7 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2345b40ae171e519c39f82f46e211a22.pdf 70c07b64b355853cb376b2c5c45c6a89 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview British Army Richard Saunders Length of interview: (24:48) (00:00) Early Life     Richard was born on January 25, 1930 in Plymouth, England He had three sisters; his father was in the navy and his mother was a cook Richard attended school until he was 15. After that, he got a job working for the railroad o His job was to take phone messages and record the contents of trains While he was working for the railroad, he was drafted into the army (2:35) Army Life      After basic training, Richard served in Germany and Holland In Germany, he worked for the army postal service o His was part of a mobile postal service that traveled from Herford, Germany to the Hook of Holland o In Germany, they were based in a clothing factory. The men working for the postal service received various courier duties (4:45) When Richard got out of the army in 1951, he returned to work on the railroad as a shunter o Shunters positioned the cars of the trains and put them together (5:30) Training for the army taught them discipline and how to shoot a rifle o Since all of the men that Richard trained with were drafted, they had little to no interest in the army When Richard was getting his first physical for the army, he had to stand naked in front of six doctors while they determined if he had flat feet o The doctors determined that he had flat feet, this was something that Richard took advantage of o On one occasion, Richard complained that his feet were hurting. He reported to the doctors who gave him a special, more comfortable pair of boots. The officers didn’t like that he was different boots than the other men (8:25) Post-Army Life/Reflections of the Past   After working as a shunter for a time, he was promoted to a head shunter and went to a new location (still near Plymouth) In June 1969, Richard came to the United States o He worked with a family member who was a painter, until he found work on the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Railway �         Life in America was rough until he was able to make friends and settle in (10:10) Richard’s father was killed during the Second World War o Richard was only 11 at the time so he didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation The military life was frustrating because he couldn’t say anything to the “morons yelling at him” (14:15) Life during the Second World War was difficult because no one knew when their town would be bombed o When the bombs fell, they went into a shelter that was partially buried in the earth. It protected them from anything other than a direct hit o Richard’s mother was an air raid warden. She walked around and reported extensive damage Richard never wanted to be in the service and therefore, never considered himself a soldier His time in the military was interesting because of the post-war dynamics that he observed (20:00) In a lot of the areas Richard was in, the bomb damage was too great for the British to clean up. However, the Americans and their bulldozers were able to clear up the damage with bulldozers The American railroad was very different from the British railroad o It was easier to work on the American railroad because the equipment was more advanced o Richard retired from the railroad in 1992 Since his retirement, Richard had done a lot of traveling in Europe o It was nice to see the places he had known as a child. Now that he had money, he was able to enjoy himself in ways that he couldn’t when he was a child o In 1994, he and his sister traveled to England. When he was there, he realized that he wasn’t and Englishmen, he was an American � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SaundersR1821V Title A name given to the resource Saunder, Richard George (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-25 Description An account of the resource Richard Saunders was born on January 25, 1930 in Plymouth, England. He attended school until he began to work for the railroad at age fifteen. Richard was eventually drafted into the British Army and worked in the army postal service. His particular duties required him to frequently travel between Germany and Holland. After leaving the military in 1951, Richard returned to work on the railroad. In 1969, Richard moved to the United States where he worked for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway until his retirement in 1992. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Saunders, Richard George Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Lewis, Emily (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9019e87b6127d90fae9a427557de6f0b.pdf b4b8f7390101c4db454b9f12369b9593 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Korean War Floyd (Bud) Hall Length of Interview (43:56) (1:10) Early Life   Floyd’s father was in the heating business. o After working with his father for several years, Floyd went into the wholesale milk business for 35 years and then the chemical business for 20 years Floyd was enlisted in the Navy at age 16 (2:00) Military Life     Swimming was important skill to have in the Navy He eventually decided to join air-sea rescue, which was part of the paratroopers o Since all of them were volunteers, Floyd was free to return to the Navy at any time, but didn’t because he was having fun Paratrooper training was fun for Bud o They started training by jumping off a four foot platform o The next step was a 30-foot tower with a cable that prevented them from hitting the ground o The 250-foot towers were next. Here, they had to control their parachutes in order to land without hurting themselves After the jumping, training got tough o They were required to crawl through a muddy pit while machine guns were fired over their heads o Training was also conducted in Florida for a time. Here, they were required to jump into a swamp. The jumps were conducted between 1,500 and 1,000 feet o Night jumps were also common; this was very difficult because they couldn’t see where they were going (9:00) Korea    Floyd arrived in Korea in 1952 He never spoke to the Korean People because he didn’t understand their language He was positioned on a mountain near the 38th Parallel when he and his comrades ran out of water o They walked down the mountain until they found a small stream o When they headed back up the mountain and came across a small village where people were washing themselves in the stream that Floyd had drank from �            o Quinine tablets were used to make the water drinkable and reduce their chances of getting sick (12:10) Floyd was very close with the men in his unit because they lived in a tank for weeks at a time o In total, Floyd had a total of 55 men under his command; they were like brothers When they returned to the United States they conducted a maneuver along the St. Lawrence River o Twenty-five men were killed when the truck they were in was hit by a train o Floyd also remembers a time when his plane was on fire and he had to quickly make sure that his men got out of the plane. A lot of them landed in the trees below When Floyd had six months remaining in the service, he married his first wife o He lived in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, which was 20 miles away from Fort Campbell (where he was stationed) They would occasionally fly over a nearby river, where they could see mist coming from moonshine distilleries While Floyd was stationed at Fort Campbell the Tennessee Dam Authority was in the process of building a dam on the river o They warned everyone in the area where the moonshiners were to leave because they were going to flood the area for a lake (19:25) When they were in the tanks (Korea), Floyd stood up and leaned out of the turret to call out targets for the four men below o A lot of the targeting had to be done with his own eyes because they didn’t have very good targeting systems o Snipers also posed a problem when Floyd popped his head out of the tank o On one occasion, Floyd fired his 50-caliber machine gun at a tree. Shortly after he did this, a pair of pant fell from the branches. He doesn’t know if he killed the soldier or not o They took some small arms fire but not much else Small planes flew above the tanks and served as spotters for them o Although they rarely saw the targets that were being called in, they knew when they hit something o The Chinese artillery posed a significant problem; the rounds sounded like trucks flying overhead There were a total of four tanks in Floyd’s group; they narrow roads didn’t permit any more Floyd doesn’t recall shooting enemy soldiers because he was always at a distance Floyd lost a lot of weight because it ration drops were difficult to pull of o Gas for the tanks was usually dropped before food (28:31) Out of all the places he visited while in the military, he enjoyed Alaska the most Floyd remained in Korea until the war ended in 1953 o Those who served in the navy as well as the air force worked tirelessly to provide the infantry with the proper support �  Floyd only jumped from an airplane once during the war o The jump occurred during the night and the men in Floy’s unit encountered no resistance Throughout his time in Korea, the air force was constantly searching for enemy infantry o If enemy troops were located, the air force quickly moved to deal with them o Floyd’s brother was in the air force during the Second World War and flew a lot of missions in the South Pacific (35:30) After Korea      After he left the military, Floyd had a scholarship to play football at Michigan State but he turned it down because he wanted to get a job Floyd returned to Fort Campbell later in life; he was amazed at how much it had expanded He went back to work so that it would be easier for him to adjust to civilian life Serving in the military taught him to love others Floyd advises those who wish to join the military to take it seriously so they don’t get themselves into trouble � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_HallF1815V Title A name given to the resource Hall, Floyd (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-15 Description An account of the resource Floyd "Bud" Hall enlisted in the United States Navy at age 16. After a short time in air-sea rescue, Floyd decided to join the paratroopers. He describes the paratrooper training process and the numerous practice jumps that were required. Floyd was eventually sent to Korea in 1952 and served as a tank commander until the end of the conflict in 1953. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hall, Floyd Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Favreau, Courtney (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8806f856313d3d98a2501587b4b8d4ce.pdf 0f970b53a9876e83251cf79df529af03 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Andrew Knott Cold War 10 minutes 25 seconds (00:00:05) -Born on September 5th, 1940 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. -Served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. -Highest rank achieved of E4. -Four siblings in their family. -His father was a carpet installer, and his mother was a housewife. -What was it like growing up during World War II? -Remembers his uncles coming home on leave from World War II. -Recalls the lack of bubble gum due to sugar rations. -Reusing tin cans etc. -A lot of displaced people in the area from the Netherlands. -The Berlin Wall was built around when he was 20. -Drafted in July, 1961. -Sent to Fort Knox for basic training. -Next sent to Fort Carson, Colorado. -Intended to be trained for 105 artillery. -He was given the role of a cook. -He was given a status with a “permanent pass”. -When the 5th infantry Division was reactivated he was sent to Headquarters Company as a cook. (5:00) -As a cook they worked with every other weekend off. -Their group went on maneuvers as well. -Swift Strike was one such maneuver in North/South Carolina. -There for a month. -Later they were on the way to California for a maneuver when the Cuban Missile Crisis made them return to base. -Their supply sergeant returned from Saigon, Vietnam as the Vietnam War was about to begin. -He is classified with the V.A. as a Vietnam veteran, however he was in the military for only the beginning of Vietnam Era. -Some duties: washing pots and pans, cooking for the generals. Orderlies would serve. -Used a truck with an electric refrigerator and propane stove thanks to the abundance of electric generators on base. -Generals were not hard to get along with. -Left the military in July, 1963 not long before the Kennedy assassination. -At Fort Carson they were building NORAD nearby at the time. -After leaving the service he worked selling/installing carpet. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_KnottA1818V Title A name given to the resource Knott, Andrew Thomas (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-23 Description An account of the resource Andrew Knott was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 5th, 1940. In July of 1961 he was drafted in the period just before the Vietnam War. Entering the Army, he was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and Fort Carson, Colorado for artillery training. In the 5th Infantry Division he was a cook. In his time in the military he went on several maneuvers and experienced the threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In July 1963 he was discharged and left the military. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Knott, Andrew Thomas Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Knott, Jonathan (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3b1d06eedcea9530b6faf70712b3a349.pdf a6a39b46457d6536954c996a77a6bc54 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Ray Pell World War II 17 minutes 15 seconds (00:00:01) Early Life -Born on March 20, 1927 in Fremont, Michigan -Parents were farmers in Fremont -He had one sister -She died in 2001 -Attended high school until he was seventeen (00:01:14) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 1 -Completed all of his necessary high school work before he enlisted -That way he was able to receive his high school diploma before graduation -Mother collected his diploma on graduation day -He felt a duty to help stop the Germans and the Japanese (00:02:17) Training Pt. 1 -Received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Sent to San Bruno, California for Marine training -Trained with the Browning Automatic Rifle -His job would have been to give covering fire as troops advanced or retreated -Received landing craft training -The California coast was set up like the coast of Japan -Preparing for the planned invasion of Japan -Did amphibious assault training every day -After the amphibious training was complete he returned to San Bruno -Preparing to ship out for the invasion of Japan -The atomic bombs were dropped and the invasion was called off (00:03:30) End of the War Pt. 1 -When the war ended he and a few other men went to San Francisco to celebrate -The city was in chaos -Remembers seeing sailors smashing windows -Saw a woman walking around naked (00:04:29) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 2 -Decided to enlist in the Navy because he liked it better than the Army -Felt that he had a better chance of surviving in the Navy than in the Army (00:04:44) Friendships in the Military -He made one good friend from Muskegon while he was in the Navy -Became lifelong friends -His best friend from Fremont was serving in the Army (00:06:00) Contact with Home -Maintained contact with home by way of letters -Still has the letters he wrote to his future wife and to his family �(00:07:22) Training Pt. 2 -While he was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Station he remembers tow target training -A plane would tow a target and antiaircraft gunners would shoot at the target (00:08:05) Life after the War Pt. 1 -He had dated his future wife for three months before he went into the Navy -After he returned from the Navy he got married to her -After returning from the service he tried to get into the Michigan 52/20 Program -Gave veterans $20 for fifty two weeks -When he went to sign up the process was so long that he decided not to do it -Attended college at Ferris State University -Graduated with a degree in watch repair -Worked at a jewelry shop as a watch repairman for a year and a half -Went on to work at a used furniture store in Fremont for nine years -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1957 -Daughter was blind and mentally handicapped and needed specialized care -Went on to have three more children: two daughters and a son -Youngest daughter died when she was thirty nine from a massive heart attack (00:12:36) Cruises in the Navy -He wound up being assigned to a hospital ship -On the first cruise they were sent to Guam to pick up patients -Wound up not having a full load and were sent to the city of Manila in the Philippines -On the way back from the first cruise they ran into a storm in the South China Sea -One of the lieutenants he served under had been at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked -Returned to San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles, California -Delivered the patients and repainted the ship -Went on a second cruise, that time just to Guam -Picked up a full load of patients there -Saw men with severe injuries, including amputees (00:16:53) End of the War Pt. 2 -Remembers feeling good about the war’s end and not having to invade Japan � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PellR1637V Title A name given to the resource Pell, Ray (Interview outline), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-05-21 Description An account of the resource Ray Pell was born in Fremont, Michigan on March 20, 1927. He grew up there and completed high school when he was seventeen and enlisted in the Navy prior to graduating. He received training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and amphibious training in San Bruno, California. When the war ended due to the atomic bombs being dropped, he was assigned to a hospital ship. He went on two cruises aboard the hospital ship, the first one to Guam and the Philippines and the second just to Guam. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pell, Ray Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dewitt, Riley (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1c0d20d90c550321982644106c40a600.mp3 f2a4c6b1927150720a3ba7ca42043f4d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/05a4056da028ff471199cca9764d6461.pdf 8ce9cc0f24c795791c811df7a2491f8a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Rocco J. Farano (00:41:00) Brief Introduction • Rocco was born in Troy, NY near Albany. He was enlisted in the military at age 18. (1:05) • Rocco was a student prior to his military career. (1:18) • Started out military career in infantry, then moved to Air Force later on. (1:25) • Was a part of the 36th Division, 3rd Battalion, [regiment not identified]. (1:32) • Spent much of his time on active duty in combat. (1:47) Combat experience in Italy, other remarks • His first combat began by marching on Rome. He was wounded in the left arm on the way to Rome in Vitrelli. The wound was not serious, so the medics briefly patched him and he continued on the mission. (2:15-2:44) • Marched through Rome on June 6th. (3:03) • Wounded more seriously later on. While in France he was wounded in the face. This was his second time wounded. He remarks that France was particularly active. (3:25) • Received the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star. (4:04) • While in Italy, he was made a scout because he could understand Italian. This role in reconnaissance would continue later in France. (4:22-5:06) Reconnaissance mission in Italy • Sent on a reconnaissance mission to find the enemy troops. He was accompanied by five other troops, totaling six people as half a squad. Each person in the squad was equipped with hand held automatic weapons. One person in the squad had a light machine gun which could be disassembled. The weapon had to be carried by two people even disassembled. The other five men had regular M-1 rifles, which held several rounds, but not as many as the light machine gun. He also notes that one man in the team was responsible for all the ammunition. (5:166:51) • As part of the mission, his team had to cross a wide open field. Crossing such terrain was dangerous as it provided little cover. On one side of the field was a hedge grove running a length of about two hundred yards. There were a few openings in the hedges, which two enemy snipers used as cover. (6:59-7:41) • While in the field, his team noticed smoke and began heading toward it. (7:28) • His friend Milton Hill, a schoolteacher from New England, was killed by enemy snipers. (7:55) • His team discovered that the source of the smoke was a burning barn. (8:27) • Behind the barn was a French truck loaded with German troops. The Germans were notorious for re-using captured equipment. (8:33-8:42) • His team decided not to attack the Germans directly, as they were vastly outnumbered. Instead they fired on them with the light machine gun, while one of the team ordered the Germans to surrender in German. (9:10-9:33) • He notes that some of the Germans were trying to sleep off a night of drinking schnapps, which contributed to their success. (9:43) • His team captured nearly twenty Germans. (10:03) • One member of his team was sent back to the base, inform the base and ask for a truck to capture more Germans. These prisoners were captured without casualties as an entire platoon �• • • • was used. (10:22) People in local houses knew they were Americans, and helped hide his team. This turned out to be an unnecessary maneuver as the situation had been resolved by the other platoon. Headquarters sent more men to retrieve his team. (11:50) The success of this mission earned him a Bronze Star. The small number of casualties, the captured enemy troops, and the success of an important mission contributed to his earning the award. (12:36) The troops were often afraid, small arms fire, rifles and machine guns all contributed to this fear. The most feared enemy weapon was the small artillery, or mortars. He also notes that ADA (?) were especially feared as well. (14:00-15:00) After the war was nearly over, he was put in the Air Corps as a military policeman. (15:48) Discussion of his facial flesh wound: • • • • • • After being wounded, he was went to the AID station for a few hours. His wound was stitched, and a patch was applied as well. He notes he was very lucky not to have received a more severe wound, and that he still has scars. He praises the army doctors for good work. (16:0016:24) He stayed in the hospital until his wound recovered. Once he recovered from his wound the war was mostly over, and his superiors realized he was overqualified for his position in the infantry so he was transferred to the Air Corps. (17:37) He notes he thought this conclusion ridiculous. (17:54) He was wounded in the face during a fire fight in enemy territory. Both sides were equipped with machine guns. The American forces were dug into foxholes. He shared his foxhole with one other man. It was common to shift from one foxhole to another while patrolling the area. (18:08-18:57) The enemy knew he was in the area, which was in a Belgian town. He was trapped by enemy fire, and ran to his foxhole. In his haste to get in the foxhole he forgot his weapon (Browning Automatic Rifle, or “BAR”), and was shot in the face while retrieving it. His partner used his med kit, to patch his wound to the best of his ability. (14:12-20:06) Next he went to the AID station as previously mentioned. He regarded his stay there as something of a vacation due to the hot meals and being able to use a proper bed. (20:35-20:50) Post-Combat • His favorite place to be stationed was Birmingham, AL. He was also partial to Belgium, especially the French portions. (21:15) • He did not recall anyone treating him badly after returning to the States. (22:29) • Some of the Germans had American-made weapons. (23:10) Interaction with German POWs • A German officer in a POW camp in Italy had an American weapon, a .45, which he confiscated. He realized later it was actually a .38, not a .45. He still has the gun. The German officer was one of the few Germans in the camp. (23:42) • He notes he did not liberate any concentration camps, but he did put German soldiers into prisoner of war camps. (24:40) • One of the German prisoner was skilled with leather crafting. Rocco gave him four packs of cigarettes to make him a holster for the gun he took earlier. He still has the holster as well. (24:40) �• After the war, German prisoners were released to their homes. (25:49) Drafted, and dates served • Explains that he was drafted. He tried to join the Air Corps, but was unable to at the time. (26:00) • Doesn't remember how he spent his off-time while in the force. He doesn't remember having any off-time other than his time in the hospital, for which he was very thankful. (26:47-27:18) • He made a few friends while in the force, most of which he has lost through the years. (27:40) • Entered the force in 1943, left in 1946. (27:40) More on his life after the War • After finishing his tour, he went to aviation school. He notes he was able to do so because of the GI Bill of Rights. He was at the Academy of Aeronautics for two years. Eventually he gained experience as a mechanic. (28:10) • He also got married, and got a job working for his father-in-law. His experience as a mechanic gave him good references for the position, aside from the fact that he needed work and his father-in-law needed help. He worked forty-five hours a week, and also made a six percent commission, which made him economically prosperous for the time. (30:02) • His wife worked as a secretary for the same company until she became pregnant. (30:34) • He learned from the experience, and only regrets not being able to join the Air Force earlier on in the war. (31:06) • He was only officially wounded twice, but was actually wounded more often. He was hit in the foot, and was wounded in other ways. Overall, he is thankful to have come out in one piece. (31:20) • The worst thing about the war for him was seeing his friend Milton Hall being shot. (31:47) • He was also horrified seeing the victims of mortar blasts and ADA(?) shells. (32:00) • Has a cabinet in his workshop which has some keepsakes of his time in the military. He did not take many of these during his time in the infantry as he was too busy. He had models of German equipment, some pistols, and Nazi armbands. He once had two rifles, which he had since sold. (32:38-33:20) • Fought only in Europe. After being drafted he was sent to Africa, but by the time he arrived the fighting was over. Some officials thought about sending him to Asia, but they decided they would need troops eventually and he had been trained in European style terrain so it would be better to send him to Europe. (33:53) Brief summary of training and movements while in the service • He shipped to Italy, and landed in Sicily. He fought outside and through Rome, and then he was moved again. After Rome he was briefly taken off of active duty for a breather. Next he was sent to west Europe. (34:30-35:44) • He was drafted as a young man. After being drafted he was sent to Birmingham, AL. He remarks going from New York to Alabama was very strange for him, and “may as well have been Timbuktu.” He was very lonely initially, but soon made some friends. He spent the rest of the time practicing maneuvers. (36:18) • He was only trained for eight months before being sent into active duty, as they needed replacements badly. (37:42) More Post-War memories • Explains that he spent most of the war trying to protect himself, as did everyone else. (38:14) �• • • If he had the choice to go back at the time, he would not have gone. However, his country needed him, and he had to go against his will. He was in the service from 1943 to 1946, during which he spent most of the time in combat. (38:46) While in the military he spent time in Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia, and Belgium. (39:10) His most memorable moments were the end of the war, and the day he was told he would be going home in a short time. (39:39) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_FaranoR0281V Title A name given to the resource Farano, Rocco J. (Interview audio and outline), 2007 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-03 Description An account of the resource Rocco J. Farano (Rocky), of Troy, NY served in the 36th Infantry Division during the WW II from 1943-1946. He saw action in Sicily, Italy, and later served in France, Belgium and Germany. Most of the interview focuses on combat in Italy, where he led a patrol that captured a German platoon, and was later wounded. Upon recovery, he was transferred to the Army Air Corps and completed his service with them. