his immediate family to enlist in the military. (00:00:59:00) o At the time of his enlistment, was working a part- time job and attending Davenport University. (00:01:10:00) o The main reason that he enlisted was because he “needed a change” and wanted to avoid the “trouble” that some of his friends were getting involved in. (00:01:20:00)  Luckett received a phone call from a recruiter one day about enlisting, which solidified his decision to join. (00:01:40:00)  After deciding to join, he was flown to Chicago to a training base [Great Lakes] where he stayed for eight weeks. (00:02:05:00) Active Duty (00:02:35:00)  After training camp, a recruit get to pick his or her “orders” and Luckett’s orders were to [Norfolk] Virginia. (00:02:40:00) o He first served on an aircraft carrier and was then transferred to a nearby weapons station. He spent roughly 3 years at each location. (00:02:51:00)  Luckett also spent some time serving in the Mediterranean. (00:03:30:00) o While here, he witnessed several planes on their way to bombing raids, but this was the extent of his experience with active combat. (00:03:40:00)  He served from 1991 to 1998. (00:04:20:00) o Whenever he had time off, his first priority was seeing his family. (00:04:31:00)  Luckett traveled to Greece, France, Spain, Italy, Florida, and several small islands south of the United States while serving. One thing he really enjoyed about the Navy was being able to travel. (00:04:42:00)  He wished that he would have finished school before enlisting so he could have been an officer (00:05:40:00)  He was taught to be a “gunner’s mate”, however he was never actually able to fly as he aspired to because it required extra experience beyond the naval training. (00:06:25:00) o His job was to take care of all the small arms on the carriers. This mean relocating them about the ship and repairing any that were damaged. (00:06:33:00)  Luckett thinks that learning to be a military man is simple in that “you do what they ask you to do”. (00:07:10:00)  He was serving in Virginia when his service time expired, working at a weapons station on the U.S.S. Yorktown. (00:07:30:00) �   Navy men are required to spend so much time serving at sea before they can serve on shore. (00:08:08:00) o This made adjusting to civilian life moderately easy because he spent time onshore before actually returning to his home. (00:08:11:00) Luckett still stays closely connected with fellow navy men (00:09:17:00) From his naval experience, Luckett was introduced to many of the differences that exist between cultures. He thinks he would never have noticed these things otherwise because he was so firmly rooted to his home in Michigan (00:09:23:00) o From this experience, he also learned that “everyone has their own course in life”. (00:10:03:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LuckettJ Title A name given to the resource Luckett, John (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Luckett, John Description An account of the resource John Luckett entered the United States Navy in 1991, following the Persian Gulf War. He was sent to a naval training base in Chicago where he spent eight weeks after expressing an interest in joining the navy to a local recruiter. During his service time he was stationed at several locations around the world including France, Spain, and Italy. Luckett was a Gunner's Mate, which meant he was in charge of small weapons management on aircraft carriers. This job involved the repair and relocation of single-man weapons onboard the ship. Luckett was not involved in any active combat during his service. He returned to the Virginia coast to serve on the U.S.S. Yorktown just before he was sent home in 1998. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Taylor, Travis (Interviewer) Parker, Weston (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 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 2009-11-14 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/391c31c368af72cf29d6de944b760909.mp4 fd3760f61e9bfc191af3b5316b6d13e9 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/78f8a962d87e209a02e05822a806261d.pdf bb256926b85f69c5c008d3a0b5e6804f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee name: Jacob Lucas Length of Interview: 40 minutes Pre-Enlistment (02:45) • Childhood (02:53)   o • Lucas was born on March 23, 1924. (02:55)   Background (03:05)   o Served with the Seabees, which was a construction branch of the Navy, while deployed  in the Pacific during WWII. (03:10)  Enlistment/Basic Training (03:22)   • Background (03:23)  o Was living in Michigan working for Chris Craft for a year. (03:26) Briefly mentions what  career experience he had before joining the Seabees in construction. (03:30)   o  Briefly describes what type of basic training he had and what that entailed. (03:55) Had  4 weeks of basic training and an additional 2 weeks of extended training entailing firing  carbines on a gun range. (04:33)   o The Seabee group he was with was responsible with much of the construction and  building and not much of the fighting. (05:50)   o Joined the Seabees sometime in December 1942 from which time he entered basic  training. (06:12)  ƒ Briefly describes the types of food and what sleeping conditions were like while  in basic training. (06:36)     ƒ Of the training he learned he enjoyed building the most and blasting coral.  