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Farano, Rocco J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Bova, Kristen (Interviewer) Forest Hills Eastern High School (Ada, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b325ce64bb46f077022e361ca6de506d.mp3 7cea14abf321650d1ca083b21c958ce5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7c51b18e9a01e5597bb245ed27b9a8a0.pdf 03330942e88bc4f5285b119dd849ab64 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Edward Benjamin World War II 2 hours 53 minutes 36 seconds (00:04:50) Early Life -Born in a house on the corner of Fuller Avenue and Hope Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Note: Most likely born in December in either the late 1910s or the early 1920s -Had a sandbox in the backyard -Lived there the first three or four years of his life -Moved to a house down the road -Lived there for a year and a half -Walked to school from that house -Father had a house built in East Grand Rapids -Decided to build another house -Moved to the next street over while the second house was built -Lived there for another year and a half -Moved to a house on Sherman Street in 1934 -Went to high school and Grand Rapids Junior College while living in that house (00:08:54) Start of the War Pt. 1 -Feels that the commanding officers at Pearl Harbor were made the scapegoats for the attack -Believes the president and military intelligence knew an attack was coming -Decided to do nothing about it -Had met Admiral Kimmel in 1932 (Commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet) -Showed Edward and his Uncle Bob pictures of ships and diagrams -Completely reasonable and innocent thing to do prior to World War II -Everyone was upset about the attack on Pearl Harbor -People wanted nothing less than the total destruction of Japan -Kept track of the early events of the war -Uncle Bob worked for the Grand Rapids Press and kept the family updated -Heard about the Battle of Wake Island -Not a lot of good news at the beginning of the war (00:11:17) Enlisting in the Army -He was old enough to be drafted -Note: Prior to November 1942 the draft age was 21, not 18 -Note: Means that Edward was at least 21 or 22 when he enlisted in the Army -Knew that he could serve as a dentist in either the Army or the Navy -Didn't want to serve on a ship -Decided to enlist in the Army as a dentist -En route to Detroit for a dentists' convention he heard about the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo -Raid happened on April 18, 1942 -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan for his physical and processing �-Issued uniforms -Commissioned as an officer in the Army since he would be working as a dentist (00:12:34) Stationed at Fort Custer (First Time) -Ordered to report to Chicago on May 2, 1942 -Went to Chicago with his wife -Stayed together for a weekend then she returned to Grand Rapids -Received orders to serve at Fort Custer -Received his basic training at Fort Custer -In the fall of 1942 troops and supplied moved out -Knew that the United States was starting to pour soldiers and material into the war (00:13:29) Stationed at Fort Sheridan -Ordered to report to Fort Sheridan, Illinois on December 1, 1942 -Assigned to an antiaircraft battalion at Fort Sheridan -Spent the winter at Fort Sheridan -One of the coldest winters he ever experienced -Wife visited him for Christmas 1942 (00:14:23) Stationed at Camp Myles Standish Pt. 1 -In mid-February 1943 he received orders to go to Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts -Father was serving as a colonel with the quartermaster at Camp Myles Standish -Stayed with his father until he could get established in the barracks -Father was eventually transferred to Fort Lee, Virginia -Wife gave birth to their first child while he was at Camp Myles Standish -In August 1943 he was in the hospital and received orders to report to Chicago, again -Visited a friend who was on leave in Portsmouth, New Hampshire -Friend was the executive officer of a submarine (00:17:52) Stationed at Fort Custer (Second Time) Pt. 1 -In Chicago he was assigned to Fort Custer a second time -Able to go home on weekends thanks to extra gas coupons from an enlisted man he befriended -Enjoyed being in Michigan, close to home, and away from the warzones in Europe and Asia (00:19:25) Stationed at Camp Myles Standish Pt. 2 -At Camp Myles Standish he remembers crates of beer being loaded onto ships before tanks -Learned the beer was being sent to North Africa to improve the troops' morale -Took priority over the tanks because of that reason -Remembers a ship that left out of Boston full of troops from Myles Standish -Got torpedoed somewhere between Greenland and Iceland -Almost everyone on board died -Learned that a German spy in Taunton, Massachusetts helped orchestrate the attack (00:21:22) Stationed at Fort Custer (Second Time) Pt. 2 -Had a cottage at Fort Custer -Close to Gun Lake -Enjoyed being away from the frontlines �-In fall 1943 he could see that Germany's days were numbered -He was at Fort Custer on June 6, 1944 for the invasion of France -On June 5, 1944 he heard the invasion was being postponed due to fog -Woke up early on June 6 and heard bells ringing, signaling the start of the invasion -Everyone was anxious about the invasion of France -In fall 1944 a massive number of troops got deployed (00:24:30) Deployment to the European Theater -Received orders to go to the European Theater -Went to Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania to receive some training and gather supplies -Went on an infiltration course -Crawled under barbed wire while machine guns fired over your head -Remembers it was a nasty, rainy day when he did that -He was the second man to complete the course -Spent Thanksgiving 1944 at Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania -Locked down because they were getting ready to deploy -Had planned on meeting his wife for Thanksgiving, but was not allowed -Went by train to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia -Stayed there for several days -Absolutely no communication with the outside world -Anything sent out of camp was delayed for a week to maintain secrecy -Went to Hampton Roads, Virginia to board a Liberty Ship -All of the men he was going overseas with were replacements -20 officers and 65 black soldiers -Rest of the ship was filled with cargo -He was placed in charge of the men because he was the ranking officer -Didn't want to bother the troops so he wrote up a good report as fast as he could -Left Virginia in the middle of the night -Woke up the next day at sea, in the middle of fog, waiting for convoy to form -When the fog lifted he saw that a convoy formed -Big, square formation of ships -Four or five miles by four or five miles -His ship was near a front corner of the formation -Had destroyers protecting the transport ships -Could only go as fast as the slowest ship in the convoy -Slowest ship was a small British ship that was incredibly slow -Took the Southern Route -Sailed from the U.S. to Bermuda to the Azores -Men wanted church services on Sundays -Had a black soldier officiate the services -Had a quarter of tough-looking black soldiers sing hymns -Held the services on the deck of the ship -Took three weeks to get across the Atlantic Ocean -Men occupied their time with gambling and feats of strength -Loved standing on the bow of the ship �-When they got close to Africa he saw the Atlas Mountains -Looked like the edge of a saw -Beautiful sight (00:38:03) Sailing in the Mediterranean Sea -Sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar -Lots of Allied ships patrolling the water -Saw a Spanish ship try to pass through the Allied ships -U.S. destroyer ordered the Spanish ship to leave the area -A large part of that was because of Spain being pro-Nazi and fascist -Saw the Rock of Gibraltar -Convoy broke up in the Mediterranean Sea -Sailed to Oran, Algeria at top speed -Wanted to get to the port as fast as possible because U-Boats prowled the waters -Dusk when they pulled into Oran -Beautiful harbor -Had gone through gun drills on the ship during the voyage -Fired the ship's guns to be familiar with using them -Did abandon ship drills -Soldiers did well with those drills -Stayed in Oran until noon the next day (00:42:58) Arrival in France -Joined a small convoy and sailed to Marseille, France -Only took a couple days to sail from Algeria to southern France -Celebrated his birthday on the ship en route to Marseilles -Remembers lightning striking the ship -Thought an ammunition ship in the convoy exploded -Saw sunken ships in the harbor at Marseilles -Knew you were in a warzone (00:45:12) Stationed in Marseilles -Taken by truck to large estate near Marseille -Camped in the courtyard -Arrived on December 23, 1944 -Freezing cold -Had eight men to a tent plus a little wood stove for heat -No fuel for the stoves except for wood they scavenged from the area -On one instance they used pine cones as fuel -Befriended some of the locals -Got bread and cheese from the mess tent and brought it to a bartender to make a pizza -Had wine and shared it amongst themselves -Witnessed air raids -Shrapnel from the antiaircraft rounds rained down on them -Marseilles was a beautiful city -Remembers a Catholic church dedicated to the fishermen of the city -Had models of the fishing boats that had been blessed by a priest -Remembers a football game held between two American units �-Confusing to the Frenchmen watching -Began to wonder if the War Department lost track of them -Went out scavenging for wood one night -Found a stack of wood and brought it back to the wall surrounding the courtyard -Threw the wood over the wall then climbed over the wall -Next day saw they found the only opening in the wall -Rest of the wall was topped with pieces of broken glass -Saw the beach at Marseille and the abandoned German pillboxes -Had a good Christmas dinner in a stable in Marseilles -Enjoyed it, but it was difficult to be away from home -Remembers a friend that carried a carbine into town whenever he went into town -Went into Marseille one night with that friend to get dinner -Left the restaurant and an air raid siren went off -A random door opened and a Frenchman welcomed them inside -Sat and drank wine with the Frenchman and his family until the raid's end -Learned the Germans sent over one plane to take recon photographs of the harbor -Gave the photos to the German Navy to plan attacks on ships -Plane flew out of range of the antiaircraft fire -Some of the French were very appreciative of the U.S. troops, others were not (00:58:28) Sailing to Italy -Boarded a ship in Marseille with British soldiers and Yugoslavian partisans -Really rough weather and a lot of men got seasick -He got seasick, but never threw up -Supposed to go to Naples, Italy, but the harbor was already filled with ships -Redirected to Taranto, Italy -Old Italian naval base -Saw Italian ships tied up in the harbor -Kept there since Italy's surrender in September 1943 -Went across Taranto to a train station and boarded boxcars -Traveled north along the east side of Italy (01:02:24) Stationed in Caserta -Cut across Italy to Caserta -Got off the train and boarded trucks bound for Count Galeazzo Ciano's old dairy farm -Note: Ciano had been executed in January 1944 by Mussolini's government -Farm was located between the mountains -Had tents beside the farm's pond -Tents had wooden floors, but there was an inch of standing water -Had canvas cots for sleeping -The next day they gathered supplies and waterproofed the tents -Made a candelabra out of Army issued candles, a piece of wood, and a coat hanger -Went to the Red Cross station in Caserta -Warmed up by their large fireplace, drank coffee, and ate cookies -Caught rides on military vehicles and peasant carts into Caserta -Hitchhiked to Naples �-Saw Mount Vesuvius -Naples got really dark at night due to blackouts -Spent a while in Caserta (01:07:50) Reassignment to the Front line Pt. 1 -Boarded a train and was appointed the Train Surgeon -Fortunately, he didn't have to do any work on that train ride -Went north and had nothing to eat -Got into the British 8th Army's section of Italy -Went to a British mess tent to get food -Served unappetizing, greasy food and tea (which he hates) -Used the tea as hot water for shaving -Stopped in Rome for a half hour -Headed toward the front line -Saw the island of Elba -Got to a replacement depot outside of Pisa -There for a little while -Issued orders to join his unit (01:11:28) Life after the War -Had a house on Greenwood Avenue in Grand Rapids -Wife and daughter lived there during the war -Lived there as a whole family for a while after he got home from the war -Moved to a house on Hall Street in Grand Rapids -Eventually moved the house on Hall Street to Elmwood Street -Lived there until daughter got married and son went to college -Now lives in a condo off of East Paris (01:15:24) Father's Military Career -Father studied at the Naval Academy and at the National War College in Washington D.C. -Taught Reserve officers in Grand Rapids -Served in Washington D.C. before the Second World War began (01:19:10) Start of the War Pt. 2 -Knew things were tense between the U.S. and Japan -Remembers decorating the house for Christmas on December 7, 1941 -Sent out to buy some pine boughs at a nearby farm -Farmer told them Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Didn't believe it at first then turned on the car radio and heard reports coming in From 01:21:20 - 02:07:25 (Deployment to European Theater) through (Reassignment to the Front line Pt. 1) is repeated. Story picks up again at 02:07:26. (02:07:26) Reassignment to the Frontline Pt. 2 -Went from Pisa to Florence by train -Road north was getting mortared by the Germans -Felt vulnerable and knew he was in a war zone -Passed through Florence �-Lots of military supplies -Got past the place the Germans were mortaring without incident -Came to a farm and reported to the colonel -Told his unit was stationed in Florence (02:09:05) Stationed in Florence -Got a jeep and returned to Florence -Unit was quartered at a small soccer field in the city -Had a small venereal disease (VD) hospital and a dental clinic -He did dental work for the soldiers in the city -He was placed in charge of the dental clinic because he had the highest rank -Got along well with the veteran soldiers -Florence was an interesting city -Visited the city and explored -Saw the Florence Cathedral -There were a lot of old buildings -Only 15 miles from the frontline -Heard artillery fire in the distance -Had a lot of work to do -Still made sure all of the men got a day off -Visited the Red Cross station in Florence -Saw the home of the famous Middle Ages poet, Dante Alighieri -Italians had been abused by the Italian fascists and then the German occupiers -Meant they unconditionally respected the American soldiers -Befriended the men in his unit -Had not received a lot of mail in a while and became slightly melancholy about that -Came back to his quarters one day and found half a bushel of letters from home -Italian women did the soldiers' laundry -In two days you got your clothes back -Women washed the clothing with cold water and stones in the irrigation ditches -Had to make sure you got your clothing back before you moved (02:17:42) Death of President Roosevelt -On the morning of either April 12 or 13 he woke up and learned President Roosevelt had died -Everything in Florence closed down to show respect for the late president -British soldiers and Italians wanted to know about President Truman -Americans knew very little about the new president (02:19:26) Downtime in Florence -Got to see a couple concerts and go shopping while in Florence -Very little to buy because the Germans took a lot when they retreated (02:19:56) R&R in Rome -Knew a major offensive was coming and his commanding officer granted him an R&R to Rome -Went to Rome with a chaplain from his unit and a British soldier -Saw the Vatican -Offered a chance to meet the Pope, but respectfully declined �-Felt that Catholic soldiers should see the Pope before he, a Protestant, did -Met some of the British soldier's friends and got drinks with them -Visited the catacombs -Went to a party with the British soldier and British officers -British soldier survived the war, became a minister, and kept in contact with Edward (02:24:00) Spring 1945 Offensive in Italy -When he returned to camp in Florence there were only a dozen men at the camp -Watched as Allied planes went toward the frontline -Half of the sky was filled with planes going north -Other half of the sky was filled with planes going south -It was like clouds of planes -Made the ground vibrate like an earthquake -Drove north on a two and a half ton truck -Passed through a destroyed Italian town -Awestruck by the silence and the odor of war and death that hung over the place -Moved to a northern Italian town -Learned Mussolini had been captured and executed by the Italian resistance -German oil refineries destroyed by Allied bombardment -Meant no more German planes and German vehicles were on the retreat -Found burned out of German vehicles as they advanced north -Received word that Germans in Italy surrendered on May 2, 1945 -Men shot off flares in celebration -Advanced to Verona, Italy to prepare for the occupation of the Brenner Pass -Objective was to keep the Germans out of the Alps -Established a dental clinic in Verona -Soldiers hunted rats to deal with the infestation -Knew the war was coming to an end (02:32:43) End of the War in Europe -On May 8, 1945 Prime Minister Churchill's message of victory was broadcast to the troops -Two men from the 88th Division remarked they'd survived from Africa to VE Day -Watched movies and drank to celebrate the war's end in Europe -A few days later 15 German soldiers surrendered (02:35:20) Post-War Duty Pt. 1 -Able to relax -Went to Lake Garda -Found an old castle and given a tour by the caretaker -Learned the caretaker's son had snuck from Germany to Italy -Reassigned to Montecatini -Worked in a redeployment area -Soldiers getting reassigned to Pacific Theater -Worked two shifts -6 AM to 2 PM or 2 PM to 9 PM -Small town health resort �-Took sulfur baths and came out feeling relaxed -Explored the countryside around Montecatini (02:38:43) Visiting Venice -While in Verona he got to visit Venice -Fairytale-like city -Only stayed for the day (02:39:16) Post-War Duty Pt. 2 -Transferred to the 94th Evacuation Hospital in Montecatini -Made Head of the Dental Clinic -Received R&R to Venice -Planned on taking a jeep to Vienna, Austria, but decided against it -Spent five or six days in Venice -Dances every night in the hotel -Went swimming in the Adriatic Sea -Returned to Montecatini and continued to work (02:42:30) Coming Home & Japan's Surrender -Ordered to gather supplies and go to a camp near Pisa -Went up in the Leaning Tower of Pisa -Spared by German and American artillery -In Pisa they learned about the atomic bombing of Japan -Knew Japan would surrender soon -Slated to go from Livorno ("Leghorn"), Italy to Manila, Philippines -Boarded a ship and sailed out of Livorno -In the middle of the night on August 15, 1945 received word that Japan surrendered -Huge party thrown on the ship's deck -Pulled into Gibraltar and ordered to proceed to Manila -The next morning they were told they were being redirected to Hampton Roads, Virginia -Prompted another party -Pulled into Hampton Roads, Virginia a week later -Sent back to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia -Called home to tell his wife he was in the United States -Went by train to Camp Grant, Illinois -Arrived in September 1945 -Served a steak dinner upon arrival -Next morning took a train to Chicago then another train to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Greeted by wife and daughter (02:52:48) End of Service -Reported to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to complete his service -Served there until just before his birthday in December 1945 -Discharged and returned to Grand Rapids to begin his civilian life again � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BenjaminE1698V Title A name given to the resource Benjamin, Edward Claire (Interview outline and audio), 2013 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-11-17 Description An account of the resource Edward Benjamin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in December in either the late 1910s or early 1920s. He grew up in Grand Rapids and in spring 1942 he enlisted in the Army to serve as a dentist. He reported to Chicago on May 2, 1942 and was assigned to Fort Custer, Michigan for basic training. From December 1, 1942 to November 1944 he served at Fort Sheridan, Illinois then Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts then Fort Custer again. In December 1944 he boarded a ship in Virginia and was deployed to the European Theater. He was stationed in Marseille, France for a while then in early 1945 he moved to Caserta, Italy then in early spring 1945 moved to Florence, Italy where he worked in a dental clinic. In mid-April 1945 the Spring 1945 Offensive in Italy began and he advanced into northern Italy. After Germany's surrender in Italy on May 2, 1945 he served in Verona, Italy then after Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945 he moved to Montecatini, Italy and served as the head of the dental clinic of the 94th Evacuation Hospital. In August 1945 he left Italy and returned to the United States, and after visiting his wife and daughter, completed his service at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. He was discharged in December 1945 and returned to Grand Rapids. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Edward Claire Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Benjamin, Edward (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e634540e63d1ef61593f1da7a34462dd.mp4 1b1c39b59853d3c0f9be8c75b5e9de16 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/31c5a8dbab5facb96ae2a018b373ff0e.pdf f30c544eafde67bb025f6f36f320e528 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Frank Tichvon World War II Total Time: 22:52 Pre-War (00:33) • • Was born in Barry County, Michigan. Was drafted into the Army in October, 1941. Training (02:10) • • • • • Worked as a combat engineer. He was trained at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and as they were some of the first trained there he found it very difficult. Spent 13 weeks in basic training (03:41) Was then sent to Fort Robinson, Arizona, for maneuvers, and after Pearl Harbor was attacked they were shipped to Fort Ord, California. The journey to Fort Ord took them 6 days and 5 nights by train. Active Duty (04:15) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • While they were at Fort Ord they build fake machine gun nests in case of an invasion by the Japanese. They were then shipped to Canada where they built 305 miles of the Alcan Highway. They then built around 300 miles of trails to oil wells in Canada, but eventually that was abandoned. The total time he spent in Canada was around 18 months. (04:55) He was then sent to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to specialized training for 6 weeks and was then sent to Scotland and then on to England. While in England, he spent more time training. A lot of their training dealt with mines, specifically clearing the mines. They also spent time fixing potholes and building bridges. (06:45) They had some casualties, but they were generally from accidents during construction rather than live fire. (08:05)During the Battle of the Bulge, they became surrounded and were cut off from the rest of the Army. His unit earned 5 Bronze Stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. (09:30) He was part of the 45th and 35th Combat Engineers. They were often limited on supplies He had a good opinion of the officers in his battalion Post-Service (13:10) �• • He got out of the service in October, 1945. He had a couple of good friends from the service with whom he kept in contact with. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_TichvonF Title A name given to the resource Tichvon, Frank (Interview outline and video), 200 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-12-07 Description An account of the resource Frank Tichvon was born in Barry County, Michigan, and served in World War II. Drafted in 1941, Tichvon served in the U.S. Army. He worked in Canada building the Alcan Highway and trails. He was later sent to England and then to the European continent, where he worked for a construction battalion whose job was to clear mines and construct bridges. He served in the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged in October, 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tichvon, Frank Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Yanosik, Christine (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/26d0e3a22a6c545504d0e59021de0a3c.m4v 648a7aaf8912e64964c8908833397eea https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/241f1ca11efc099af46173a9c5fbb433.pdf 228d24f7da00e6d7ca1700bb6d6bfab8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jim Oudman Vietnam War 1 hour 14 minutes 54 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born in Palo Alto, California, on July 28, 1943 -Moved to Michigan at a young age -Born in Michigan because his father was stationed there during the war -Parents were originally from Michigan -Moved to Michigan in 1944 or 1945 -Father did woodworking -Worked for a lumber company -Did home repairs and cabinetry -Graduated from high school in 1962 and got a job (00:02:50) Volunteering for the Draft -One friend received his draft notice -Prompted Jim to volunteer for the draft -Presenting himself to the draft board instead of waiting for the notice or enlisting -Enlisting meant three or four years of service while a draft meant only two years of service -Volunteered for the draft in the fall of 1964 (00:04:15) Basic Training -Received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky -Did a lot of training with tanks -Loading and firing the tanks’ guns -Caused hearing damage -Went on marches and had physical training before they ate breakfast -Drill sergeants forced the recruits to eat quickly or not at all -Strong emphasis on discipline -You were fine as long as you listened to orders from the drill sergeants -Helped give him some direction in life -If you disobeyed you were given extra guard duty or extra kitchen work -Usually lost leave time too -Never punished with physical violence -Basic training lasted eight weeks -Worked on tanks for the duration of basic training -Trained on the rifle range with the M-14 rifle (00:07:12) Awareness of Vietnam War -During basic training he could’ve been deployed anywhere -US presence in Vietnam had not reached full, wartime levels -There was the chance to be deployed to Vietnam -Didn’t follow the news about Vietnam that closely (00:08:03) Advanced Individual Training -During advanced individual training he saw some men training as part of a rifle team -Appealed to him -Tried out to join a rifle team and outperformed every man on the team -Sent to Fort Story, Virginia, for advanced individual training �-Near the coast -Received training for truck driving and material handling -Could be placed in the infantry if necessary -Heard his unit would be sent to Vietnam -Asked if he wanted to go to Sniper School -Knew if he went to Vietnam as a sniper he would be one man against several hundred -Declined the invitation -Assigned to the 565th Transportation Company -Jeeps, ten ton trucks, semi-trucks, tankers, ¼ ton trucks, ¾ ton trucks, and 2 ½ ton trucks -All stick shift vehicles (00:12:02) Deployment to Vietnam Pt. 1 -Deployed to Vietnam in October 1965 -Didn’t receive a leave home before deploying -Sailed on the USS General JC Brekinridge (AP-176) -Sailed out of Oakland -Had Army personnel, Navy personnel, and Marines on the ship -Took 21 days to reach Vietnam -Soldiers were put on kitchen duty or guard duty -He was assigned to guard duty -Passed under the Golden Gate Bridge (00:14:00) Arrivals in Vietnam -Remembers being off the coast of Vietnam -Four hours on guard duty and four hours off guard duty -At night he saw napalm explosions and tracer rounds -Marines made amphibious landing, and on the third day the soldiers went ashore -Watched a Huey fly over and fire rockets at targets -Went ashore in a landing craft -All he knew was the beachhead was secure -Ramp dropped and the soldiers got off into chest-high water -Went ashore at Cam Ranh Bay -Sandy and no piers (00:18:03) Establishing a Base – Cam Ranh Bay -Built a camp inland -Dug bunkers and filled sandbags -Set up wooden buildings -Navy construction battalions (“Seabees”) and Army engineers came to help build the base -Crushed rocks and used that to make a road -Rock shards damaged the truck tires -Lived in pup tents for a while then set up squad tents (20 soldiers per tent) -Made makeshift wall lockers out of wood -Had 105mm and 155mm howitzers firing at enemy positions across the bay -Experienced monsoon rains -Watched a solid sheet of water move across the bay and hit their camp (00:22:52) Convoys & Other Jobs Pt. 1 -A few days after landing at Cam Ranh Bay they started running convoys to other bases -Took sniper fire on the convoy runs -Drove to Nha Trang (about 20 miles from Cam Ranh Bay) -Traveled on established roads, so they drove at top speed -Helped evade enemy fire �(00:24:05) Booby Traps -Leftover mines at abandoned French barracks, so everyone stayed away from that place -Told about Viet Cong booby traps -Informed about punji pits, and pressure-triggered bullet traps (00:25:45) Convoys & Other Jobs Pt. 2 -Drove on quite a few convoys -Did a lot of jobs in Vietnam -Used a tanker to gather water -Used that water and empty gas drums to make a shower system (00:26:54) Base Security -Base was mostly secure at Cam Ranh Bay -Pulled guard duty at day and at night -Had trip flares for illumination -Viet Cong never tried to infiltrate the base during his time there -He was paranoid at first, and after three months adjusted to that feeling -Friend was stationed at a missile battery about seven miles away from his base -Drove over to visit him, and nothing happened -Unsecured road left him vulnerable to sniper fire and roadside bombs (00:29:57) South Korean Troops -Had South Korean and South Vietnamese troops at Cam Ranh Bay -South Korean soldiers guarded the fighter jets -Tough and intimidating men (00:30:47) Chemical Exposure Pt. 1 -Mixed napalm for bombs used on Phantom jets -Took some of it, balled it up and threw it into a fire to see what happened -Landed in the fire and made a small fireball -Produced napalm by mixing a chemical powder with gasoline -Air Force used Army personnel to help get tasks done -Exposure to napalm scarred his hands -Government used Agent Orange in his area -Trying to defoliate sides of the roads and create better lines of fire -Caused severe nerve damage to his legs -Has no feeling below his knees (00:33:25) Interactions with the Vietnamese -He was leery with of the South Vietnamese troops for a while -Went to a Vietnamese barber -Never knew who was friendly -The barber used a straight razor -Could have easily slit Jim’s throat -Civilians sold bottles of ice cold water and Pepsi for 50 cents a bottle -Learned to “chew” the liquid before swallowing -Sometimes the Viet Cong put crushed glass in the bottles, and it was fatal -Saw it happen to soldiers -Usually encountered the Vietnamese in Nha Trang -On one convoy they accidentally hit a boy on a bike and killed him -Incidents like that happened all the time (00:37:00) Deployment to Vietnam Pt. 2 -Had no dramamine on the ship and they hit rough seas -He got sick and ran for the bathroom �-Guards were blocking the bathroom -They allowed Jim to enter the bathroom and throw up -He vomited in front of a colonel and a major -Had no appetite for a week after landing at Vietnam (00:39:05) Living Conditions in Vietnam -Ate C-Rations canned in 1941 -Tried Vietnamese food -Went into a restaurant in Nha Trang and ordered a pork dinner -It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad -Street vendors sold meat covered in flies -In larger cities the Vietnamese had buildings -Hotel rooms in Vietnam had a bed and a hole in the ground that served as a toilet -Most people lived in shacks made of corrugated sheet metal (00:41:52) Drugs & Prostitution in Vietnam -Aware of drug use and prostitution in Vietnam -There were a lot of prostitutes in Nha Trang and around the base at Cam Ranh Bay -He didn’t smoke marijuana, because smoking didn’t appeal to him -Got caught smoking as a boy and his father made him smoke an entire cigar -Never wanted to smoke again -Warned about venereal diseases -One man had venereal diseases all the time (00:43:12) Politics of the Vietnam War -Knew that it was a war and not a “police action” -Politics limited the actions of soldiers -Rules of Engagement: Only allowed to shoot in defense -Had to break the rules just to survive (00:44:15) Enemy Contact -Viet Cong shot at convoys from positions in the jungle -Hard to pick out targets -Remembers walking through a village and bumping into a Vietnamese man -He took a few steps then heard a scuffle behind him -A South Korean MP and American MP had apprehended the man -South Korean MP pistol whipped the man -Found explosives on the Vietnamese man and a detonator -Planned on getting near the US troops and blowing himself up (00:46:45) Mission to Da Nang -Went up to Da Nang for one mission -Flew up there instead of driving -Delivered some supplies to the base -Usually didn’t go that far for missions (00:47:36) Morale & Relationships between Soldiers -Men formed cliques on the base -Didn’t apply during convoys -Worked together when the situation called for it -Some officers were good and others were incompetent -Some of the officers were overzealous with their command -Remembers a soldier coming into his tent, drunk, and firing his rifle into the air -An MP wrestled the rifle away from the man -Got drunk on 200 proof grain alcohol �-Had a refrigerator from the ship and had 3.2% beer -One soldier had his father send over a case of fifths of liquor (00:52:25) R&R -Sent to Nha Trang for his R&R -Given one week of R&R -Stayed in a hotel in the city -Guarded by South Vietnamese troops -High walls topped with glass surrounded the hotel -Didn’t feel any different than being on a base -He actually felt less safe and relaxed being in the hotel in Nha Trang (00:54:48) End of Tour & End of Service Pt. 1 -Stayed in Vietnam for one year -Had four months left of his enlistment -Got an early discharge from the Army (00:55:05) Memories from Vietnam -Remembers pulling guard duty overlooking a valley -Saw two Phantom jets fly over -Eerily quiet for a moment then the sonic boom hit him -Viet Cong tricked children into being suicide bombers -Taught them to get a crowd of US troops around them and then pull a detonation cord -Children didn’t know what they were doing -Knew a man killed in a situation like that -Ordered to shoot first and ask questions later -He was riding in a fuel tanker and the driver lit up a cigarette -Made a hard stop and gas splashed on them -Fortunately, the cigarette didn’t ignite the gasoline -Got in a minor car accident -Wound up with a chunk of glass in his forehead (00:59:40) Chemical Exposure Pt. 2 -Agent Orange caused nerve damage in his legs -Patches of his skin are losing feeling -Has lost feeling in his fingers -The VA has finally recognized Agent Orange-related health issues in 2008 (01:00:25) End of Tour & End of Service Pt. 2 -Flew out of Cam Ranh Bay on a C-130 -Flew to Saigon to wait for an airliner -Saw a Vietnamese Beatles cover band -Spot on impression -Flew back to the United States in an airliner -Quite a few men from his unit left at the same time -Held their breath until they got out of Vietnamese airspace -Landed at San Francisco -Encouraged to reenlist -It didn’t appeal to him, so he declined -Stayed in San Francisco for a day -Flew to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Parents picked him up from the airport (01:03:50) Antiwar Protests -He flew in his uniform �-Protesters in San Francisco spit on him and the other soldiers -Came as a shock because the Army didn’t warn them about antiwar sentiments -Frustrating experience -People treated him normally on the cross country flight (01:05:15) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -Suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder when he returned from Vietnam -He had nightmares, flashbacks, and unconscious reactions -Didn’t know what to call it at the time -Army didn’t warn him about the possibility of PTSD -Goes to group therapy sessions with other Vietnam War veterans -Chance to talk with other men that had similar experiences -Felt a sense of isolation when he first came home (01:06:54) Life after the War -Got home in the middle of June -Relaxed for a bit then got a job -Went to Kendall School of Art & Design in downtown Grand Rapids -Used the GI Bill to pay for his education -Studied there for three years -Got into advertising and illustrating -Started with 30 people in the class -By the time he graduated there were only six or seven students remaining -Got a job at an advertising agency -Worked as a graphic designer -Still does brochures, business cards, and corporate designs part time (01:09:22) Readjusting to Civilian Life -Went to see the film The Deer Hunter with his brother -Came out of it feeling tense -Whenever he sees a picture of a jungle he can still feel it and smell it -Friend asked him what it was like to kill a Viet Cong soldier -Jim told his friend to shoot the can they’d set up as a target -The friend shot it and said it felt like just shooting a target -Jim replied that it felt the same way shooting an enemy soldier in combat (01:11:03) Weapons in Vietnam -Assigned the M-16 rifle after being in Vietnam for a while -Had originally had the M-14 which fired a .308 round -Viet Cong had the AK-47 which fired a .30 caliber round -Powerful enough to shoot through bricks -One shot, one kill type of weapon -The M-16 fired a .223 round which meant it took three shots to kill someone -Able to carry more ammunition, but it required more ammunition to kill -Suffered from technical problems -Had to clean it every ten shots -Didn’t have to do that with the M-14 (01:13:30) Reflections on Service -Taught him discipline at a young age -Turned 21 years old in Vietnam -Gave him experience -Able to connect with other Vietnam War veterans -Has visited the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, and it was a difficult thing to see � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_OudmanE1927V Title A name given to the resource Oudman, Edwin James (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-25 Description An account of the resource Jim Oudman was born on July 28, 1943, in Palo Alto, California, but he grew up in Michigan. In the fall of 1964 he volunteered for the draft. He received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, then received advanced individual training at Fort Story, Virginia. While at Fort Story he learned how to drive trucks and handle supplies, and was assigned to the 565th Transportation Company. In October 1965 he deployed to Vietnam with the 565th and got there via the USS General JC Brekinridge. He landed at Cam Ranh Bay and helped establish a base there. For a year he went on convoys to nearby bases to deliver supplies with most convoys going from Cam Ranh Bay to Nha Trang. After a year in Vietnam he returned to the United States and with four months left in his enlistment he was discharged early. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Oudman, Edwin James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cfe0a675fb59828ccabe188f8581fb7a.m4v 05df1c9f6f83a66dba3c228ca844ecb1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/da4f9671dac447a7bbc02cfe3e02b6df.pdf ce30d8d32341fd478dfea85f3f9f424c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project David Sebuck Kosovo War & Iraq War 52 minutes 51 seconds (00:00:05) Key Details -Born in May 1969 -Fought in the Kosovo War and the Iraq War -Served in the Marine Corps and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel (00:00:28) Enlisting in the Marines -Wanted to become a commercial airline pilot -One way would be to go into the military -Marines offered him the chance to get into Flight School (00:01:12) Training Pt. 1 -Went through Officer Candidate School while in college -After graduating he entered active duty with the Marines (00:01:20) Family Military Service -Father tried to serve in the Vietnam War, but was deemed unfit for service -His uncles served in World War II (00:01:38) Training Pt. 2 -Did six months of Officer Candidate School -Had to do four years of training before getting a deployment with the Fleet -Started out at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida -Trained with the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor (prop-driven, single engined, military trainer) -Qualified to fly jets -Sent to Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi for Intermediate Training -Got selected to fly F/A-18 Hornet -Trained with them (00:02:36) Joining the Fleet -After four and a half years he got a Fleet assignment -Worked on being a Basic Wingman -Following the Flight Lead and learning how to become a Flight Lead -Flight Lead led missions (00:03:45) Adjusting to the Marines -Adjusted to taking orders and having a lack of choice in his deployments -Difficult moving his family around when he got a new assignment -Given only a matter of weeks to prepare for a deployment -Hard on him and his family (00:04:58) WESTPAC Deployment -Went on a WESTPAC (Western Pacific) Deployment -Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) -Operated out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina -Trained in Japan for six months and maintaining a presence in Southeast Asia (00:05:48) Kosovo War Pt. 1 -Joined the squadron and three months later was deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy -Flew missions over Serbia -Maintaining peace in the region �-Knew that deployment was coming (00:06:20) Deployments Pt. 1 -The Iraq deployments came quick -Within two weeks he had to be ready to be deployed -On another deployment he was told on a Friday that he was being deployed -Only given ten days to get ready -The following Monday the Marines changed their mind -Emotional roller coaster -Deployments were hard on his younger children (00:07:54) Seeing the World -Got to see more of the worlds through the Marines -Saw Japan, Thailand, and South Korea as part of WESTPAC -Exposure to different cultures -Made him appreciate going home -Got to see the country and culture of Italy during the Kosovo War -Saw police with rifles at train stations -Bottled water was more prevalent than running water (00:09:38) Training Pt. 3 -As an F/A-18 pilot he had to train all the time -Evaluated after each training exercise -Went to Arizona to do tactical exercises and drop live munitions -Participated in Exercise Red Flag -Advanced aerial exercise out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada -Focused on preparing for specific missions -There was no air-air threats in Serbia and focused more on ground-air threats (Serbia and Iraq) -Learning how to fly with instruments and night vision goggles for night missions -Started off with the T-34 to learn how to fly -Flew the North American T-2 Buckeye -Intermediate training aircraft -Jet -Moved onto training with the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk -Single seat, subsonic carrier-capable attack aircraft -After training with the T-34, T-2, and the A-4 he finally began training with the F/A-18 Hornet -Most complex aircraft he had ever flown -Capable of air-air and air-ground missions (the 'A' F/A means attack) -Dual role aircraft -Could hit targets and defend itself -Has great capabilities as well as limitations (00:14:25) Kosovo War Pt. 2 -First combat mission was flown out of Taszar Air Base, Hungary in May 1999 -It was a night mission with four other Marine jets attacking Serbian targets -Took antiaircraft fire from Serbian forces -Flew at 20,000 feet and antiaircraft fire loses its potency at 10,000 feet -Serbs used SA-2 and SA-6 surface to air missiles -Remembers one getting close to his jet -Grew more confident and calm with each combat mission -First combat mission lasted 42 minutes -He held the rank of captain during the Kosovo War �(00:17:03) Service Between Wars -Promoted to the rank of major and served as a Flight Instructor in Pensacola, Florida -Rejoined the Fleet as an Assistant Maintenance Officer -Did six months of refresher training in the F/A-18 (00:17:35) Iraq War Pt. 1 -Deployed to Iraq and served on the ground as an air officer -Directed air support with seven other Marine officers -Coordinated with forward observers in the field -Started deployment at division headquarters -Reassigned to Regimental Combat Team 1 -Right after Blackwater USA contractors were attacked, killed, and burned on March 31, 2004 -Happened in Fallujah -Regimental Combat Team 1 needed help during the First Battle of Fallujah -Coordinated air support at night during the battle (00:19:27) Combat Missions Pt. 1 -Flew over 100 combat missions during his time in the Marines -Awarded a patch after his 100th mission and received nine air medals during his career -Eventually stopped thinking about combat missions -Probably flew around 150 combat missions during his career (00:20:04) Iraq War Pt. 2 -Another duty in Iraq was with the Operations Department -Made sure jets were flight ready, so the Marines could fly their missions -Worked with good, serious, and dedicated Marines -Controlled aircraft from a command post during the First Battle of Fallujah -Wanted to be in the city with the Marines, but had to his duty at the base -Insurgents attacked the base with rockets on a regular basis -Just did his job -Adjusted to getting attacked every day -Became a regular part of life -Decided he would either be fine, or he wouldn't -The attacks came at random, and thus death became random -As a pilot in Iraq he felt safe -Flew at 10,000 feet above the battlefield -Respected the helicopter pilots -They took a lot of fire and were the workhorse of the Marines -Remembers a Cobra gunship crashing inside the base during the First Battle of Fallujah -Fortunately, the pilot survived the crash -Had been friends with the pilot since David enlisted in the Marines (00:25:06) Friendships in the Marines Pt. 1 -Had friends in the Marines since he enlisted in the Marines -Made lifelong friends in the Marines -Bonded during their service -Maintains contact with many of the Marines he served with -Children are graduating together (00:26:20) Contact with Family & Downtime -During the WESTPAC deployment computers and email were relatively new -Mostly relied on telephones and used phone cards to call home -Some Marines had laptops that were incredibly costly at the time -Usually only had ten minutes of phone time �-During his first deployment in Iraq he read a lot -Younger Marines had portable DVD players -Had internet centers for the Marines in Iraq -Able to email family and do a primitive version of video chatting (like Skype) -Mail was still a common, and popular way for Marines to communicate in Iraq -His children sent him hand-drawn pictures -Got care packages from his family -Email was the most popular way of communicating with family -Getting actual mail provided more of a morale boost though -During WESTPAC he and his friends spent nights together -A lot of Marines took classes -Went sightseeing in the Asian countries -On his first Iraq deployment he didn't have a lot of downtime -Long days -Worked 16 to 18 hours -Worked and slept -During his second Iraq deployment he had shorter work days -Less Insurgent activity and hitting specific targets rather than full scale air campaigns -Worked 12 to 14 hours each day -Studied tactics -Did a lot of reading on his second deployment -Had no cable television in Iraq -Family sent seasons of TV shows to the Marines so they could catch up -Officers taught a variety of classes to the younger Marines -One officer taught a guitar course (00:31:34) Combat Missions Pt. 2 -Nothing that happened on combat missions ever surprised him -Always knew what to expect during a mission thanks to good intelligence (00:32:08) Different Cultures -Learned about different cultures on his deployments -Different priorities depending on different cultures -Even “western” countries differed from the United States in significant ways -Remembers talking to some Iraqis -Just wanted to be left alone and live their lives in peace -During the Kosovo War he and the other officers tried to study the conflict -Learned that it was caused by centuries of religious and ethnic tension -Strange to an American (00:34:03) Combat Missions Pt. 3 -Most memorable operations were combat missions -Saw the results of his missions -Made him appreciate life more -Wishes more Americans appreciated life or would take take action things they don't like (00:36:00) Deployments Pt. 2 -Spent three and a half years overseas during a 22 year career in the Marines -Did shorter deployments inside the United States -Training missions out west -First Iraq deployment lasted seven months, and second deployment lasted 12 months -Longer deployments were harder on his family -On the Iraq deployments he left in the fall and returned in the spring �-Missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays -Fortunately, he got back for the births of his children (00:38:36) Life after Service -Teaches aviation now -Had enjoyed being a Flight Instructor in the Marines -Good feeling seeing Marines understand what he taught them -Had planned on retiring from the Marines, then the September 11th Attacks happened -Airlines weren't hiring and he decided to stay in the Marines -Got a master's degree in education before retiring from the Marines -Got a job at the West Michigan Aviation Academy as an instructor -Hard to adapt to being a civilian -Not as regimented -Fewer expectations and a looser schedule -Sets high expectations as a teacher and the students meet those expectations (00:43:10) Friendships in the Marines Pt. 2 -Maintains contact with his friends from the Marines -Some of them got jobs with airlines and offered him jobs as a commercial pilot -He declined, because he doesn't want to be away from his family for long times -One friend lives close to him (00:44:29) Veterans' Organizations -Not currently part of any veterans' organizations -Too busy with life at the moment -Interested in joining one, and might do it when he's older -Part of the Marine Officers Association (00:45:24) Reflections on Service -Taught him that you can do whatever you want if you set your mind to it -Taught him focus and discipline -Learned about teamwork, organization skills, and leadership skills -Marines taught him self-improvement and how to make himself a valuable part of an organization -Make plans and set goals for yourself -Shaped him as a person -Marines were a valuable part of his life -Never wanted to let down the people that depended on him -Taught him to try, and even if you don't succeed at least you tried -People want instant gratification without putting in effort -Set short term and adaptable goals for yourself -If one opportunity is lost then look for another one -People are willing to help you if you look, and ask, for it -Wouldn't change any part of his career in the Marines -Made some lifelong friends and it was a defining part of his life � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SebuckD1836V Title A name given to the resource Sebuck, David J (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-17 Description An account of the resource David Sebuck was born in May 1969. He enlisted in the Marines during college (c. 1987) and completed Officer Candidate School while in college. After graduating from college he entered active duty with the Marines. He completed four and a half years of Flight Training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida and at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. He joined the Fleet as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot and went on a WESTPAC (Western Pacific) training deployment and flew combat missions during the Kosovo War (c. 1999). He also did training missions inside the United States. He did two deployments during the Iraq War, serving on the ground helping coordinate air support during the First Battle of Fallujah on his first deployment and flew combat missions on his second deployment. After 22 years in the Marines he retired (c. 2009). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sebuck, David J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Nurenburg, Garrett (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f5d34d01fef9a10b207ecf4186844b22.m4v 06074182fbd010251bca845bee2900e1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e66a8a8003a1fe2ed2fe2c145455acf9.pdf c58899f5c74c20be2ee4a2105142f4fc PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Paul Wilt Cold War-Early 1960s 26 minutes 26 seconds (00:00:07) Early Life -Born in Fairmont, West Virginia on June 30, 1942 -Had a brother who is now deceased -Father worked and mother stayed at home -Played football, baseball, and wrestled when he was in high school (00:00:56) Enlisting in the Marines -Father had fought in World War II and brother also served in the military -Decided to enlist in the Marines in 1960 -Felt he had an obligation to serve his country -Considered going to college, but wasn't ready -Felt Marines were the best branch with the best training -Well prepared for combat (00:01:56) Basic Training -Leaving for basic training was emotional because he wouldn't see his family for a while -First few weeks of basic training were tough -Learned that he had a responsibility to himself and to the Marine Corps -Days started at 5 a.m. -Had 10-15 minutes to get dressed and get in formation -Ate breakfast, make bed, and get ready for drills and maneuvers -Days ended at 10 p.m. -Wakened by drill sergeants beating on something to wake up him and the other recruits -Remembers being forced to hold his M1 Garand rifle (~9 pounds) straight out from his body -Drill sergeants wanted to see how long the recruits could hold a rifle like that -Did push ups, chin ups, went on runs, and ran on obstacle courses -At first, the physical training was difficult, but he adjusted after a while -Received weapons training -Went on the rifle range and fired various weapons -Mostly the M1 Garand rifle, but also machine guns -Learned how to use hand grenades -Food was average during basic training, not too bad for the military (00:06:44) Assignments in the United States -Stationed at Marine Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia -Stood at a guard post, and allowed traffic in and out of the base -Sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1962 for Infantry Training -Ran maneuvers in combat situations and learned how to react in various combat situations (00:08:10) Cuban Missile Crisis Pt. 1 -During the Cuban Missile Crisis he and the other Marines at Camp Lejeune boarded planes -Flown to a destination without knowing what the final destination was -Carried a 45 pound pack -Finally landed at a warm location -Given ammunition and grenades �-Found out that night that they were in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay -Saw tanks and demolition equipment -There were 200,000 Cubans ready to fight if war started -Expected 100,000 of those Cubans would stand and fight if challenged -Only two battalions of Marines against 100,000 enemy soldiers -Note: Two battalions is approximately 2,000 Marines -Scared, and didn't know what to expect -Knew they were outnumbered by the Cubans -Didn't know there were 25,000 Marines offshore ready to invade, supported by an armada of ships -Didn't know if the United States was going to war in Cuba, and thus a nuclear war with the USSR (00�:12:20) Friendships -Formed friendships in the Marines -Best friend in the Marines was from California -Good man -Liked to party -Spent a lot of time together, got in trouble together, and had a lot of fun together (00:13:15) Contact with Family -Adjusted to not seeing his family every day -Knew it was part of growing up regardless of military service -Didn't think about not seeing them because he had other things on his mind -Just hoped he would see them again (00:13:56) Downtime -Not much downtime while in the Marines during the Cuban Missile Crisis -Placed on temporary duty in 1963 -Golfed, went to clubs, and took liberty in the United States -Visited Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina while at Camp Lejeune -Got weekends off sometimes -Visited Baltimore, Maryland; Washington D.C.; and South Carolina (00:15:12) Cuban Missile Crisis Pt. 2 -Didn't leave Cuba until December 1962 -Didn't find out why they were in Cuba until November 1962 (a month after the Crisis) -Cubans had turned off the water to the American territory at Guantanamo Bay -Found out that there nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union in Cuba -Didn't find out how close the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were to war until years later -Glad to be back in the United States after the Cuban Missile Crisis -Didn't know if he would have made it home -Remembers carrying multiple bandoliers and at least a dozen grenades -Didn't want to run out of ammunition if he went into combat (00:18:33) End of Service -Considered making a career out of the Marines, but he had a wife and child -Didn't want to make them move around with him -Kept in touch with California friend from Marines after he got discharged (00:19:42) Reflections on Service -Lives in a great country -Too many people don't appreciate the freedoms they have -Lost a lot of friends in the Vietnam War -Military protects citizens' rights to protest and criticize the country -Doesn't feel that the military is given enough credit -Politicians need to listen to military leadership �-He would gladly serve again if necessary -Feels people aren't willing to fight for their freedoms � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_WiltP1849V Title A name given to the resource Wilt, Paul L (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-12 Description An account of the resource Paul Wilt was born in West Virginia on June 30, 1942. He enlisted in the Marines in 1960 and after basic training received assignments in the United States. He was stationed at Marine Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia carrying out guard duties, and received infantry training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He also went on temporary duty to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wilt, Paul L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wilt, Alexander (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9ae2f7b76682972898fffdcb55e42cc4.m4v 772eea0b50aa58a23df24bf0b5d40914 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6707f37dcee7f832d7a3a306ae60fc8e.pdf 5b68945a040ec325567d43eb696e4315 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Clarence Szejbach Vietnam War 22 minutes 51 seconds (00:00:34) Early Life -Born in Traverse City, Michigan on September 19, 1948 -Had two older sisters -Father owned a meat market -Worked for his father and learned the family business (00:01:33) Getting Drafted -Father tried to keep him from getting drafted -Excited to get drafted -19 years old and had no fear -Saw it as an adventure -Not much going on in Elk Rapids, Michigan -Place where he grew up (near Traverse City) -Saw it as a chance to see the country (00:02:34) Training -Basic training was difficult, but he quickly adapted to it -He wasn't out of shape, but found the physical training a little difficult -Had to get up earlier than he normally did -A lot of discipline and a lack of freedom (00:03:29) Service with the 25th Infantry Division -Assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division -Operated in Tay Ninh Province with the division headquarters located in Cu Chi -Rice paddies and jungle -Served as an infantryman -Spent his first month as a rifleman going on patrols -Started carrying the radio for the platoon sergeant -Went on to serving as the radio operator for the platoon leader -Went on to serving as the radio telephone operator for the company commander -Enjoyed that duty, but it was dangerous (00:04:53) Losing His Right Hand -His unit was stationed at Fire Support Base (FSB) Crook near the Cambodian border -Guarding the area while the engineers built up the base -For about one month they conducted missions in the area around the base -High Viet Cong activity -On the night of June 5, 1969 the Viet Cong launched a human wave attack against the base -Note: Wave after wave of soldiers charging the position regardless of casualties taken -The American forces held off the enemy attack through the night -On the morning of June 6 they went out to see how much damage the attack caused -How many Viet Cong had been killed and how much damage the perimeter sustained -One militant had stayed behind to mount a suicide attack against patrols -The militant threw a few grenades at the patrol and opened fire with a rifle -Clarence picked up a live grenade and threw it away -Saved his unit, but lost his right hand in the process �(00:07:12) Recovery & End of Service -The grenade's explosion cost him his right hand and severed a major artery -Had to undergo vascular surgery in Vietnam -Couldn't travel on a pressurized aircraft until he fully healed -Took a small aircraft to Japan for further recovery -Stayed there for about 45 days to heal from his vascular wound -He was healed and mobile by time he got back to the United States -Given 30 days of leave to visit his family -Took 11 months to be discharged from the Army -Sent to Valley Forge Hospital, Pennsylvania for further recovery -Spent a few days in the hospital, then went home for 30 days, then returned to the hospital -Given a temporary prosthetic arm, discharged from the Army, and sent home (00:09:33) Coming Home -Experienced no negativity coming home -Probably would've experienced more antiwar sentiments in a larger city (00�:10:05) Medals -Received the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism in Vietnam -Record problems stopped him from getting his medals -Name was misspelled and they had the wrong Social Security number -In 2012 a Veterans' Affairs representative reviewed his records -Discovered Clarence was owed a Purple Heart for his wounds sustained in Vietnam -Insisted that he get that changed -Led to him getting seven medals that he deserved -Including the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Cross (00�:12:15) Contact with Enemy Forces -In contact with enemy forces in Vietnam quite a bit -Flew a lot of “Eagle Flights” -Eagle Flight: Large air assault of helicopters -Went into a landing zone and searched the area for enemy troops -Didn't know if the landing zone would be taking fire, or not -Always on edge -Felt the United States was doing a good thing in Vietnam (00:13:27) Friendships Pt. 1 -Made some friends while he was in Vietnam -Soldiers in Vietnam normally did a one year tour -Usually didn't serve with the men you trained with -There was a constant rotation of soldiers out of Vietnam either from wounds or ending tour -Has four or five friends from Vietnam that he is still in contact with -Has since made contact with old comrades from his company -Was closer with the men that served in the command post -Some of the men he served with have since died (00:15:22) Contact with Home -Wrote letters to and received letters from home -He wasn't a big letter writer -Received mail on a daily basis -Wrote home every couple weeks -No telephones to call home with -Limited means of communication in Vietnam �(00:16:00) Life after the War -Busy with raising a family and working when Saigon fell on April 30, 1975 -Had mixed emotions about the fall of South Vietnam and the end of the war -Felt the war had been fought with “hands tied” -Restrictions on how the war could be fought and where soldiers could go -Government tried to save face with American people and other countries -After the war and the Army he focused on civilian life -Being a husband and a father to three daughters -Had to learn how to do things with his left hand -Buttoning a shirt with one hand and doing other normal tasks without his right hand -Uses his prosthesis 99% of the time -Feels fortunate to have lost his hand at the wrist -Left the nerve intact allowing him to use the hooks like two fingers -Also has an iLIMB Hand (a bionic hand) (00:19:18) Friendships Pt. 2 & Other Vietnam Veterans -Still in contact with three men that he served with in Vietnam -One of the men lives in Texas and they see each other once a year -Two of the men go to the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Infantry Regiment Annual Reunion -Hasn't attended a reunion yet because he's been busy -Plans on attending one in the future -Hasn't sought out other Vietnam War veterans to talk with, but isn't against talking to other veterans (00:21:02) Reflections on Service -Doesn't feel his time in the Army or in the war affected him that much -Has lived a normal life -Disability hasn't stopped him -Army taught him that he can overcome most things -Taught him discipline and how to take orders -Also taught him that he enjoys being self-employed � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SzejbachC1832V Title A name given to the resource Szejbach, Clarence L (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-16 Description An account of the resource Clarence Szejbach was born in Traverse City, Michigan on September 19, 1948. When he was 19 years old he was drafted into the Army. He was deployed to Vietnam and served in the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division. He spent his first month as a rifleman, but served as a radio operator for the platoon sergeant, the platoon leader, and the company commander. He served in Tay Ninh Province. His unit served at Fire Support Base Crook on the Cambodian border, and on June 5, 1969 the Viet Cong launched a massive attack on the base. The next day a Viet Cong militant tried to ambush the patrol with grenades. Clarence threw a grenade back saving his unit, but cost him his right hand. For his heroic action he was eventually awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He returned to the United States and recovered at home and at Valley Forge Hospital, Pennsylvania before being discharged from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Szejbach, Clarence L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tufer, Grace (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5013053e63cc3351a76c6b4470452975.mp4 e029740b8ec11ef00382ebb76d137942 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3d9f105f4838b17bcc605fad331ba039.pdf 4b316bf4fddc05606361ff2a8b8ea7d1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Ronald Zandbergen Cold War 23 minutes 0 seconds (00:00:10) -Born in November 26th, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. -Raised on a farm. -About 250 acre farm raising animals for food. -Sold wholesale meats. -Joined the Navy in January of 1961. -Graduated high school in June of 1960. -A friend of his decided to join with him to see the world. -Took basic training at Great Lakes, Wisconsin. -Training was rough, and rugged. -Only half passed training. -He was assigned to be a radioman. -In Bainbridge, Maryland he was trained to do communications, Morse code. -After Bainbridge he was sent to Keflavik, Iceland where he remained for one year. -Their role was protecting the military line between Greenland and Iceland. -Protecting US ships from Russian aircraft etc. -Grounded two mig fighters at one point. Released after Cuban blockade ended. -After Iceland he was sent to Little Creek, Virginia to transfer to the Tactical Air Control Squadron 21. -The remaining four years of his military career were spent with the Squadron. -Spent six months in the Mediterranean. -Visited all of the ports. -Traveled on the USS Boxer for six months. -Went to Cuba. -Did training just off of Cuba. -Visited Guantanamo Bay. -Valuable lessons from the Navy. -Being at sea for so long teaches you to get along with people you don’t like. -Mediterranean different from the Ocean in that it is so clear you can see the bottom. -Loved going to France and Spain. -Attended the bull fights. -Being in the military teaches you a lot about yourself. -He loved the Navy and enjoyed the experience overall. -In Iceland it was so dark and icy that walking to the mess hall required holding a rope. (10:00) -He was injured while slipping on ice and sent to a hospital in New York. -Injured his back. -Navy didn’t tell them too much about the Russian position or Cold War in detail. -Iceland was backed by Russia, but the locals were very friendly. �-Locals worked on the base in kitchens, and theater etc. -Appreciated the fact that the Cold War was not active fighting. -What did you think about the Vietnam War? -He was discharged in January of 1965. -Can’t comment too much in detail, but felt bad about the situation. -What was it like being in Virginia? -Married while in Virginia. -Had his son there. -Son now serves in the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. (15:00) -At that time he was considering staying in the military, but decided against it. -Basic training required jumping from an 80 foot high platform into a pool. -Learned how to tie a pair of pants around him in such a way that air from the fall created a floatation device. -Does not recall any women in the Navy at that time. -Very proud to pass his basic training because it was so difficult. -Learned to fire a gun, however they were not issued a firearm. -Their vessel was a flagship, not a battleship. -During the travels along the Mediterranean they were aboard the USS Francis Marion. -Originally the ship was a passenger ship. -They sailed with the commander. -As a radioman he communicated with aircraft in the area, not menial cleaning duties. -Highest rank achieved was radioman 3rd class. -Up for 2nd class before leaving the service. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_ZandbergenR1834V Title A name given to the resource Zandbergen, Ronald Fay (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-30 Description An account of the resource Ronald Zandbergen was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 26th, 1942. He joined the Navy in January of 1961. At Great Lakes, Wisconsin he endured basic training and became assigned to communications as a radioman. In Bainbridge, Maryland he was trained in Morse Code and radio specialization. Then he spent a year in Keflavik, Iceland where the US was wary of ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Next he was sent to Littlecreek, Virginia to the Tactical Air Control Squadron 21. During his time in the Navy Ronald travelled on the USS Boxer, and visited European ports in the Mediterranean area on the USS Francis Marion. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zandbergen, Ronald Fay Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Burrill, Zach (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/269d4537b91049853d1d97fba49969d9.m4v b8bdf6035ee779b17137ec165bd49eff https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d2c2149ce61865ac071c55b2f566d928.pdf b898a03515f4184f8d534f48169d44d3 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Witzig World War II 45 minutes 55 seconds (00:00:23) Early Life -Born on August 22, 1924, in Grant County, Wisconsin -Had a vegetable garden during the Great Depression to supplant their meals -Family lived on a dairy farm -Went fishing to add to meals -Nine children in the family -Five boys and four girls -As of the interview he is the only child left -Four of the boys went to war -He and another brother survived, but the other two did not (00:04:06) Start of the War -He was in senior year of high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor -People were angry about the attack but had difficulty understanding what happened -The concept of large-scale, mechanized warfare was foreign to a lot of people (00:05:24) Enlisting in the Navy -Graduated from high school in May 1942 -Some of his brothers were already in the military when he graduated -Enlisted in the Navy in early 1943 (00:06:44) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, for basic training -Completely new experience and didn't know what to expect -Only familiar part of training was shooting rifles (00:07:44) Boarding the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) -Boarded a train and went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then went across the country -Sent to Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco, California -Stayed there for a few days -A dozen men, including himself, were selected to go to San Francisco -Boarded the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) in late 1943 -Placed in the Fire Control Division on the ship -Part of the crew that fired the ship's guns (00:09:53) Pacific Theater & Battle of Okinawa -The Indianapolis participated in ten major operations in the Pacific Theater -He participated in nine of them -The ship was hit by a kamikaze plane on March 31, 1945, off the coast of Okinawa -He was lightly injured by the attack -Sailed back to San Francisco for repairs (00�:11:40) Delivery of the Atomic Bomb -Several large wooden boxes and a smaller steel box were loaded onto the ship in San Francisco -Box was brought to the captain's quarters and bolted to the floor -Nobody knew what the boxes contained -These boxes contained the components of the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima -Sailed to Tinian without escort to deliver the atomic bomb components �-Carried a tremendous amount of fuel and ammunition -Planned on rejoining the fleet at Okinawa -Unloaded the bomb components at Tinian then continued with their voyage (00:14:20) Sinking of the USS Indianapolis -A little after midnight on July 30, 1945, two torpedoes struck the ship -This resulted in the fuel and ammunition exploding, destroying a third of the ship -He was sleeping at the time and was on his feet before he knew it -Jumped off the ship when he was 74 feet above the water -Ship sank within 13 minutes -He went underwater, and stayed underwater for eight minutes -Came up and vomited, then started swimming away from the ship (00:17:45) Survival after the Sinking -In the water for so long that the life jacket swelled and the canvas began to tear -Had skin damage, but the salt water helped him heal -Found a group of survivors clinging to a cargo net -Had to be conscious about expending his energy staying afloat -Sharks could smell blood in an eight mile radius -None of the sharks attacked him -Felt sharks brush against his feet and legs -Close enough that he could reach down and touch them (00:25:41) Rescue & Recovery -Saw the plane piloted by Lieutenant Gwinn and Lieutenant Colwell -They reported the discovery of the survivors -The USS Cecil J. Doyle picked him up along with the other survivors on the cargo net -Ship sent out landing crafts to pick them up and bring them to the ship -Given a shower and a place to sleep on the ship -Sailed to the Philippines, past the place where future president George HW Bush was rescued -While at the Philippines he and the other survivors were placed in a Red Cross hospital -Red Cross nurses gave them blankets and coats -Stayed at the hospital for two weeks -Chance to relax and heal (00:30:10) End of the War -Didn't know about their secret cargo until after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan -Too busy at the time to reflect on their participation in helping to end the war (00:31:22) Homecoming & End of Service -Once he had recovered more in the Philippines he and the other survivors sailed to Guam -Met a nurse from Milwaukee -Stayed at the hospital on Guam for six or seven weeks -Sailed to Pearl Harbor then boarded a ship and sailed to San Diego, California -Survivors were thrown a homecoming parade in San Diego -Shook hands with Hollywood stars -Flown to Great Lakes Naval Station and discharged there in late 1945 -Hitchhiked home (00:36:39) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Lost two of his brothers in the war -Both served in the Army -One in the European Theater and one in the Pacific Theater -Got married twice after the war -Had two daughters and a son �(00:37:37) Court-martial of Captain McVay Pt. 1 -Read about Captain McVay's court-martial in the newspaper -Thought he was a good man that treated his crew well -Remembers shaking hands with him at one point (00:39:19) USS Indianapolis Reunions -Went to some of the crew reunions -Stopped going in later years because it was too far and cost too much money (00:40:07) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Family did steelwork and welding -Got into that work and made a career out of it (00:41:40) Remembering the USS Indianapolis -Already has his headstone designed -Has an image of the USS Indianapolis -Along with a note that it delivered the atom bomb components to Tinian to end the war (00:43:15) Contact with Home -When he wrote home it had to be censored -Accepted it -He didn't know much information anyway, so there was very little to tell -Usually didn't have time to focus on details to write home about anyway (00:44:00) Court-martial of Captain McVay Pt. 2 & Exoneration -Happy that the government exonerated Captain McVay -Felt that the government wanted a scapegoat for losing the ship, and they picked McVay -Note: The Navy had failed to send out a search party after receiving a distress signal The Japanese submarine captain said nothing could have been done to avoid the sinking -Survivors were angered that their captain was put on trial rather than the Navy accept responsibility -Note: In October 2000 Congress passed a resolution in favor of exoneration In July 2001, the Secretary of the Navy ordered McVay's record purged of the trial � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_WitzigR1941V Title A name given to the resource Witzig, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-07-09 Description An account of the resource Robert Witzig was born on August 22, 1924, in Grant County, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the Navy in early 1943 and received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He went to Naval Station Treasure Island, California, and was selected to go aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and served in the ship's fire control division (firing the ship's gun). He participated in the ship's major operations in the Pacific Theater in 1944 and 1945, including the invasion of Okinawa. After the ship's repairs in California, he participated in the delivery of the atomic bomb components to the island of Tinian. On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed and sank. Robert abandoned ship and was one of the 317 men to survive the sinking. After five days he was rescued, and recovered in the Philippines and at Guam. He returned to the United States and was discharged at Great Lakes Naval Station in late 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Witzig, Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hammond, Steve (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/45181fef64ff8c91488cd5a9f4d5a91d.m4v 793b6597ed2a88709ead254bc337fc48 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/169b2437d63a17816a4b2ac4dda4d17b.pdf 78e4dbd4a3fd8b78b2846b36087b5868 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Doug Voss Cold War 1968 – 1971 (South Korea and West Germany) 1 hour 25 minutes 9 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born on March 1, 1950, in Buffalo, New York -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1963 -Father worked at a lumber mill -Mother was a homemaker, but later got a job -Parents got divorced which prompted the move to Grand Rapids -Doug, his two sisters, and his mother moved to Michigan -Went to two high schools -Started at Union High School then moved to South High School -Graduated from South High School in 1968 (last graduating class) -School used to be located at the corner of Jefferson and Hall (00:02:07) Awareness of the Vietnam War & Social Change -Aware of major events surrounding the Vietnam War -Remembers the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964 and knowing it would lead to war -Watched the news every night -Saw increasing casualty numbers in Vietnam -Believed that the Vietnam War was a just war -Remembers 1968 being a tumultuous year -A historical dividing point -The year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated -South High School was an integrated school and he had black friends -After MLKJ’s assassination he saw the division between races -There was no violence, but the gap made itself more apparent (00:04:25) High School Reserve Officers’ Training Corps & Enlisting in the Army -He was in the High School Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in high school -Sophomore year through senior year -Decided that he wanted to enlist in the Army when he was a junior in high school -Believed the Vietnam War to be a noble cause and the spread of communism was a real threat -In ROTC they had squads, platoons, and companies -When he graduated, he held the rank of captain in the ROTC -Started as a private at Union High School and made his way up through the ranks -Enjoyed everything about ROTC -The classes, the rifle team, learning about military law, drills, ceremonies, and tactics -Enlisted in the Army in June 1968 after graduating from high school -Mother disapproved because she feared he would be sent to Vietnam -Had a physical exam and took aptitude tests in Detroit �-Mix of draftees and enlistees -Saw some of the draftees trying to get out of military service -Some of them faked being gay to get out of the draft -Returned home for two weeks after that (00:08:35) Basic Training -Reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on July 1, 1968, for basic training -Greeted by drill sergeants screaming orders at him and the other recruits -Told to get off the bus and line up -Kept up all night to get processing done -Testing, lectures on Army laws, and doing paperwork -Next day got heads shaved and issued a uniform -All processing took two or three days -Quartered in older barracks built during World War II -Had someone on fire watch every night because the buildings were so flammable -Physical training was the first part of basic training -Issued a rifle in the first or second week of training -Taught how to make bunker and organize footlocker -Everything had to be uniform -Learned how to march and drill -Easy for him to adjust to because of his time in the ROTC -ROTC instructor had told him what to expect -It was disorienting at first, then he adjusted -His drill sergeant was fair -Didn’t pick favorites and he meted out punishments equally -Men in the training platoon kept a check on the other recruits -If one recruit performed poorly, and brought the unit down, he’d get a “blanket party” -One recruit throws a blanket over the recruit then everyone punches him -Some of the men had trouble adjusting -There was a National Guardsman that was older and unfit -One man was a nervous wreck, but he adjusted -Understood basic training better after he completed it -Taught conformity, camaraderie, and unit cohesion -Qualified on the M14 rifle, but also trained with the M16 rifle -Lasted eight weeks (00:17:45) Advanced Individual Training -Sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for his advanced individual training (AIT) -He wanted to be a mechanic, so he received mechanic training -Lasted eight weeks -Started with learning how an engine runs -Learned about the different components of vehicles -Suspension, drivetrain, diesel vs. gasoline, and electrical components -Learned how to drive an array of wheeled Army vehicles and how to change their tires -Had a practical test at the end of AIT �-Went to the field to repair a disabled 2-ton truck -Had to diagnose the problem then fix it -He had been told he had an aptitude to be a mechanic during his processing in Detroit -Due to being an enlistee, he had a better chance of getting his selected job than a draftee -Had air conditioned barracks at Fort Jackson -Treated better during AIT -Had an inspector general inspection during his time at AIT -Platoon sergeant made him and the other recruits clean the barracks every day -They passed the inspection (00:22:00) Deployment to South Korea -In November 1968 he received his deployment orders -Originally slated for Vietnam -Orders changed to South Korea near the Demilitarized Zone -Mother was relieved he wasn’t going to Vietnam, but Korea worried her too -USS Pueblo incident, Blue House Raid, and ambushed patrols -Advised him to be careful -Flew on a chartered commercial airliner to South Korea -12-hour flight -Stopped in Japan -Chance to get out and stretch his legs (00:24:18) Arrival in South Korea -Landed at Kimpo Airfield north of Seoul -Warm day in November -He smelled the human and animal fertilizer on the rice paddies -Assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp White Cloud -Note: May mean Camp Red Cloud -Sent to replacement barracks for three or four days of orientation -Learning about Korea and a little about the Demilitarized Zone (00:26:11) Assignment to 23rd Infantry Regiment -Assigned to Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment -North of Freedom Bridge, by the Imjin River and the Demilitarized Zone (00:26:46) Stationed near the Demilitarized Zone -The 23rd Infantry Regiment generally did three tasks -Patrolled the DMZ, repaired the barrier fence, and patrolled around the Imjin River -Constantly looking for North Korean infiltrators -Had orders to shoot to kill -He did some night patrols outside of the DMZ and watched for movement -Received on-the-job training to learn about tracked vehicles -Learned about the engine, drivetrain, and transmission -Armored personnel carriers brought soldiers to the DMZ, but never