Briefly a few of the different experiences he had with blasting coral. (07:30)   o Mentions the different types of heavy equipment he had at his disposal with his own  van. (08:31)   o Being with the same group for 2 ½ years he grew to know them well. Briefly describes  what sort of heavy equipment his superiors were in charge of maintaining. (08:51)   �Active Duty (10:34)  • Background (10:40)   o Attaining the rank of a 3rd‐class gunnery sergeant he briefly describes his responsibilities  in the managing of heavy equipment. (10:54) Briefly describes what this entailed while  also mentioning that his last job was making an airstrip on Okinawa. (11:05)   • New Caledonia (12:17)   o Shipped out from California, 60 miles northwest of Los Angles. Took 30 days to get  there. Stayed there from June/July to November. (12:37) Stayed there from mid‐ June/July to early November. (12:49)   • New Guinea (12:50)   o From there he went first to Milne Bay and then to Finschafen by taking an LST there by  night. (12:52)   • Main Responsibilities (13:01)  o Shows pictures of what sort of work he did looked like. (13:13)   o He also built smaller navy air strips up to a 1/3 of a mile long on various islands. (13:42)  To do this he describes what the blasting of underneath the water to make way for the  leveling of the land with heavy machinery looked like. (14:07)  • Living Conditions abroad (15:27)   o For living arrangements they lived in quonset huts and what his mornings were like. Also  shows various pictures of what he did. (15:30)  • Combat experience in the Admiralty Islands (17:10)   o The closest Lucas came to being in combat was in the Admiralty Islands while helping to  build air strips. When first landing on islands they would either go in with the U.S. Army  or the Marines to do construction work. (17:50)   ƒ The average age for a Seabee was 35 even though Lucas was 18 when he went  overseas. (18:25)   ƒ Describes his thoughts about the Navy and working with an Australian artillery  company. (19:37)   • Other Responsibilities and living conditions (20:14)   �o Lucas mentions that they were also responsible for making steel pontoons and for  measuring them. (20:25)   o Much later Seabees were in smaller groups and carried fold‐up bridges. (21:19)   o While overseas, at night Lucas would sleep around mosquito netting and take atabrine  to keep up his immunity against yellow fever and malaria. (22:05)   • Other stories (22:49)   o Mentions that he kept up a 15 month correspondence with his future wife while staying  in constant contact with his family. (22:55)   o Lucas joined the Seabees specifically because ever since he had been a kid he had  always wanted to be a builder. (23:57)   o Going Home (25:05)  ƒ Leaving the Pacific and going home he landed in San Francisco where he  remembers seeing “Welcome Home Troop” signs from 40‐miles out. (25:21)  ƒ Was given a train ticket upon being discharged but because the trains were so  packed he had to wait six days to go home. Meanwhile, he took the  opportunity to visit his aunt and uncle who lived in Alameda, California for four  days. (26:10)   After the Service (26:35)   • Adjusting to Home (26:42)   o For Lucas the switch from military service to working around the clock for his  supervisors was not too difficult. His handling of heavy equipment and blasting  responsibilities helped him to learn to work quickly. (27:06)   o Lucas mentions that all the letters sent from his congregation at Lucas CRC his mother  kept. Basically these were all letters from servicemen who went to his church. (29:04)  o Spends a good amount of the time with the interviewer showing him pictures of ‘muddy  places,’ a notebook of the people who put the pictures together, and a map of all the  places he was deployed at. For example, such places included the Admiralty Islands,  Lea in New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Okinawa. (30:01)   • Interview Ends (39:14)   � 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 LucasJ Title A name given to the resource Lucas, Jacob (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lucas, Jacob Description An account of the resource Jacob Lucas is a World War II veteran who served in the Seabees, a construction branch of the Navy, from December 1942 to 1945. In this account, Lucas discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training in the U.S. and his service time abroad in the Pacific. He goes into some depth about his responsibilities as a Seabee in Okinawa, New Caledonia, New Guinea and the Admiralty Islands. Lucas concludes his interview by showing pictures and newspaper clippings from that time. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mangione, Nathaniel (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 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 2004-04-19 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