entered -Against treaty for vehicles to enter the DMZ, only foot soldiers -Told to always be prepared for action -On patrols they had eight men and set up a static position (similar to an ambush) �(00:31:40) Incidents in the Demilitarized Zone -There were a few incidents in Korea during his tour -Saw some shooting between North and South -Saw someone set off foo gas barrels and it lit up the night sky -Fougas: Homemade napalm used as a defensive weapon st -1 Battalion took some casualties, but doesn’t recall 2nd Battalion taking any casualties -There were a lot of short-lived firefights in 1969 -Killed some North Korean soldiers in the process -Some North Korean soldiers managed to infiltrate South Korea -Result of a pact between Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il Sung -Keep the Americans and South Koreans distracted from Vietnam -Throw those countries off balance and put into a vulnerable position (00:36:16) Contact with South Korean Soldiers -Had some Republic of Korea soldiers attached to his unit known as KATUSAs -KATUSA: Korean Augmentation To the United States Army -The South Koreans were good soldiers and the ones in his unit spoke English -Had one or two KATUSAs per unit -Good for interpreting and teaching the culture -Never saw them do any maneuvers, but heard the South Koreans were tough -For example, officers could hit their subordinates (00:37:45) Tour in South Korea -Stayed in South Korea for 13 months -Put the finishing touches on the barrier fence -Lined foxholes with concrete pipes to prevent washout during monsoon season -He helped with that and remembers being told to stay on guard -Checked vehicles on the line to make sure they were functioning -He was selected to put on a mock patrol for visiting dignitaries -Went to an observation post capable of seeing North Korea -Walked a patrol in the DMZ -Temporarily assigned to C Company because they were short on mechanics -He drove an M113 armored personnel carrier for C Company -Spent four months on the DMZ, four months off it, then four months on again -When off the DMZ they trained, and relaxed -On the DMZ you had to be hyper vigilant which was stressful and emotionally taxing -Went to a camp south of the Imjin River during the four months off the DMZ -More relaxed atmosphere -Allowed to leave the base (00:42:45) Downtime in South Korea & Contact with South Koreans -While off the DMZ you could go off base -South Korea had a strict curfew set at midnight -Most Koreans spoke some English -Allowed to visit Seoul, but he never did -Closest larger town was Munsan-ni �-He grew to respect the Koreans -Those that lived near the DMZ had hard lives, but made a life for themselves -A lot of farmers -He appreciated their tenacity -Certain clubs were off-limits to American servicemen -Women that worked at clubs had to be checked by doctors on a regular basis -There was a thriving black market in South Korea (00:45:33) Drugs in South Korea -He didn’t notice hardly any drug use in South Korea during 1969 -Only drug he ever heard mentioned was weed by only a couple soldiers -Heard about the drug problem getting worse after he left South Korea -Heroin started showing up in the early 1970s (00:46:20) Morale in South Korea -Morale was good during his tour -Had a change in battalion commanders during his tour -New battalion commander was strict, but he was a good leader -Forbade any unauthorized, non-military items in the barracks -Threw a party for Michiganders, because so many Michiganders were in the battalion -He was also from Michigan (00:48:03) Release of USS Pueblo Crew -USS Pueblo crew was released from North Korean custody on December 23, 1968 -He was on guard duty and got to see the buses transporting the crewmembers -Remembers waving at them and wishing he’d had his camera -Note: Allowed to have cameras when outside the DMZ (00:49:14) Contact with Home -Wrote letters home to keep in touch with family -Usually wrote his mother, aunts, uncles, and the parish priest -Took a while for letters to start reaching his mother (00:49:38) North Korean Infiltration -Took a while for letters to get home, because 30 or 40 North Koreans infiltrated South Korea -Placed on alert to hunt for the North Korean infiltrators -Unable to write home for a few weeks -Between American and South Korean forces, all infiltrators were killed or captured (00:51:30) First Night in South Korea -Remembers his first night in South Korea -It was dark and he was assigned to a bunk -Heard mortars and thought it was an attack -Learned they were illumination rounds requested by troops in the DMZ (00:52:18) Incidents in South Korea -Never took incoming fire during his time in South Korea -Incidents had happened before his tour -Two barracks were destroyed by North Korean saboteurs -A vehicle ran over a landmine placed by the North Koreans �-Dug up in the DMZ and moved into South Korea -Used smudge pots lined along the barrier fence to provide illumination -Gave just enough light to see the barrier fence and any movement -Remembers seeing a foo gas barrel being set off and the subsequent explosion -Saw tracers fired across the DMZ (00:54:44) Awareness of the Vietnam War in South Korea -Had men in his unit that had served in Vietnam -They were good men -Patrols usually had a squad leader that had had served in Vietnam -Didn’t pay much attention to the Vietnam War -Too much going on in South Korea to pay attention to Vietnam (00:55:40) Racial Tension in Vietnam -There wasn’t racial tension during his tour in South Korea -Everyone got along well with each other -Tensions became manifest in the 1970s, after he left (00:56:33) Draftees & Enlistees -Half of the men were enlistees, and the other half were draftees -Draftees saw the enlistees as “lifers” even if the enlistees weren’t career soldiers -Enlistees called “lifers” because they did one more year than draftees -Draftees protested more than enlistees -Felt the enlistees should do more work because they chose to serve -He had some career soldiers in his unit -His drill sergeant from basic training served in Vietnam -Joined Doug’s platoon in South Korea (00:58:40) Defending South Korea -General Bonesteel III created a layered defense system for South Korea -Multiple lines of defense -Demilitarized Zone -Patrols in the Demilitarized Zone -Minefields -Guard posts -The sand pit -Barrier fence -Foxholes -Positions behind the foxholes -Patrols along the Imjin River and boats patrolling the river (01:00:25) North Korean Propaganda -Remembers the North Korean propaganda speakers on the other side of the DMZ -Played speeches by North Korean soldiers speaking English -Decried capitalism as oppressive and stealing from the needy -Glorified North Korea and Kim Il Sung -Loud at night -Played Captain Bucher’s “confession” (former captain of the USS Pueblo) �-Said it was a spy ship, and the US government was in the wrong -Made his confession under duress -Recanted his confession after being released from North Korea (01:02:50) Bob Hope Show -Bob Hope came to Munsan-ni for a USO Show on December 22, 1968 -Brought a few famous people with him -Football player Rosey Greer -Ann-Margret -Dean Martin’s Golddigger dancers -Excellent show -Stopped in South Korea en route to Vietnam (01:03:53) Reassignment to West Germany & Assignment to 3rd Infantry Division -Left South Korea in December 1969 -Sent to West Germany after a two-week leave home -Assigned to 3rd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division -Stationed in Schweinfurt -Worked along the Czechoslovakian and East German border -Similar to duty in South Korea except without the hostility -Looked for any changes in communist territory -He worked as a mechanic and as an infantryman -His unit needed scout personnel, which is why he became an infantryman -Transferred to the motor pool because they needed mechanics -More peaceful than South Korea -Got to see the old German architecture and the old cities -Visited Munich and Berchtesgaden -Visited the old castles -Found German beer to be superior to American beer -It felt like a regular job -Had formation at dawn, breakfast, then worked for the rest of the day -Worked day shifts during his time in Germany -Started with guard duty around the motor pool until another new soldier joined the unit -Promoted to Specialist 5th Class and he was made the commander of a tracked recovery vehicle -No more guard duty or charge-of-quarters duty at night -Had to be available at all times if a vehicle needed to be recovered (01:08:55) Contact with Germans -Most of the Germans liked the American soldiers -Some found the Americans to be arrogant, or obnoxious -One German told him America might be great, but not all Americans are great (01:09:43) Soviet Invasion -There was concern about the possibility of a Soviet invasion of West Germany -Whenever he went on maneuvers he thought about that -Had a captain that had studied Russian tactics -Did company-sized maneuvers to prepare for an invasion �(01:11:05) Drug Problem in West Germany -There was a larger drug problem in West Germany than in South Korea -Hashish was the drug of choice -When he arrived in 1970 there was no problem, but it gradually got worse -Soldiers became drug dealers and tried to ship their products back to the United States -Negatively affected the morale of the unit -Battalion commander finally addressed the issue and called the men into formation -Told them they had 48 hours to shape up, or request discharge from the Army -A few men took the offer to leave with a less-than-honorable discharge -Resulted in a smaller unit, but a stronger one (01:13:19) Racial Tension in West Germany -Racial tension was more visible in West Germany than in South Korea -The Germans didn’t understand the black soldiers -Started seeing more of an attitude of white versus black in Germany -Some black soldiers held a sit-in around the flagpole -Sat all day and into the night -Higher-ranking officer heard their demands and made some changes -Made Soul food available in the PX (easiest change) -More respect from commanders and dealt with favoritism -Tensions eased after that protest -Remembers a fight between black and white soldiers in the Enlisted Men’s Club (01:15:30) End of Service -Encouraged to reenlist at the end of his service -The problems he saw in Germany turned him off from reenlisting -Didn’t want to be in the Army if those problems existed and persisted -Feels the all-volunteer Army fixed those issues -Finished his time in Germany, and was discharged at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1971 (01:16:48) Agent Orange Compensation -Agent Orange was used along the DMZ in South Korea -Saw trucks and South Koreans spraying the chemical along the road -During the 2000s, the government recognized the use of Agent Orange in South Korea -At the time, he was told that it wasn’t harmful to human beings -Potent enough to kill all vegetation in a matter of hours -Veterans that served in South Korea can now get compensated if they were exposed -Must show symptoms of exposure (various cancers, digestive or respiratory problems) -Served in South Korea from 1967 – 1970 -Part of a unit stationed along the Demilitarized Zone -File a complaint via your doctor (01:19:55) Life after Service -He enjoyed mechanic work and wanted to make a career out of that -Attended Montcalm Community College on the GI Bill to learn how to be an auto-mechanic -Like it at first, then stopped enjoying it -Helped his stepfather paint houses for a while �-The General Motors factory on 36th Street, Grand Rapids, began hiring -Got a job with them and worked for them for 30 years until the factory closed (01:20:56) Joining Veterans of Foreign Wars -Joined Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 702 -Enjoys being part of that post -Veterans from World War II to the War in Afghanistan; all served in combat zones -Had combat pay, which qualified him to join the VFW -Got the Armed Forces Expeditionary Forces Medal (01:22:45) National Guard Service -Joined the Michigan National Guard in 1978 and stayed in for a couple years -Part of the 126th Infantry Regiment -In a fire support team -Directing fire support for the company commander -Enjoyed that job -Read a grid map and called in artillery fire -Only met once a month and went to Camp Grayling, Michigan, once a year -Not the same camaraderie as in the regular Army -Felt like he was trying to reclaim something that couldn’t be reclaimed (01:24:20) Reflections on Service -Built confidence -Did things he never thought he would do -Saw places he never thought he’d see -Learned a skill and did multiple jobs -Good experience except for the end of his tour in Germany � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_VossD1947V Title A name given to the resource Voss, Douglas (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-08 Description An account of the resource Doug Voss was born on March 1, 1950, in Buffalo, New York, but he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1963. He was in the High Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and he enlisted in the Army in June 1968. He went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for basic training then went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for mechanic training. In November 1968, he was deployed to South Korea where he served with Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. They operated on and inside the Demilitarized Zone, carrying out patrols and guarding the DMZ from North Korean intruders. During his time in South Korea he witnessed the release of the USS Pueblo's crew from North Korean custody. He left South Korea in December 1969 and went to West Germany for a tour in Schweinfurt with the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. After his tour in West Germany he was discharged at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1971. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Voss, Douglas Wayne Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3570868c6a62a76c2b2b0fa29a272cf4.mp4 87ed778660b670a683c745162530e43c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dc256db2092fa970fed8c5ba74120ca0.pdf c377d1c6ea532b5e110db817eb7a2547 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project William Van Luyn Part 2 World War II Interview Length: (01:32:34:00) Recollections of Europe (00:00:52:00)  During the war, Van Luyn served as a member of the 1303rd General Service Engineering Regiment (00:00:52:00)  Prior joining the military, Van Luyn went to his family dentist in Grand Rapids and the dentist assured him that apart from a single small filling, Van Luyn’s teeth were fine and did not have any problem (00:01:49:00) o Soon after Van Luyn arrived at Camp Ellis, Illinois for basic training, he and all the other new recruits had to go through a dental check; when the dentist checked Van Luyn, he said that he had a lot of work to do (00:02:10:00) o When Van Luyn said he had been to the family dentist three months earlier and did not have anything wrong, the dentist said he had to do extensive work on Van Luyn (00:02:23:00) o Because the dentist was a captain and Van Luyn a PFC (Private, First Class), Van Luyn had to report when the dentist scheduled him for the work to be done, which involved drilling four or five of Van Luyn’s teeth (00:02:39:00)  The fillings for the teeth were so big that once Van Luyn’s unit deployed to Europe, one of the fillings fell out (00:02:59:00) o After the filling fell out, the tooth started to rot and ache and because there was not ready access to a dentist, Van Luyn had to deal with that pain for several months (00:03:24:00)  He tried packing aspirin and tobacco around the tooth but neither did anything to dull the pain (00:03:35:00) o After spending four or five months dealing with the pain, Van Luyn went to his lieutenant and asked if there was any way Van Luyn could be sent back to have the tooth taken care of (00:04:15:00) o The lieutenant said he would try to make the arrangements and two or three days later, he told Van Luyn there would be a weapons carrier and Van Luyn was to get on it (00:04:26:00) o The weapons carrier took Van Luyn back to a wooded area where a dentist had set up, using a wooden crate and a pedal-powered drill; both the crate and dentist wobbled around, which scared Van Luyn (00:04:43:00)  When the dentist finished working on the soldier in front of Van Luyn and said it was Van Luyn’s turn, Van Luyn refused; the dentist admitted that he knew the set-up was bad but that it was all he had (00:05:27:00)  Nevertheless, when Van Luyn said he would pass, the dentist said that he did not blame him (00:05:34:00) o When Van Luyn returned to his platoon, the lieutenant asked if Van Luyn had gotten the tooth taken care of; Van Luyn said he did and never said any more about it (00:05:38:00) � o Ultimately, Van Luyn did not have the tooth taken care of until he returned home for overseas (00:05:54:00)  While Van Luyn and the other men were waiting at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin to be discharged, they all had to receive shots and have their teeth checked (00:06:08:00)  All the men were ordered to stand in two lines with a dentist at the beginning of each line (00:06:16:00)  As he got closer to the front, Van Luyn could see that the dentist for the other line was simply looking in the mouth and taking notes while the dentist in his line was going right into the men’s mouths with his dental pick (00:06:31:00) o Van Luyn knew if the dentist stuck the dental pick into his rotten tooth, Van Luyn was either going die or kill the dentist (00:06:51:00)  Van Luyn switched lines and the dentist told him to stay a day or two to fix the rotten tooth; however, Van Luyn declined because he wanted to get home (00:06:56:00) Van Luyn is Catholic and while in training, there was a Protestant chaplain at Camp Ellis, so Van Luyn would occasionally attend the chaplain’s services because it was the best he could do (00:08:08:00) o The men were never told if there was the option of going off-base on Sundays to attend church services (00:08:21:00) o Once Van Luyn made it over to France, there were a larger number of Catholic churches, with seemingly every village having at least a Catholic church, along with other churches (00:08:41:00)  Often, the men did not even know what day it was and most of the time, even if they did know it was a Sunday, they were too busy to be able to attend a church service (00:08:51:00)  Occasionally, the situation did happen where the men had an hour to an hour-and-a-half free, a church was close, and they were able to get away to attend a service (00:09:01:00)  The first time Van Luyn managed to go to a service, he went with a couple of his friends and when they walked into the church, all the French were staring at them; although the French had seen soldiers before, Van Luyn figures they had not seen any in their church (00:09:16:00)  Whenever they went to a service, the men had to take their rifles with them and when the time came for Communion, one of the men had to stay in the pew with the rifles (00:09:51:00)  After the first service Van Luyn and his friends went to, they were walking back to their unit when a Frenchmen ran up and indicated that the men were to come back because the priest wanted to talk to them (00:10:25:00)  The men talked with the priest while most of the other French stood nearby and listened (00:11:01:00) �  o Usually, Van Luyn was able to make it out to a church service once every two months or so; while going to service, Van Luyn saw some strange things and some funny things (00:11:24:00)  During one service, the priest came out of the sacristy to start the service and accompanying the priest was another man who was dressed similar to the priest and was carrying a large staff (00:11:37:00)  Both men walked down the aisle and while the priest stayed in the front, the other men went to the back of the church (00:12:11:00)  As the service continued, Van Luyn noticed some kids a couple of pews in front of him messing around and poking each other; eventually, the other man standing in the back walked to their pew and poked them with his staff, which immediately changed how the kids were acting (00:12:24:00)  A couple of minutes later, the man standing in the back walked down the aisle again and used the staff to poke a man who had fallen asleep (00:12:54:00) Prior to being in Germany, none of the men had ever seen a four-lane highway like the German Autobahn (00:13:44:00) o Even though the men did not have to, they made repairs to any damage to the highways because the highways served as main supply routes (00:14:08:00) o Although Van Luyn figures the officers in the regiment gained an appreciation for how the highways were put together from an engineering standpoint during the repairs, he personally did not; he and the other men were just trying to get the job done (00:14:46:00) Whenever Van Luyn’s unit came to an area where a bridge either needed to be built or repaired, quite often they would first build a Bailey Bridge, which was a bridge designed to go together in sections (00:15:12:00) o Usually, the Bailey Bridge was needed to make the next crossing, so many times, the men would build a regular, fixed bridge underneath the Bailey Bridge; as soon as the bottom bridge was done, the men could take the Bailey Bridge apart and move the sections to the next crossing (00:15:42:00) o During one crossing, the men had the bottom bridge pretty far along, with one layer of decking already on and the second layer in progress; however, the bridge was closer to the Bailey Bridge than normal, so Van Luyn and a couple of other soldiers were laying on the top of the fixed bridge, trying to hammer the decking into place with only a foot or so of clearance to swing the hammer (00:16:17:00)  Eventually, Van Luyn did not realize but the other men had gotten out from under the bridge (00:16:55:00)  All of a sudden, tanks had come up and the next thing Van Luyn knew, the tanks were driving across the Bailey Bridge (00:17:08:00)  As the tanks went across the Bailey Bridge, the bridge naturally sagged, so Van Luyn had to spread his body out and turn his head to the side out of fear of being crushed (00:17:22:00)  Van Luyn laid under the bridge for quite a while after the last tank crossed before finally crawling and onto the ground, after which he promptly let � out a stream of profanities at his friends, none of whom realized that Van Luyn had been under the bridge (00:18:09:00)  Van Luyn could not hear for two or three weeks afterwards and both his chest and back were bruised (00:18:39:00) One of the many hazards the men faced while building the bridges was having to walk out onto the I-beams, especially if the beams were dry but there had been a frost or snowfall (00:19:03:00) o Once the I-beams were in place, the men would carry out large planks with spikes driven into the sides, place the planks parallel to the I-beam, and then bend the spikes under the lip I-beam to secure the plank (00:19:23:00)  The wooden planks were very heavy and it took two men, one on each end, to carry of a single plank; the two men’s footsteps had to be in unison as they walked on the I-beam (00:19:55:00) o When the snow and ice came, walking on the I-beams became very treacherous for the men (00:20:42:00)  On several occasions, men slipped and fell off the I-beams; whenever someone went into the water, very rarely did he come up because often, the river below was moving extremely quickly (00:20:50:00)  Once, Van Luyn was out on an I-beam when a couple of men fell into the river; when the men fell, Van Luyn froze and could not make his body turn around and walk back to the shoreline (00:21:19:00)  Eventually, the company commander sent a couple of men out to “get” Van Luyn and just the men taking a hold of Van Luyn helped him a little bit (00:21:58:00)  Van Luyn managed to sit down and turn around; once he did, he grabbed a hold of the I-beam and worked his way off, four inches at a time (00:22:09:00)  When Van Luyn had made it back to shore, the company commander told him not to worry about it and that it would not happen the next time; however, Van Luyn said there was not going to be a next time (00:22:30:00) o When the commander asked what Van Luyn meant, Van Luyn said he was never going back out onto an I-beam; when the commander threatened to court-martial Van Luyn, Van Luyn said that he did not care (00:22:49:00)  Although Van Luyn figures the commander resented the way Van Luyn had talked to him, he figures the commander more resented the fact that the exchange occurred with so many other soldiers watching (00:23:27:00)  After the incident, Van Luyn never again had the job of carrying the planks out onto the I-beams (00:24:01:00) o Originally, the men were working on the bridges in only Army shoes, not even combat boots; therefore, they were all happy when they heard that they would be receiving boots (00:24:15:00)  However, the boots were an old-fashioned kind where the parts attached using a buckle and sometimes, the parts would get caught; if a part was �  caught, the man would yell for the other to stop because he knew if he took another step, he was going to trip and they were both going to fall into the river (00:24:36:00) Van Luyn and the other soldiers saw quite a bit in the way of Nazi influence and propaganda in Germany (00:25:26:00) o Although a lot of Germans were totally against what the Nazis were going, they still have to live under the regime and they did not dare to not follow the regime’s orders, out of fear of the lives (00:25:40:00) o The soldiers often stayed in schools because they were easier to defend and in every classroom and hallway, there were pictures of Hitler and various Nazi insignia hanging all over the place (00:26:25:00)  Although Van Luyn tried to keep some items as souvenirs, he inevitably had to throw them away because his unit was constantly on the move and he did not have the space to the keep the items (00:27:11:00)  At one point, Van Luyn had a German submachine gun, complete with ammunition, but he only carried for six or seven hours before throwing it off to the side of the road (00:27:26:00)  Van Luyn was able to keep a couple of the Nazi armbands imprinted with a swastika and a couple of other small items that he was able to stick into his pockets (00:27:46:00) o Although all of the German civilians that the men interacted with claimed that they were not Nazis, the men could not tell who was telling the truth and who was not, so they treated all the civilians as if they were Nazis (00:28:05:00) At one point, Van Luyn’s unit was moving through a small German town and as Van Luyn and another soldier searched for snipers, Van Luyn noticed a barber shop; the men had not had a haircut in some time and most had grown large beards, so Van Luyn suggested to the other soldier that they go into the barber shop for a haircut and shave (00:28:38:00) o The other soldier was skeptical that the barber would slit their throats but Van Luyn said that if one of them kept watch while the other got his haircut, he did not think the barber would try anything (00:29:11:00)  The soldier was still skeptical and Van Luyn said he would get in the chair first as long as the other soldier kept watch (00:29:30:00) o Van Luyn and the soldier walked into the shop, where an man and woman were cowering against the back wall (00:29:42:00) o Once Van Luyn motioned that he wanted a haircut, he sat in the chair while the other soldier kept his rifle trained on the barber; however, the barber was shaking so bad that Van Luyn told the other soldier to lower the rifle (00:30:01:00) o When the barber finished, he indicated for Van Luyn to get into his wife’s chair because she did the shaving and for the other soldier to get into the chair for a haircut (00:30:34:00)  The other soldier started to set down his rifle when Van Luyn yelled at him to stop and watch to make sure the wife did not do anything (00:30:52:00) � o As Van Luyn sat in the chair, the wife was sharpening a straight razor on a strap of leather; although the wife was just as nervous, she did not nick Van Luyn once during the shave (00:31:07:00) o Once Van Luyn was finished, the other soldier got into the chair and Van Luyn stood watch (00:31:38:00) o It was extremely hard for the soldiers to keep themselves clean as they were advancing across Europe (00:31:52:00)  Although the men in the unit were around water most of the time, they often never had enough spare time to bathe (00:31:55:00)  A couple of times, the men did bathe by filling their helmets, minus the helmet liner, with water and going back to camp; however, half the time, the men did not even have soap (00:32:02:00)  If a man wanted to shave, he needed to find someone with a razor and most of the time, after twenty-odd other men had used it, the blade was dull (00:32:46:00)  Nothing was said to the soldiers about their commanding general’s (General George Patton) penchant for wanting his soldiers to be cleanshaven and presentable (00:34:07:00)  At one point, the men were able to take showers in what looked like the back of a semi-truck trailer; while the men showered, they were all issued clean uniforms (00:34:18:00) Van Luyn can recall walking past “dragon teeth”, German concrete, anti-tank obstacles that poked out of the ground and made passing with vehicles impossible (00:35:19:00) o As far as Van Luyn can remember, his company never had to remove any large number of the obstacles; he does remember having to use explosives just to clear a path through for the trucks (00:36:50:00) o Apart from the “dragon teeth”, the Germans also used a large variety of mines to slow the Allied advance (00:37:44:00)  One day, the men were riding in a truck to a river where they knew the Germans had destroyed a bridge (00:37:50:00)  As they got closer to the river, the driver slowed down the truck down to 5 or 6mph because he expected to come under enemy gunfire (00:38:10:00)  All of a sudden, the driver slammed on the brakes and all the men fell forward; all the men quickly got out of the truck, thinking the driver had spotted the enemy (00:38:26:00)  When the men asked what was going on, the driver pointed at the ground and said that something on the road did not look right to him; there was a strip of fresh asphalt on the road and the driver was skeptical as to why the Germans would repair the road while they were retreating (00:38:47:00)  The men pulled out their bayonets and began poking around the side of the road; eventually, they found out that the Germans had dug up the road, placed down large Teller anti-tank mines, and recovered the road (00:39:14:00) �    The men dug up the mines, took them to the bridge, and used the explosives to help clear out where the Germans had destroyed part of the bridge (00:39:43:00) One day, Van Luyn and some other soldiers were checking out some buildings and when they noticed a nice house further down the road, they decided to check it out to see if there were any Germans in it (00:41:08:00) o Once they were at the house, a couple of men went around to the back and the four then proceeded to check throughout the entire house but did not find anyone hiding in a closet or under a bed (00:41:32:00) o There was also a garage on the property and when one of the men went to check it, he called out for the others to come take a look (00:41:56:00)  Inside the garage was a beautiful dark green four-door Renault; although the keys were in the car, the men were sure that it would not run (00:42:08:00)  One of the men ran back to the jeep, took one of the gas cans and put in a couple of gallons of gas before telling Van Luyn to try it; Van Luyn turned the key and the after a while, the car started (00:42:28:00) o Van Luyn told the other men to jump in, he backed the car out, and began driving down the road (00:43:02:00)  However, the men did not make it too far before they ran into a German outpost; Van Luyn could not brake, so he told the others to take their helmets off and hide their rifles while he drove past (00:43:27:00)  As the car drove past, the men waved at the German guards, who just stood there and looked at them (00:43:59:00)  Van Luyn drove a little ways further down the road before stopping and saying they needed to head back; if that was only an outpost, they might run into a large group of Germans (00:44:12:00)  Van Luyn turned the car around and headed back down the road; the men passed the guards, waved, the guards waved back, went back to the house, put the car in the garage, got back in their jeep and left (00:44:34:00) o When the men got back to their unit, their commander asked if they had seen anything and Van Luyn told him about the outpost (00:45:40:00) Van Luyn knew how the Germans had treated the Russian (Prisoners of War); he had seen pictures of German forces occupying towns in Russia and pictures of how horrible the Germans treated the Russians (00:46:07:00) o The Germans knew what the other German soldiers had done to the Russians, so when the war was winding down and the Germans soldiers knew they had lost, they wanted to surrender to the Americans rather than the Russians (00:47:07:00)  However, in a lot of the cases, the Americans said “no” and sent the POWs back to the Russian front (00:48:06:00) When the war ended in Europe, Gen. Patton sent word to Van Luyn’s regimental commander saying that because the regiment had been involved in so much beyond what their original assignment was, the regiment was receiving five battle stars and would be one of the first units of its type to go home (00:48:45:00) o The men were elated when the commander told them the news (00:49:18:00) �o However, a week or so later, the colonel called the men back and told them that they would still be the first unit of their type to go home, they were just taking the long way; General Douglas MacArthur needed experienced soldiers to take part in the invasion of Japan (00:50:05:00) The Pacific Theater (00:50:47:00)  Once Van Luyn’s regiment arrived in the Pacific, they sailed to Manila Bay (00:50:47:00)  In order to get to the Pacific, the regiment traveled across Europe to Marseille, France, where the men stayed for a couple of days before boarding a ship, the U.S.S. General Pope (00:51:21:00) o The General Pope sailed out of Marseilles on June 23rd, 1945 and unfortunately, Van Luyn instantly became seasick (00:51:34:00)  The voyage from Marseilles to the Pacific took thirty-three days and included the ship sailing past the Rock of Gibraltar and through the Panama Canal (00:51:42:00) o The entire voyage was miserable and all the men’s attitudes were sour, especially for the men who were married and had families waiting for them back in the States (00:52:07:00) o There were a lot of fights between the men, often with one man doing something and another smacking him (00:52:22:00) o The men were only allowed on the deck of the ship from six a.m. until six p.m.; at six p.m., all the men had to go below decks, where it was extremely hot and uncomfortable (00:52:38:00)  The bunks were stacked either five or six high and made out of pipe with thick canvas stretched between them (00:52:56:00)  While below decks, each of the men would sweat so bad that their sweat would seep through the canvas and drip onto the man below him (00:53:40:00)  Occasionally, the men were able to take a shower using some salt water (00:54:14:00) o Other than an hour to hour-and-a-half at the Panama Canal, the men were on the ship for the entire voyage (00:55:02:00) o One evening, the whistle sounded for the men to begin going below and there a group of men playing cards close to the door; there were only a couple of cards left to play but one of the Marine guards on the ship came up and told the men to break it up (00:55:16:00)  Although the men said they only had a couple of cards left to play, the Marine gave a kick and scattered the cards and the men’s money across the deck (00:56:07:00)  After the guard kicked the cards, Van Luyn had never seen men move so fast; the men were up in a flash and had the Marine dangling over the side, one man holding onto each ankle (00:56:16:00)  As Van Luyn turned to leave, not wanting to see the men drop the guard, the men pulled the guard back up (00:56:56:00)  After the incident, all the other Marines became much more friendly with the soldiers (00:57:16:00) �   o While in Panama, Van Luyn bought a large stack of bananas; the bananas were quite green, so Van Luyn told the other men that in a couple of days, when the bananas were ripe, they could help themselves (00:58:06:00)  However, by the time Van Luyn woke up the next more, it had been so hot that all the bananas were ripe (00:58:26:00) o During the voyage to the Pacific, the men did not encounter as much bad weather as they had sailing over to Scotland (00:58:52:00) When the General Pope finally arrived at Manila, it was a different experience for the men (00:59:50:00) o Although the men had been through several different countries while in Europe, by and large, the people living in those countries still looked like them; some of the peoples’ features might be different but it was not too extreme (00:59:55:00) o However, when the ship arrived in Manila, some of the local children were swimming out to where the ship had anchored and their facial features were far different from the men’s (01:00:17:00) o While in Europe, the men were always told to fasten the chin-straps of their helmets along the back of the helmet due to German hand grenades, which were concussion grenades (01:00:59:00)  Once the men arrived in Manila, their commander told them that they could change their chin-straps around because the Japanese did not have any concussion grenades (01:01:25:00) o The civilians were just glad to see more American soldiers arriving because they had been through hell with the Japanese (01:01:56:00) After arriving in Manila, the regiment had orders to travel to Nichols Field, which was an airfield; once at the airfield, the men set up tents in a nearby rice paddy (01:02:23:00) o The men were not at Nichols Field for too long before the Philippines’ rainy season began and the whole ground turned to muck (01:03:05:00)  Somehow, the men got hold of some landing strips, which they tied to poles to make walkways between the tents (01:08:14:00) o The men had mosquito netting to go over their bunks to keep out mosquitoes so they were not contract malaria; nevertheless, the men were also forced to take anti-malaria medication (01:03:50:00)  The men could tell those soldiers who had been in the Philippines a while because they had a yellow tint to their skin from the anti-malaria medication (01:04:02:00)  As well, some of the men gave the local women who washed their clothes some of the medication to wash with their clothes; unfortunately, the medication turned the men’s clothes a nice canary yellow (01:04:15:00) Once at the airfield, the men did not do a whole heck of a lot (01:04:57:00) o One of the major things the men did was re-organizing the company baseball teams, using equipment from the other units stationed at the airfield (01:05:04:00)  Van Luyn’s team had some good minor league baseball players and after beating all the other companies, started playing teams from other units that were stationed at the airfield (01:05:46:00) �   Although Van Luyn’s team fared okay against some of the lesser teams, once they started playing better teams, things did not go as well (01:06:18:00)  Eventually, the regimental “athletic director” said they needed to strengthen the team, so they were going to take the best players from all the companies to make “regimental All Star Team” (01:06:32:00)  In the first game Van Luyn pitched, he had not thrown anything for over a month and after the game was over, his arm and shoulder were extremely sore (01:07:13:00)  Another game was scheduled for the following day at a nice stadium; the man who was pitching got through eight innings before he passed out on the mound from exhaustion due to the heat (01:07:34:00)  As the man who had passed out was being looked at, the athletic director told Van Luyn to start warming up; however Van Luyn could not even lift his arm up and told the athletic director to put someone else in (01:08:23:00)  Although Van Luyn was only throwing the ball around, when the umpire said “play ball”, the athletic director told Van Luyn to go in; however, Van Luyn wanted to kick him in the butt because he was in no condition to pitch (01:08:45:00)  Van Luyn finished pitching the remainder of the 8th inning but the game kept going on and on, finally ending after eighteen innings, with Van Luyn pitching every inning (01:09:11:00)  After the game, the caretaker for the baseball field came up to Van Luyn and said that he had taken care of the field for twenty years and during that time, he had seen a number of professional American baseball players at the field; however, that was the best baseball game the man had ever seen (01:09:50:00) All throughout Europe, there was always stuff for the men to drink; this was something that was not available in the Pacific and the men found out that once a month, they would be allocated a beer ration (01:11:28:00) o The day first beer ration arrived as the same day that the Americans dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima (01:12:26:00) o When the men heard the news, they figured that the war was going to be over; like a fool, Van Luyn began drinking and celebrating and ended up drinking his entire case of beer (01:12:35:00) o Although the men were a sorry sight the next morning, they were still happy because there was a great chance they would be going home alive and not dying in an invasion of Japan (01:13:28:00)  Later on, Van Luyn found out that if the war had continued and the invasion went through, his regiment was supposed to land at Japan on D+1 in support of a Marine Division (01:14:01:00) When the official surrender of the Japanese came a few days after the dropping of the atomic bombs, the men just assumed they would be heading home (01:14:42:00) �   o However, the method for men being discharged was based on an individual’s “points” and even if the regiment returned to the United States as a whole, that did not mean all the men were discharged as once (01:15:03:00)  The men who had received commendations, such as Purple Hearts, would have more points than those who did not, such as Van Luyn, and would have been discharged earlier (01:15:17:00) o Although Van Luyn does not regret having to go to Japan, he would have preferred to go home (01:15:37:00) A lot of the Filipino civilians living in the area around Nichols Field tended to live in huts (01:15:57:00) Although the men did get into Manila on a couple of occasions, it was mostly to go to a large sports stadium in the city to watch American football games (01:16:49:00) As far as Van Luyn can remember, there was not much in the way of Filipino civilians working on the airfield (01:17:16:00) Occupation of Japan (01:18:06:00)  Van Luyn’s regiment eventually received orders that they would be sent to Japan, so their orders were changed from taking part in the invasion force to repairing the roof of the building in Tokyo that Gen. MacArthur wanted to use as his headquarters (01:18:06:00) o Van Luyn’s regiment was ordered to go in ahead of Gen. MacArthur’s headquarters, repair the roof and prepare the building to serve as the general’s headquarters (01:18:48:00)  Once the regiment had its orders, the men traveled back to Manila Bay and were told to load onto seven LSTs (Landing Ship-Tank); however, as the men boarded, something changed and the men were told they could only have three of the ships (01:19:26:00) o Some of the men had their equipment loaded onto one of the LSTs but had to take it off; they were then told which three they could load onto (01:19:58:00) o The men boarded the LSTs before the official Japanese surrender papers were signed, so they had to wait for a day while the papers were signed on the U.S.S. Missouri (01:20:15:00)  Eventually, there was word that the ships should not leave because a typhoon was coming (01:20:34:00) o As the men were waiting to board the LST, a Navy jeep pulled up on the dock and two Navy officers get out and began walking down the dock (01:20:54:00)  Eventually, the word was given to load up onto the boats and as the men moved towards the ship, Van Luyn’s company motor sergeant moved in the opposite direction (01:21:43:00)  As the others watch, the sergeant walked up to the Navy jeep, swing it around, and drove it right onto the LST right before the doors to the LST closed (01:22:04:00)  On the voyage to Japan, the Navy personnel were still worried about the after-effects from the typhoon (01:22:41:00) o Because his last name started with “V”, this meant Van Luyn was usually at the back of lines and in the case of the LST, it meant he did not receive a bunk below decks on the LST and he had to sleep on deck (01:22:51:00) �  Out of fear of the typhoon, when the men brought up their Army cots, Navy personnel tied the cots to a the LST’s side rail and showed the men how to tie themselves into the cots (01:23:29:00)  Ultimately, everything was fine and the men made it through the night, by which time the ship was out of the typhoon area (01:24:15:00) o A couple of days after leaving Manila, a soldier on one of the other LSTs died; that LST pulled out of the small convoy, lowered its flag to half-mast, and performed a burial-at-sea for the soldier (01:24:33:00) o Apart from carrying the soldiers, the three LSTs assigned to the regiment also had to carry all the regiments’ equipment, most of what was already in pretty bad shape (01:25:58:00)  Some of the equipment went below decks and some of it was chained to the deck (01:26:22:00) o At one point, Van Luyn talked to a sailor about the possibility of washing his sleeping bag (01:26:36:00)  The sailor said they could hang the bag over the railing and let it drag behind the ship for a few hours; although it was salt water, the bag would be pretty clean (01:27:01:00)  The sailor got a rope and after tying the rope around Van Luyn’s sleeping bag, gently lowered the bundle into the water and let it drag (01:27:20:00)  When Van Luyn pulled the sleeping bag up, he was tickled pink because it did not stink anymore (01:28:16:00)  As Van Luyn was tying the sleeping bag to the railing to let it dry, a couple of his friends came up and asked what he was doing; when he explained what he had done, the others said they wanted to do the same thing to their sleeping bags (01:28:26:00)  Van Luyn showed the others how to tie up the bundles but warned them to lower the bundles gently into the water (01:28:54:00)  Van Luyn started playing cards and the next thing he knew, one of the friends call him over to say that he was done (01:29:13:00)  However, the friend had gone back further along the ship and had tied the rope right behind the septic pipe on the ship (01:29:35:00)  As the friend pulled the bundle up, he saw it was covered in toilet paper and waste (01:29:55:00) When the LSTs arrived in Japan, the men disembarked at Yokohama and spent the night there before being taken by truck to Tokyo (01:30:43:00) o One of the best things the officers did once in Japan was picking the location that the men would stay at in Tokyo; the regiment were the first American forces in Tokyo, which meant the officers had first choice of locations (01:31:46:00)  The regiment ended up staying at a park-like location that had a Meiji shrine built in it and had been built when the Japanese thought they would be hosting the 1940 Olympic Games (01:32:08:00) Continued In William Van Luyn Part 3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_VanLuynW1181V2 Title A name given to the resource Van Luyn, William (Interview outline and video, 2 of 2), 2011 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-08-25 Description An account of the resource William Van Luyn was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1925, and was drafted into the Army in 1943. He wanted to go, and was disappointed when he was rejected due to an eye problem, but later talked his way past the recruiter and sent to Camp Ellis, Illinois, to train as an engineer. He joined the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment and was assigned to B Company, which specialized in bridge construction. He shipped out to England with his unit in the spring of 1944, and deployed to Normandy shortly after D-Day. After the Normandy breakout, his regiment followed Patton's 3rd Army across France, building and rebuilding bridges all along the way, sometimes under fire from enemy artillery or aircraft. His unit got caught up in the Battle of the Bulge, and then participated in the invasion of Germany, building their longest bridge across the Rhine near Remagen. Shortly after the Germans surrendered, the unit was deployed to the Philippines in preparation for the invasion of Japan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Luyn, William 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 United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/433c3b785da4af03948ce4c4c4d9f0b2.mp4 6b3d29a0666c6a21090beef0446ab4af https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4f931bc577a8b47e3555819913bb513e.pdf fff8d7e8dcc57376bdf1be87f0ac320e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project James Tibbe World War II 53 minutes 58 seconds (00:00:04) Early Life -Born in Moddersville, Michigan in 1924 -His father was a farmer and a part time carpenter -He built six houses and part of a church in his lifetime -His mother died the day of, or the day after, he was born -He lived in Moddersville until he was three, or four -His father moved to the Holland-Zeeland area and then James moved there when he was five -When he was ten they moved to Falmouth, Michigan -He had a number of half siblings -His father remarried several times -His second wife had died when she was young -He had two older brothers and two sisters -Both sisters died when they were young -He spent his youth and adolescence in Falmouth -He attended school through the ninth grade (00:03:14) Civilian Conservation Corps -After the ninth grade he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) -In the CCC he was paid $30 each month and given room and board -The purpose was to plant trees, plant grass, or do basic construction projects -He was sent down to Camp Dodge Bloomer near Pontiac, Michigan -From there he was sent to Grand Haven to a CCC camp near there -The job there was to plant grass to stop erosion -Sand from the beach was starting to blow into the town and cause damage -He stayed with the CCC for about twelve, or fourteen, months (00:05:22) Start of the War and Enlisting -When the war began the CCC camps were shut down and he was discharged from it -He entered the service on August 19, 1942 -He chose to enlist rather than get drafted -He felt the need to join -He also wanted more of a choice in determining his direction in the military -The branch that he enlisted in was the Army Air Corps -He was sent to Kalamazoo to enlist and then to Fort Custer, Michigan for processing -At Fort Custer he received his uniform, vaccinations, and necessary medical exams (00:07:24) Training -He was sent to Shepherd Field, Texas for basic training -During basic training he was always kept busy -Did a lot of physical training, marching, and learning how to take commands -He adjusted well to Army life -Felt similar to the CCC at least in terms of the regimen and discipline �-Training lasted until late November 1942 -From Shepherd Field he was sent to Buckley Field, Colorado for Aircraft Armament School -In that school he was taught how to mount the .30 and .50 caliber machine gun on aircraft (00:10:10) Stationed at Wheeler Field -Near the end of the war he was stationed at Wheeler Field in Hawaii -His duty at Wheeler Field was to mount machine guns to bombers coming from the West Coast -They travelled to Hawaii without guns because it required less fuel -He served at Wheeler Field with six of the men that had been at Buckley Field -They were able to mount guns on five or six planes each day (00:12:23) Choosing the Army Air Corps and Downtime during Training -He had been fascinated with flying which is why he chose to go into the Army Air Corps -Prior to going to Aircraft Armament School he hadn’t had any experience with machinery -While he was at Buckley Field he was allowed to go off base to Denver on leave -The men would take a bus to the last trolley station and take the trolley into the city -There was sightseeing to do in and around Denver -He saw the Buffalo Bill grave near Denver -There were also USO Shows to see and Red Cross facilities to go to in Denver (00:14:40) Voyage to Hawaii -He was sent to Hawaii aboard the SS Lurline, a repurposed cruise ship -They sailed without an escort because they sailed fast enough to avoid submarines -Also able to change their course rapidly if needed -They would sail at 28 knots (~32mph) during the day and 32 knots (~36mph) at night -The ship had been stripped down to make it into a troop ship -This meant that he slept in a hammock and not in a cabin -The first night at sea was cold, but the weather was good the rest of the voyage -Only some men got seasick during the voyage to Hawaii -He didn’t though -It took four days to get to Hawaii (00:17:00) Stationed at Hickam Field -When he first arrived at Hawaii in 1943 he was stationed at Hickam Field -Situated in the Pearl Harbor area -When he was at Hickam Field he would load ammunition for the machine guns onto bombers (00:19:13) Stationed at Fiji -From Hickam Field he was sent to the island of Fiji -He stayed at Fiji for twelve (or fourteen) months -He flew to Fiji on a C-47 transport plane -They made three stops on the way to Fiji -First at Canton Island south of Hawaii -Then west to Christmas Island -Then to American Samoa and then finally to Fiji -He had to live in a tent for a while until pre-fabricated barracks were set up for them -During one hurricane the barracks were destroyed so they had to rebuild them -During the hurricane they stayed in a bunker designed to store aircraft during air raids -The storm lasted thirty six hours -When planes stopped at Fiji they would have to put wooden boards over the air intake vents -This was to stop birds from building nests in the air intake vents �-Otherwise the nests would clog the carburetors -His job was also to unload bombers and transport aircraft that landed at Fiji (00:24:10) Returning to Hawaii Pt. 1 -After being at Fiji he was sent back to Hickam Field -While he was at Hickam he saw wounded men unloaded from transport aircraft -They were unloaded with a forklift that had been turned into an elevator of sorts -Most of the men that were wounded had suffered debilitating injuries from the fighting (00:25:57) Living Conditions on Fiji -When on Fiji he also worked with Australians that were stationed there as well -They were good men, and good men to work with -Only resented them for the fact that they brought mutton to the base -He knew one Greek man who worked in the mess hall that was best cook they had -He had originally been on the flight line, but had suffered hearing damage -Before the day began he would go out and find pineapple and eggplant to add to meals -Electricity wasn’t available on the base except for extremely necessary things -There was only one generator on the base -However, at night they would hook a movie projector up to it and show movies -If the weather permitted USO Shows would be performed -He remembers seeing the Bob Hope Show (00:30:03) Returning to Hawaii Pt. 2 and Wheeler Field -He didn’t enjoy being at Hickam Field because of the military formality there -Fiji had been a more relaxed environment -From Hickam Field he was sent to Wheeler Field -He remembers there was a policy called a “recognition pass” for incoming aircraft -They had to circle the airfield to verify that they were friendly -If they didn’t check out they would be shot down -He remembers one B-25 bomber having to skip the recognition pass and land -It was because they were so low on fuel that they had to do that -Their engines lost power as they landed, which meant they coasted in -During his second time in Hawaii President Roosevelt visited to meet with General MacArthur -He got to seem them drive by in a jeep -Soldiers lined the road they were on to show troop strength as well as be a human shield -Wheeler Field was a far better assignment than Hickam Field -They were up in the mountains away from the formality that was present in Honolulu -They worked for six days each week and then had Thursdays off (00:33:02) Downtime in Hawaii -On his days off he would travel down to Honolulu -While he was in Hawaii he got a chance to see Waikiki Beach before it was developed -He got a chance to visit Pearl Harbor during each time he was stationed in Hawaii -The first time he saw it there were still prevalent signs of the attack in 1941 -Oil slicks, damaged ships and buildings -The second time he was there it had been cleaned up, but there was still damage (00:34:50) Awareness of the Progress of the War -When traveling in aircraft there was a radio onboard that wasn’t used for communication -He remembers traveling from one island to another and hearing about D-Day �(00:35:40) End of the War and End of Service -Before the war ended he was already stateside and was at Hamilton Field, California -He was essentially just on the base, not doing much -From Hamilton he was sent to Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base (now Travis Air Force Base) -Being stationed there consisted of further sitting around -He was in Union Station in Chicago when the war ended -He was returning home from being on leave -He remembers hearing President Truman announce on the radio that the war was over -He went to a bar and got a few bottles to take with him for the train ride back to base -It was a four day train ride back to Fairfield-Suisun -Once he got back to Fairfield-Suisun he was sent to Lowry Field, Colorado -He was discharged there in early December 1945 (00:39:18) Military Formality and Process -When he was at Fiji there was a colonel that had gone to West Point -He was acting as the commanding officer -This colonel ordered a soldier to pick up a piece of paper he saw on the ground -Soldier’s reply: “You saw it first, you pick it up” -On Fiji there was also an engineer officer who oversaw maintenance of planes and the runway -There was always a lot of rain on Fiji which would wash out the gravel runway -Rather than just use a dump truck to haul gravel he decided that the men should be used -They would gather gravel with shovels and fill in the runway by hand -Fiji and Wheeler Field were more relaxed than Hickam Field was -This was due to the fact that there were less high ranking military personnel -The food was also much better at Wheeler Field (00:42:16) Interactions with Civilians -When he was at Fiji he remembers the islanders putting on a war dance for them -When he was in Hawaii he got to see an authentic hula show -The Fiji islanders would do laundry for the Americans, provided that they were paid -The English brought in Indians to do work for them -This was because the islanders refused to work for the English -The Indians would make jewelry and sell it to the servicemen on the island -He bought a couple trinkets that he later gave to his wife (00:44:25) Life after the War -When he got out of the Army he joined the 52-20 Club in Michigan -Given $20 each week for fifty two weeks for having been in the military -In May 1946 he moved down to Grand Rapids, Michigan to look for work -He has lived in Grand Rapids ever since -His first job was with OAK & Strong Construction doing general labor for them -He went to diesel school in Chicago on the GI Bill -He went on to get a job with Michigan Tractor and stayed with them for thirty six years (00:46:04) Veteran Group Involvement and Being a WWII Veteran -He joined the American Legion -He has been a member for sixty four years -He has visited the World War Two Memorial in Washington D.C. -Feels that it is a good memorial -Feels that it had to be put up considering the sacrifice and the gravity of World War Two �-At the memorial people came up to him and asked him questions and to shake his hand -Basically to show their thanks for his serving (00:49:50) Reflections on Service -He can’t be sure of the impact that his service had on him -He feels that it probably helped to make him more mature though -He feels that everyone capable of service should attempt to do something for the country -It helped him become independent, develop people skills, and become a more self-reliant person (00:50:55) Rags the Dog -On Fiji there was the 70th Bombardment Squadron and it had a dog named “Rags” -He was named this because of being hairy and occasionally used a hand rag by the men -He would rotate between the barracks and sleep in a different one each night -He would also occasionally stow away on bombers when they flew to different islands -He would always come back to Fiji though � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_TibbeJ0829V Title A name given to the resource Tibbe, James (Interview outline and video), 2010 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-03-18 Description An account of the resource James Tibbe is a World War Two veteran who was born in Moddersville, Michigan in 1924. After completing the ninth grade he left school and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and worked around Michigan doing public works projects. On August 19, 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and received training at Shepherd Field, Texas and at Buckley Field, Colorado to become an armorer for bombers. He was stationed at Wheeler Field, Hawaii at Fiji and at Hickam Field, Hawaii over the course of the war. Just before the end of the war he was sent back to the continental United States where he served at Hamilton Field, California, Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base, and Lowry Field, Colorado. He was discharged in December 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tibbe, James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4a9faff42bd34dc78bd6411f3294c79c.mp4 82f5710f7045a1f759920112be1b4c7a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ce3ad5c3cfd324e8b0cc39c066d6d4e1.pdf 18468bf7cca0eae8fcf00a31d4e6d8bb PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Lambert Struble World War II 45 minutes 28 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Muir, Michigan on September 18, 1925 -Located in Lyons Township part of Ionia County -He grew up on a farm near Muir -They were able to keep the farm through the Great Depression -It was 160 acres -They grew oats, wheat, other various grains, and raised hogs -He was the middle child of three -He finished high school, but not until 1955 -He had left school after the eighth grade to go to work at a nearby orchard (00:02:12) Start of the War -He was out milking cows and there was a radio on in the barn -He heard the news that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor -He had anticipated that the United States would eventually get drawn into the war -Thought that it would be because of German aggression, not Japanese aggression though -He thought that the war would be over before he would have to serve (00:03:35) Getting Drafted & Basic Training -He turned eighteen in 1943 and received a draft notice almost immediately -He had to report for duty before Christmas 1943 -He reported to Camp Grant, Illinois to be inducted -At the time there was an epidemic of polio in the camp -From there he was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for basic training -Travelled there by train and the ride took two days -As they passed through small towns the women would feed the recruits -At the time Camp Wolters was a brand new camp -It was a huge camp with a perimeter that was seven miles long -The barracks were flimsy, tar paper shacks though -Poorly insulated which meant the wind could just cut through the walls -He started off with weapons training and was placed in a heavy weapons company -Trained with the .30 caliber machine gun and the 81mm mortar -Also received discipline training and went on marches -He was in good physical shape, so the physical training was not much of a challenge for him -He had grown up hunting, so marksmanship training was not difficult for him either -Everyone that was being trained was cooperative -Drill sergeants were tough, but reasonable -He stayed at Camp Wolters until May 1944 -He was allowed to go off the base to visit the town of Tyler, Texas -There wasn’t much to do there though -He remembers a sailor was in town on leave, and it was a strange sight �(00:10:25) Pre-Deployment -From Camp Wolters he was sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, Indiana -A unit was getting organized there, but there were problems with getting enough men -He stayed at Fort Benjamin Harrison for a little under half a year -He trained with mortars and machine guns every day -When it came time to leave he was given equipment and sent to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey -He stayed in Camp Kilmer for a couple days waiting to ship out (00:13:46) Deployment to Europe -In Camp Kilmer he boarded an old repurposed British superliner and left in October 1944 -He had been following the course of the war after being drafted -Thought that the Germans would have surrendered after D-Day -It took eight days to sail across the Atlantic Ocean -Men were getting incredibly seasick on the voyage over -They slept in larger rooms, not in individual cabins -There were bunk beds that were six to eight beds high -They were allowed to go on deck -On the voyage over they were treated to a USO Show by the singer Frances Langford -She happened to be on their ship going to Europe to perform for soldiers there (00:17:09) Arrival in the United Kingdom -They landed at Firth of Clyde, Scotland -He was placed on a train and sent south to the small English town of Cubbington -There wasn’t much space in the country due to the influx of American soldiers -At this point he was still just a replacement and didn’t have a unit yet -He stayed in England during the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944-January 25, 1945) -While in England he was just looking for ways to try and kill time -He would visit the village of Cubbington and some of the surrounding area -Never got to go into any of the larger cities like London though -The English civilians were welcoming -There was some resentment though towards American soldiers -Felt that they were “overpaid, oversexed, and over here” -He feels that it was an accurate statement -American servicemen were paid more, which made them more desirable -He spent Christmas 1944 on the base in England -He started to wonder if he would ever get to go to mainland Europe (00:21:09) Joining the 106th Infantry Division -In early 1945 he was sent over to mainland Europe to join a unit there -He crossed the English Channel on a barge and landed on the coast of France -He was placed on a train and went to the replacement depot near Nancy, France -He stayed there for a month waiting to be assigned to a unit -Assigned to D Company 1st Battalion 424th Infantry Regiment 106th Infantry Division -He was placed on a truck and taken to join the division -There was no major activity when he joined D Company -He remembers that there were truckloads of replacements -Units were being rebuilt after the losses from the Battle of the Bulge -There were a lot of battle hardened and older soldiers in his company �-He, and the other replacements, were treated well by the veteran soldiers -They tried to teach the replacements useful things -They stayed in their camp until the units were strong enough to move out (00:26:44) Advancing through Belgium -After they moved out they advanced through Belgium -There was still German resistance as they pushed through the country -He remembers the first time that he was shot at it was a sniper harassing their position -They traveled by truck and covered six to eight miles each day -At night they would set up temporary camps on the side of the road (00:28:37) Advancing into Germany -As they moved into Germany they started to see more evidence of the war -Dead livestock and spent ordnance -Surprisingly, towns and villages were mostly intact -As they passed through them German civilians just stayed out of the way -They never stopped in the towns to make camp -As they moved deeper into Germany they started to see more German prisoners of war -Some of the prisoners were either very old, or very young -The final push into Germany was fairly easy -By this point there was no fear of the Luftwaffe since the Allies controlled the skies -It was a rarity to see just one German fighter plane -When they did it would never attack them (00:31:20) End of the War in Europe -At the end of the war there were still pockets of German resistance -When the war ended he was as close to the frontlines as he had ever been during the war -He was in northern Germany on Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945) -After the war he didn’t see any Soviet troops, but he did see British troops -Most likely because they were in the British Occupation Zone -After the war they set up defensive positions to insure the Soviets didn’t try to advance further -They were camped out in the German countryside, living out of tents -After the war he saw more German civilians -The civilians were cooperative and willing to help American soldiers -He remembers buying hay off of a farmer to make a bed -They would regularly trade cigarettes and food with the German civilians -He stayed in northern Germany for about a month (00:35:52) Occupation of Germany Pt. 1 -He was moved into the southern part of Germany into the American Occupation Zone -They were set up on an old German army base -Stayed there for about one month -He remembers a man shooting himself in the hand, so that he could go home sooner -Last he heard the man was going to be court martialed -The occupation duty was good (00:38:05) Contact with Home -He stayed in contact with home by way of V-mail -A way of sending and receiving letters by using microfilm for faster transportation -He also received care packages from home -Remembers getting fruitcakes and other nonperishable treats �(00:38:38) Occupation of Germany Pt. 2 -No fraternization with German civilians was allowed -Men would still go out to meet with German women though -If they were caught they were brought back to base and imprisoned -He was still in Germany by the time Christmas 1945 came -He was no longer on the base, but was in a brick house that been abandoned -They were mostly just a force there, and they weren’t carrying out any specific duties at the time (00:40:40) Coming Home & Life after the War -He was sent home in August 1946 -A full year after the complete end of the war in August 1945 -He was sent to Camp Lucky Strike in northern France to be processed -He stayed there for about two (or three) weeks -He boarded a Liberty Ship bound for the United States -It took eight days to get home -The weather was good, so it was not a bad voyage -The ship arrived in New Jersey and he reported to Camp Kilmer to be discharged -After returning home he went to work for Portland Equipment Company -Worked there for three years -After that he worked for the State of Michigan as a prison guard at Ionia Prison -Worked there for thirty three years (00:44:02) Reflections on Service -It was a different way of life going into the Army -He learned from his experiences -Taught him to look after himself, because no one else will -He would do it again if he had to � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_StrubleL1715V Title A name given to the resource Struble, Lambert (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-12-15 Description An account of the resource Lambert Struble is a World War II veteran who was born in Muir, Michigan in 1925. He grew up there and in 1943 he was drafted into the Army and was inducted at Camp Grant, Illinois. He received heavy weapons training at Camp Wolters, Texas and then later at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. In October 1944 he was sent over to Europe out of Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and was stationed in Covington, England during that winter. In early 1945 he was sent over to mainland Europe where he joined D Company 1st Battalion 424th Infantry Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division. He participated in the advance through Belgium, and then the final push into Germany. After the war he was part of the American occupying force in northern Germany, and then in southern Germany until August 1946 when he was sent home and was discharged out of Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Struble, Lambert 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 World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/eb01bff1c2dd7f5e8a9a9966c10d8d19.mp4 6bb00fe26fd465d41f5199c03a5ff56d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dec9a43f3911119920e982358b8376fe.pdf 4435658a9892db764c8193fa7babaa56 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bea Foster Spivey World War II-Homefront 10 minutes 11 seconds (00:00:01) Husband's Service in the South Pacific -They were married during World War II -Husband was a staff sergeant in the Army -Enjoyed being in the Army -They had an eighteen month old baby when he left -Prior to the war he had played baseball -Went to a camp, so he could learn how to join a professional team -He was a semi-professional pitcher -Pitching shoulder was injured during the war in the Philippines -When he was in the Philippines a fellow soldier was harassing a Filipino -He stepped in and stopped the harassment -Moved into an area with caves in the Philippines -He went in and encountered a Japanese soldier -He shot first, but the Japanese soldier was able to shoot back -Got shot in the ear and didn't even realize it -Later got wounded in the shoulder by artillery shrapnel -Served in New Guinea -Able to go to Australia on leave -Enjoyed going to the bars to get the local milk -He didn't drink, but enjoyed the milk because it was so thick and sweet -His name was William Hubert Foster -Took part in the liberation of the Philippines (October 20,1944-August 15, 1945) -Her brother was in the Navy during the liberation of the Philippines (00:06:22) The Homefront -She lived with William's family for a while -Then lived with her Aunt Julie -Moved up to Michigan to live with her parents -Worked in a Ford factory during the war -Started off by working a rivet gun -Moved on to spot welding aircraft wings -Enjoyed working at the factory -Everything was rationed -It was hard to feed a family off of rations, but her mother was able to do it -Near the end of the war she went to work in a nightclub as a cleaning lady (00:08:59) End of the War -Had moved back to South Carolina to live with William's family -When the war ended everyone got in their cars and drove around honking their horns -Everyone was celebrating everywhere � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SpiveyD1751V Title A name given to the resource Spivey, Beatrice Foster (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-24 Description An account of the resource Bea Foster Spivey was on the homefront during the Second World War and worked in a Ford factory in Michigan during the war. She was married and had a baby during the war, and her husband, William Hubert Foster served in the Army as a staff sergeant and saw action on New Guinea and on the Philippines and was wounded twice on the Philippines Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Spivey, Beatrice Foster Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Childress, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f28204f59839141f2f15e8a1dafac40a.m4v 59ffdcce99161624524ed24c1329bc0e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b6ae4ed0c100211f0fa70849a7adda70.pdf 1883a24b741bccfd17f7e234846de753 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Everett Slaughter Jr. Vietnam War 1 hour 37 minutes 46 seconds (00:00:23) Early Life -Born on September 15, 1946, in Fayetteville, Arkansas -Grew up in the town of Elkins 12 miles east of Fayetteville -Father worked as an auto body worker -Mother worked as a nurse’s aid -Kicked out of high school in ninth grade -Worked in a gas station, and in a turkey processing factory (00:01:49) Volunteering for the Draft -Brother came home from and encouraged Everett to join the military -Volunteered for the draft in 1965 -Volunteering for the draft meant getting the draft service done before being called to serve -Better than waiting for the draft notice to come -Shorter enlistment (two years) as opposed to enlisting (four years) (00:02:55) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Reported for basic training on May 25, 1965 -Aware of the developing situation in Vietnam -Marines entered Vietnam in March 1965, and the Army followed in May 1965 -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for basic training -It was difficult because of the heat in the summer -Did his basic training in June and July -Came home for two weeks of leave after basic training (00:04:27) Advanced Individual Training Pt. 1 -Returned to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for advanced individual training (AIT) -Did AIT in August and September 1965 -Had the military occupational specialty of 11-Hotel (antitank soldier) (00:04:42) Basic Training Pt. 2 -Basic training started with marching and drills to instill cohesion as a unit -Received basic weapons training with a focus on using a rifle -Learned about basic infantry tactics -Received some First Aid training -Strong emphasis on discipline -Kept in the company area for the first month of basic training -In the second month recruits were allowed to go to the PX (Army general store) and movies -Too scared to do anything but follow the orders of drill sergeants -Adjusted well partly because of that fear -In good physical shape for basic training (00:06:50) Advanced Individual Training Pt. 2 -During AIT he received his military occupational specialty training -His AIT focused on using antitank weapons -106mm, 90 mm recoilless rifles and 3.5 inch rocket launcher -He never fired a live round during AIT, but they had old tanks as targets -AIT lasted six weeks �(00:09:30) First Deployment to Vietnam -Told to report to the 1st sergeant in the orderly room at Fort Polk -Received his deployment orders for Vietnam -First man in his company to Vietnam -Ultimately deployed with ten other men from his unit -Placed on a train bound for Oakland, California -Stayed in a large, 10,000-man reception center for outgoing soldiers -Stayed for a week doing processing and work details -Flew out of Travis Air Force Base -Stopped at Guam and the Philippines -Flew on a C-141 transport (00:11:40) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase near Saigon -Incredibly hot, and it felt like walking into a furnace -Stayed at a reception center for four or five days while he waited for his unit assignment (00:12:25) Assignment to 1st Infantry Division -Assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division -Taken to Bien Hoa by truck -2nd Battalion had a base near Bien Hoa in the middle of the jungle -Every smaller unit wanted a new soldier -Placed in the mortars & antitank platoon -They were on the base at the time -He was assigned to a gun crew -Four men per gun, and he worked as a loader (or assistant gunner) -Had a 460 pound gun that fired 54 pound rounds -High-explosive antitank (HEAT), fragmentation, and flechette round -Stayed on the base at Bien Hoa for four or five days doing training and trash detail (00:16:22) Patrols around Bien Hoa -Got his first patrol mission four or five days after joining the unit -Went into the jungle for a patrol -Taken to the area of operations by truck -Patrolled for one or two weeks then returned to base -Left the 460 pound gun on base during routine patrols -Carried three mortar shells, and he was the radio-telephone operator so he carried the PRC-25 radio -Sometimes they encountered resistance, and other times they didn’t -Got into one bad firefight where they sustained a lot of casualties -Typically fought against the Viet Cong -In October 1965, the North Vietnamese had yet to penetrate that far into South Vietnam -Saw a lot of booby traps -Mechanical traps like trip-wire bombs, and primitive traps like punji pits -Once in a while they encountered snipers -Usually ambushed the Viet Cong, not the other way around -Operated as a company on patrols, making them a strong force in the region -Received intelligence about areas with enemy presence, then went to investigate -In the particularly bad firefight they were taken to a landing zone by helicopter -He was the radio-telephone operator, so he called in medevac helicopters to get the wounded -Had more wounded than dead soldiers -Pushed the Viet Cong out of the area and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong -Left behind a lot of dead bodies �(00:22:37) Contact with Vietnamese Pt. 1 -He didn’t have to deal with the Rules of Engagement because he was a radio operator -Had a South Vietnamese policeman with his company -Interrogated prisoners-of-war on site before sending them to the rear for processing -Patrolled through larger villages -Remembers they thoroughly searched one village -The Americans searched the houses -South Vietnamese interrogated villagers about ties to the Viet Cong (00:24:40) Further Patrols -Moved to Di An Base Camp for the last four months of his first tour in Vietnam -Defoliated area with a built-up base -There was a sniper that shot at the base, but the sniper wasn’t a good shot -Continued patrols out of the new base -Operated in jungles and rice paddies -Operated out of the abandoned Michelin Rubber Plantation for one month (00:26:36) Contact with Vietnamese Pt. 2 -Found the Vietnamese people to be small people -Didn’t think about them much unless they were a combatant (00:27:20) Awareness of Vietnam War -Didn’t know why he was in Vietnam aside from the fact that there was a war -Came to understand that the Vietnam War was, essentially, a civil war -The North and South fighting for total control of the country (00:27:53) Visiting Saigon -Visited Saigon a couple times, both for business and relaxation -Brought a supply sergeant to Tan Son Nhut Airbase to gather supplies -Went to downtown Saigon a couple times to visit the bars -Crowded city, and he never saw so many bicycles -Roads were filled with people, which came as a surprise to him -Dropped off in downtown Saigon and told to be back at the drop off point by 6 p.m. -Told to stay away from the women due to venereal diseases (00:29:37) Morale on the First Tour -Morale seemed to be good -Enjoyable time even being in Vietnam -Had good commissioned officers and experienced non-commissioned officers -Platoon sergeant was a good man -A couple of the sergeants had been in the Army for a few years (00:31:26) R&R on First Tour -Got an R&R to Bangkok, Thailand -Enjoyed visiting the city -Given the choice of locale to visit, and allowed to pick the time to go on R&R -Able to go bowling, swimming, to relax, and there were women -Relaxing to not be in a war zone -Chance to lie beside a pool and sleep without worrying about being attacked -Depressing to return to Vietnam even though his first tour had gone well (00:33:11) Drug Use & Race Relations on First Tour -A few men smoked weed, but they only did that on base -Platoon sergeant and section sergeant were black men, and there was a Native American in his unit -Rest of the men in the platoon were white -Everyone seemed to get along well with each other �(00:34:38) Section Sergeant Wounded -Remembers when his section sergeant got paralyzed from the waist down -He was lying beside Everett during a firefight, and a piece of shrapnel hit him in the back -Everett carried him off the battlefield when the fight ended (00:35:22) End of First Tour & Reenlisting -His first tour ended in October 1966 -He had decided to stay in the Army -Made the decision when he initially joined the Army -Liked being a soldier (00:36:15) Stationed at Fort Jackson -Stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina -Reenlisted at Fort Jackson three months after his arrival -Served as instructor on the M16 rifle range -Still relatively new weapon and preceded by the M14 -M14: 9 pounds, long rifle, .308 rounds, and heavy ammo -M16: 5 pounds, short rifle, and smaller and lighter ammo -M16 had technical problems -Jammed easily (even though he never encountered that) -M16 was an improved weapon, but he preferred the M14 for its durability and accuracy -Stationed at Fort Jackson for one year (00:40:17) Stationed in Panama -Received orders for the Panama Canal Zone -Part of infantry training with A Company in the 10th Infantry Regiment -Trained at the Jungle School -Learned how to survive and fight in the jungle -Did navigation courses -Every day he did something different -Rappelling courses, escape & evasion, and river crossing exercises -During mock combat, he played the enemy -Served at the Jungle School for three or four months -Stationed in the Panama Canal Zone for 18 months (00:43:05) Stationed at Fort Benning -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia -Worked as a supply clerk for training command -Dealt with general supplies and ammunition -He was an E4 (specialist or corporal) -It was like having a regular day job at Fort Benning -Worked from 7:30 or 8 a.m. to 4:30 or 5 p.m. -Lived in the barracks on base -Happy when that assignment ended because office work bored him -Stationed at Fort Benning for six months (00:44:57) Redeployment to Vietnam & Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Received orders for another deployment to Vietnam -Didn’t have to do any additional training since he’d already qualified with the M16 rifle -Sent to Washington and took a chartered commercial flight to Vietnam -Arrived at Tan Son Nhut Airbase -Sent up to Phu Bai, then to Camp Evans -On his second tour, he went to Vietnam as a replacement -Assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Divsion �-Stayed at Camp Evans for three or four days -Issued supplies, an M16 rifle, a rucksack, and ammunition -Took a helicopter to Firebase Ripcord, and another helicopter to B Company in the field -Joined B Company in April 1970 -Did the Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School at Camp Eagle in Phu Bai -Went on patrols near Camp Eagle, but nothing much happened -SERTS was more for the men that had never been to Vietnam -He was the only replacement with one tour under his belt (00:48:40) Firebase Ripcord -Firebase Ripcord was established to support infantry in the A Shau Valley -It essentially spent its entire existence in a defensive situation -It was 3,000 feet above sea level, and he was able to look down and see the clouds -Firebase was surrounded by jungle -Had mortars, howitzers, defenses, and one infantry company defending the base (00:50:43) Patrols with B Company -Met a platoon from B Company at a landing zone in the jungle -Platoon had blown up the trees to form a temporary landing zone for him -Platoon greeted him, and they seemed glad to get a new soldier -First night in the field he patrolled the night defensive position perimeter -No contact with enemy forces for the first few weeks -There were about 30 men in the platoon -Made their own trails, because established trails were susceptible to ambushes -Stayed in the field for a month -Resupplied by helicopter -Spent days on patrol looking for enemy forces or enemy supplies -Killed the enemy soldiers, and destroyed the enemy supplies -Found ammunition, food, medical supplies, sleeping gear, and clothing -Took no casualties during his first month with B Company -Rotated onto Ripcord, then off for patrols, then on again (00:56:22) Battle of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -On Firebase Ripcord when the battle began on July 1, 1970 -It was relaxing on the base except when the North Vietnamese attacked the base with artillery -Happened every time a helicopter came to the firebase -North Vietnamese had artillery in the hills around Ripcord -Difficult to find and almost impossible to destroy -Had noticed more enemy activity in June 1970 -B Company got lucky being stationed on Ripcord when the battle began -Didn’t get into any major firefights during his time with B Company (00:59:06) Stand Down at Camp Evans -Went to Camp Evans for stand downs -Did a major stand down in June before the battle in July -Chance to see a doctor, deal with personal things, and go to the rifle range -Also a chance to shower, got hot food, and a pair of new boots (01:00:05) Battle of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -Battle began in earnest on July 2nd with the Battle of Hill 902 -B Company was guarding the base during the battle -He was in a bunker near a helipad and M45 Quadmount positions -Set out mines at night and patrolled the perimeter -Had barbed and concertina wire around the base, and foo gas (barrels of makeshift napalm) �-The siege of Ripcord lasted a little over three weeks when the firebase fell on July 23rd -When the helicopters came in he always hunkered down in his bunker -Remembers a Huey helicopter getting shot down over the helipad by his bunker -North Vietnamese used 120mm artillery rounds and mortars to bombard the base -The bunker was not designed to take a direct hit, but to protect from shrapnel -Dug into the earth, corrugated steel roof, and sandbags on top of the roof -Didn’t see enemy troops outside of the perimeter -One American soldier accidentally got outside the perimeter -The other soldiers mistook him from an enemy soldier and threw grenades at him -He took cover behind a rock and survived the ordeal without getting hurt -Chinook helicopter crashed on July 18th destroying the artillery and the artillery ammunition -Saw the helicopter come in, go down, the explosion of the crash, then the secondary explosions -Stayed in his bunker until all the ammunition exploded (01:09:36) Contact with Vietnamese Pt. 3 -Had a Chieu Hoi scout in his platoon -Note: Chieu Hoi scouts were North Vietnamese defectors that joined the US/South Vietnam -The scout was no help at all (01:10:30) Fall of Firebase Ripcord -On July 23rd, the evacuation of Firebase Ripcord began -He left his bunker and destroyed his grenade cache -Saw a wounded man and helped carry him to one of the helicopters -Colonel Lucas, the commander of 2nd Battalion, was killed-in-action during the evacuation -Boarded one of the last helicopters and flew to Camp Evans -Once all Americans were off Ripcord, B-52 bombers destroyed the firebase (01:13:38) Patrols after Ripcord -Took a chance to relax, regroup, and get new gear since he left everything on Firebase Ripcord -Allowed to relax at Camp Evans for one week -Continued with patrols in the jungle -Stopped at Firebase Rakkasan briefly -Patrolled the hills in the jungles, had minimal contact, and never went into the A Shau Valley -Mostly operated in the Lowlands (01:15:45) Morale on Second Tour -Morale was pretty good considering what had happened at Firebase Ripcord -Went to Camp Eagle on occasion -Chance to drink and watch Vietnamese bands perform (01:16:30) R&R on Second Tour -Took his R&R to Taiwan -Guide took him to theaters, movies, and to live performances -Enjoyed his time in Taiwan (01:17:24) Race Relations in Second Tour -Had two or three black men in his platoon in B Company -Never saw racism or tension (01:18:30) End of Second Tour -Spent the last 30 days of his second tour at Camp Evans -Checked perimeter bunkers and assigned positions -Brought the men food and coffee -Caught some men asleep during guard duty (01:19:45) Drug Use in Second Tour -Saw some men throwing up after leaving the mess hall �-He joked about the food being bad -Told that the men were heroin users, and eating made them sick (01:20:30) Stationed in West Germany -Returned to the United States then received orders for a tour in Germany -Sent to Augsburg, Germany, to join the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division -Relocated to Stuttgart -Most of the non-commissioned officers had served in Vietnam -There was more racial tension in Germany than in Vietnam -Didn’t affect everyone, and he never saw it in his platoon, but knew it existed -Didn’t have any problems with the Germans -They seemed friendly -Welcomed American soldiers because they spent money at German businesses -Went on a field exercise -Ran into Germans having a BBQ -Germans invited the soldiers to sit and eat with them, so they did -Soviet invasion was always in the back of his mind -Stationed on the Fulda Gap if the Soviet Union invaded western Europe -Patrolled the area several times -Had gun positions and TOW missiles -Had fallback positions -Did three tours in Germany, for a total of 10 ½ years -In Augsburg during the Munich 1972 Olympics (01:27:00) Getting Married -Went to Turkey in August 1972 to get married -Friend married a Turkish woman, and invited Everett to a party -The friend’s wife had invited a Turkish friend, Everett met her, and they began dating -Got married in Istanbul -Nice city filled with old American cars -Turks bought cars from American servicemen before they went home (01:29:15) Army Career -Stayed in the Army for 20 years and retired in 1985 -Did three years with the 1st Infantry Division in Germany (first tour in West Germany) -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to serve as a TOW missile instructor -In the Army during its transition to an all-volunteer military -A lot of high school graduates looking for college payment -Young people looking for guidance -Some young people given the option of joining the Army, or going to jail -Found the draft to be more of an equalizer, but the all-volunteer Army worked -Did a second tour in Germany with the 1st Armored Division -Worked with antitank systems and armored personnel carriers -Similar to his first tour in Germany -Lived in government quarters off base with his wife -Stationed there for four years -Sent to Fort Carson, Colorado, to serve with the 4th Infantry Division -Wife enjoyed the United States -Got her driver’s license -Had two children -Stationed there for one year -Returned to Germany for another tour in Wurzburg �-Stationed there for 3 ½ years -Retired after his third tour in Germany (01:33:29) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Didn’t like Germany because it was so cold -His best assignment was Panama -Worked from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. then spent the rest of the day at the beach (01:34:22) Life after Service -Got a job in Turkey and worked for a company for one year -Lost his work visa due to politics -Returned to the United States, but his son got accepted into a prestigious Turkish school -Came back to Turkey, got a job with his old company, and worked in Istanbul -Has two homes: one in the United States and one in Turkey -He and his wife live in Turkey for about nine months out of the year -Come back to the US for three months out of the year to visit family and friends -His daughter lives in Washington, and his siblings still live in Arkansas (01:37:15) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Army made him a better person -More understanding of different people -More appreciative of different kinds of people � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SlaughterE1964V Title A name given to the resource Slaughter, Everett Jr (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-06 Description An account of the resource Everett Slaughter Jr. was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on September 15, 1946. He volunteered for the draft in April 1965. He received his basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. For his first tour in Vietnam he was deployed in October 1965 and he joined A Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. They operated around Bien Hoa for eight months, then four months around Di An Base Camp. He returned to the United States and worked as an instructor on the rifle range at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, then went to the Panama Canal Zone to serve with A Company in the 10th Infantry Regiment. He worked at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a supply clerk before receiving orders for a second deployment to Vietnam. He arrived in Vietnam in April 1970 and joined B Company of 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. They patrolled around Firebase Ripcord from April through June, and were on Ripcord during the battle in July 1970. He completed his second tour in April 1971. He ultimately spent 20 years in the Army serving in West Germany three separate times, at Fort Polk as TOW missile instructor, and at Fort Carson, Colorado. He retired in 1985. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Slaughter, Everett Jr. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/449c2eb3ff569defb90503fdce75e315.m4v 856b19e7c1bb85ed89e360345b61d197 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/05ab19c52e369f8db26a248978e74936.pdf ec4c5bac6e569f211fdb98f316e8bea9 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Wayne Skaggs Vietnam War 53 minutes 45 seconds (00:00:16) Early Life -Born in Stidham, Oklahoma in 1949 on a farm -Lived there until he got drafted -Family farm had corn, peanuts, and soybeans -Lived in east-central Oklahoma -Graduated in 1967 -Worked on the farm and did various odd jobs after graduating from high school -Spent one summer in Michigan and in Texas as a welder’s helper (00:02:32) Getting Drafted & Awareness of Vietnam War -He got drafted in February 1969 -He wasn’t too aware of the Vietnam War -Heard some things on the news, but didn’t pay too much attention to it -Didn’t see or hear about anti-war movements around him (00:03:10) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for basic training -Received a terrifying greeting -Drill sergeants screaming orders and insults at him and the other recruits -Did physical training to get into shape (exercising, running, and drilling) and learned to march -Thought he was in good physical shape until they started running every morning -Strong emphasis on discipline and respect for authority -It wasn’t a difficult adjustment for him -Knew how to take orders and show respect -Basic training lasted two (or three) months (00:05:11) Advanced Infantry Training -Stayed at Fort Polk for his advanced infantry training, but received it in “Tigerland” - “Tigerland”: portion of Fort Polk focused on training men for Vietnam -Learned about guerrilla tactics and focused on being an infantryman -Training was totally focused on preparing the men for fighting in Vietnam -Did land navigation courses (learning how to navigate with a map and compass) -Did an “escape & evasion” course -Go from Point A to Point B without being “captured” by the drill sergeants -He didn’t get caught -Advanced infantry training lasted eight (or nine) weeks (00:07:20) Deployment to Vietnam -Given a leave to go home before being deployed -Flew out of Oakland, California up to Alaska then over to Japan -Landed at Da Nang Airbase -Flew over in a military aircraft -First impression of Vietnam was that it was extremely hot and humid -Sent to a processing center and stayed there for two or three days -During that time a couple 122mm rockets hit the base -He was in the mess hall when it happened and everyone hit the floor �-Arrived in Vietnam on July 11, 1969 (00:10:00) Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division -Sent to Camp Evans -Sent to his company’s headquarters to wait for his company to return -He had been assigned to Delta (D) Company of 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment -Since he was a replacement, some of the men merely tolerated him while others helped him (00:11:25) First Patrol -Three days after joining D Company they went into the field; the first time for him -Walked out of Camp Evans at night -Usually flew out via helicopter during the day -Patrolled around Camp Evans for seven to ten days before being extracted -There weren’t a lot of new men in D Company -On the second day of the patrol they surrounded a bamboo thicket occupied by Viet Cong -One soldier ordered them to surrender and they didn’t comply -D Company opened fire on the thicket and killed three of the Viet Cong -Sergeant led an ambush that killed four or five Viet Cong -The primary objective while at Camp Evans was to flush out the Viet Cong from the area -That first patrol was a chance for him to be introduced to patrolling and making contact -On one night they were passing through tall grass -Sent the point team away from the main body of the company to conduct reconnaissance -The point team returned, but didn’t acknowledge their presence -As a result, the point man got wounded by friendly fire (00:20:05) Operating near Camp Evans -Very seldom returned to Camp Evans -Only went to Camp Evans for four to six weeks for a stand down (chance to relax and regroup) -Usually got extracted from one area of operations and moved to another area of operations (00:21:00) Operating in the Mountains -Moved into the mountains after patrolling around Camp Evans -Usually operated as a company, but spread out -Walked along the ridge-line to find the enemy and kill them -For the most part he didn’t see too many enemy soldiers -Occasionally encountered the Montagnard people (hill tribes that were US – friendly) -By now the North Vietnamese were primarily operating in the mountains -Found underground bunker complexes and hit them with CS gas (similar to tear gas) -The gas permeated the walls and making the tunnels uninhabitable -Walked on trails, but had to watch out for booby traps -Didn’t encounter too many -One man tripped one trap that consisted of a tripwire and a 155mm artillery round -Most significant booby trap he encountered in Vietnam -He had started in Vietnam as a private first class and in February 1970 he got promoted to sergeant -As sergeant he became squad leader -Almost exclusively operated in the mountains of “I Corps” after leaving the Camp Evans area -Note: I Corps was one of the tactical zones in South Vietnam -The monsoons began when they were in the mountains -Received 60 inches of rain in I Corps during the monsoon season -Helicopters could operate in the area and deliver supplies when it wasn’t raining -Rhythm of clear skies, then two hours of rain, then clear skies, more rain, etc. -Primary focus of resupplies in the mountains was getting more C-rations �-Pound cakes and canned peaches were the soldiers’ favorites -Meals weren’t good, but they kept you going -He preferred certain meals over others (00:28:17) Enemy Contact & Casualties -D Company took some casualties, but not too many -Average firefight only lasted five or ten seconds -The enemy hit and then ran -Usually outnumbered by American troops, so they couldn’t stay for a long fight (00:29:04) Leadership -When he became sergeant he had a better idea of what they were doing and where they were operating -Same idea as before (search & destroy), but he had more information available to him -Had a couple 2nd lieutenants that were incompetent -Had a 1st lieutenant nicknamed “Gator” who was a good, brave man -Didn’t have much contact with D Company’s commander, Captain Rollison (00:30:38) Operating around Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -Started operating around the rebuilt Firebase Ripcord in March 1970 -Located in the A Shau Valley -More enemy contact and started taking more casualties in the spring and summer of 1970 -Larger North Vietnamese presence than in the Lowlands near Camp Evans -Firefights remained short, but more frequent (00:32:18) Battle of Firebase Ripcord & Coming Home Pt. 1 -D Company was on Ripcord pulling security until July 6, 1970 -They received orders to go into the field to rescue Alpha Company -Wayne was slated to leave the field on July 6, and Vietnam on July 10 -He asked his officer what to do, and his officer told him to go home -Went to Camp Evans and left Vietnam on July 9, 1970 -On July 2 he was on Ripcord when Hill 902 got attacked -Basically happened in front of them in the early morning -Lots of explosions, muzzles flashes, and small-arms fire -Had a foxhole position on Ripcord’s perimeter with ammunition and a Claymore mine trigger -Next to the foxhole there was a bunker made of sandbags and wood for cover and sleeping -During the bombardment of Ripcord a 60mm mortar landed directly on the bunker -He and the other men were sleeping and barely noticed the sound of it landing -Never went to the top of Ripcord, just stayed at his position on the perimeter (00:37:49) Downtime in Vietnam -Camp Evans was one of the closer places for downtime -Had a PX (post-exchange; Army general store) -Had an NCO (Non-commissioned officer) Club -Able to buy and consume beer -Three times a year the unit went to Eagle Beach (in-country R&R location for the 101st Airborne) -It was a secure area on the South China Sea -Chance to go swimming and relax (00:39:20) R&R -He got an R&R to Sydney, Australia -Closest thing to being in the United States (as opposed to going to Thailand, Japan, etc.) -People and environment felt a lot like being in America -Hawaii was an option, but it was (informally) reserved for married men -Limited number of openings to go to an R&R location -Meant that if a single man took a married man’s seat then he couldn’t see his wife �-He enjoyed his time in Australia -It wasn’t hard for him to return to Vietnam because he knew it was coming -He was able to mentally prepare himself (00:40:37) Contact with the Vietnamese -Most of the Vietnamese people were good people -At Camp Evans there was a village right outside the base perimeter -He visited and a family in the village invited him into their home for dinner -Most of the civilians seemed to appreciate what the United States was trying to do in South Vietnam -D Company had a Kit Carson Scout attached to them -Former Viet Cong soldier that joined the South Vietnamese to work as a scout -Wayne’s squad had a Chu Hoi scout with him from the North Vietnamese Army -Similar idea as a Kit Carson Scout -The man they had was a good scout -Knew how to spot North Vietnamese booby traps and other threats (00:44:08) Operating around Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -While in the Ripcord area, a sergeant from 3rd platoon was killed in action -His platoon got ambushed near 3rd platoon’s position -His point man was wounded three times -Remembers hitting the ground and bullets kicking up dirt all around him -His best friend in Vietnam got wounded in the leg during that firefight -Called up a machine gun to rake the area with fire before moving (00:48:10) Coming Home Pt. 2 & End of Service -From Camp Evans he went to Bien Hoa Airbase and flew out of there -He landed at Fort Lewis, Washington -Issued new clothing and his payment -Given some leave then reported to Fort Carson, Colorado, for the last six months of his enlistment -Doesn’t remember encountering any anti-war protesters when he came home -The people he encountered were nice -A lot of men at Fort Carson had served a tour in Vietnam and were just waiting to be discharged -Note: Puts his discharge date in either January or February 1971 (00:51:21) Life after the War -He returned to Oklahoma after getting discharged -Got a job and got married -Had a 45-year career of installing flooring (carpet, tile, hardwood floors, etc.) (00:52:19) Reflections on Service -He had a lot of respect for the men that he served with -He would do it again if he had to -He didn’t want to go, and he didn’t enjoy it, but he did it and would repeat if necessary � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SkaggsW1959V Title A name given to the resource Skaggs, Wayne (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-07 Description An account of the resource Wayne Skaggs was born in Stidham, Oklahoma, in 1949. He was drafted in February 1969 and sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for basic training then advanced infantry training. In July 1969 he was deployed to Vietnam and arrived on July 11. He was assigned to Delta Company of 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Evans. For the duration of his tour he went on patrols around Camp Evans, went on mountain patrols, and in the spring and summer of 1970 patrolled around Firebase Ripcord. On July 1, 1970, the North Vietnamese attacked Ripcord and he was on base when the bombardment began. On July 6th his tour ended, and by July 9th he was out of the country. He did the last six months of his enlistment at Fort Carson, Colorado, which places his discharge date sometime in either January or February 1971. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Skaggs, Wayne Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d968c5aa11e9d7b447c0f149fed29856.m4v ec0b25e4e6b5876013586d921efa0098 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/67020648cb9cd8105bf6d42141d3578a.pdf e247fa1e841b2da27ecd85e0ccd4eb97 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Lee Scherwitz Vietnam War 1 hour 25 minutes 53 seconds (00:00:03) Intro -Born on October 9th, 1946. -Entered the service in 1965 as a career airman. -Left the service in 1991. -His highest rank achieved is senior master sergeant E-8. (00:01:10) Early Life -Born in Teaneck, New Jersey. -Father was a tool and die maker. -Mother was a homemaker at the time. -Four other siblings. He is the second youngest of five. -Family moved a few times. Grew up mainly in Pearl River, New York. -About 20 minutes from NYC. -Desired to become an auto mechanic. -Not interested in college. -Someone offered him money to operate an auto repair/carwash station. -In 1965 the military recruited at his high school. -Those that already secured entrance to a college were dismissed. -He did want to go into the Navy. -In his youth he went through the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Sea Scouts. -Brother was also in the Navy. -Navy recruiter told him he already met his quota. -It would be two years before he could get in. -At the time he didn’t know the Air Force existed. -Thought it was part of the Army Air Corps. -Already had his draft card. -He knew drafting was inevitable so he wanted to just do it and get it over with. -Air Force recruiter convinced him to enlist. -Turned 18 the October before. -Already took his aptitude test. (00:05:00) -Being an aircraft mechanic sounded interesting. -When he was very young he would repair lawnmowers. -Graduated in June, 1965. Basic Training, Aircraft Maint Training, and Tech School in the US -On July 6th he was formally enlisted. -He was flown to the Lackland, Texas Air Force base for basic training. -The barracks were from WWII; boarded up and condemned. �-They were put to work to refurbish their own barracks. -Many on his flight to the base were from New York as well. -He already had a sense of a military outlook from his scouting experience. -Enjoyed his training ultimately. -After basic training, sent to Shephard Air Force Base in Texas. -Trained to maintain aircraft. -Studied in the one/two engine section of the school. -Worked on F-86, F-84, F-100s, and T-33 planes. -Learned to take pumps on/off, doing basic maintenance. -Next, his first duty assignment was at Selfridge Air Force base in Michigan. (00:10:00) Selfridge Michigan -Started out with a brusque introduction to the base. -Became more friendly after the initial stages. -Shown an F-106 for the first time. -Selfridge was part of the NORAD system. -At this time he is a 1-striper, Airman Third Class. -Much of the higher ranking recruits were being sent to Vietnam. -He worked under a 3-striper. -Designations of levels of training: -He had his 3-level from his current training. -Higher than that there was a 5-level. -7-level was for an NCO. -A 9-level was the supervisory level. -Took the advice to take every opportunity. (00:15:00) -Learned to drive a de-icing truck. -Arrived at Selfridge in the later part of 1965. -He was assigned to the 94th Tactical Interceptor Squadron. -In 1967 he “Flying Fists”, the 91st transferred from Selfridge to Richards-Gebaur Air Force base in Kansas City, Missouri. -He transferred to Richards-Gebaur in January 1967. -He continued to work on the F-106 planes. -He had earned his second stripe and had more responsibility. -“Crewing” on his own without supervision. -Running an expediter truck. -It’s purpose is to monitor resources of the planes to ready for their flight. -Not long after transferring received orders to go to Southeast Asia. -But he did not have the training to work on the Phantom planes there. -So he was required to go to tech school at MacDill Air Force Base in Flordia. -While at Selfridge he had met a girlfriend. -They married on July 28, 1967. -Coincided with the Detroit riots. -His tech school journey was their “75 day honeymoon”. -Classes at 4am to noon. -They were teaching classes 24 hours a day to get everyone through quick and out to Vietnam. �-Took place in the Tampa Florida region. -He finished the tech school training at MacDill in October 1967. -Next, he was sent to San Francisco to fly to Thailand. -While there he had two days until his flight left in California. -Visited Haight-Ashbury and the “typical” tourist areas. -Received some disapproving looks and “snubbing” while wearing his uniform. -But not as bad as some military would receive. (00:20:00) Ubon, Thailand -Flew to Bangkok, Thailand. -Next, flew on a C-130 plane from Bangkok to Ubon, Thailand. -Reported to the 555th Tech Fighter Squadron. -They used F-4 Phantom planes. -Took some training for about two weeks before working on his own. -The pilots there would fly for 100 missions, and they could be discharged. -Others had to stay for a year minimum. -He was part of the 8th Fighter Squadron. -Known for Daniel “Chappie” James, the first black four-star general. -He interacted with him and was well liked among the recruits. -At that time Chappie James was a colonel. -A 12 hour work day was typical. -They had one day off for the week, and which day it was varied. -“Cannibalization” of parts occurred. -When parts are taken from a broken airplane and used to fix another. (00:25:00) -When larger parts were needed the entire assembly would be transferred. -Legal and illegal “cannonballs” the process was referred to. -They went through three Crew Chiefs that were fired. -He was given a new role as Crew Chief. -They desperately needed a craft to be fixed and gave him wide authority to do so. -Because of cannibalization the craft required constant guard to prevent taking its parts. -At this time he is a three-striper rank. (00:30:00) -Given a phase dock crew to work for him to complete their goal. -Spent most of his time searching for parts, requisitioning them. -On the 90th day of repair they ran a taxi check. -Finally on the 120th day the plane was in flying condition. -Once it was finished he was able to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand as a reward for hard work. -Stayed for three days. -After returning to base, he went back to crewing and launching planes. -All the planes he launched returned. (00:35:00) -The Seabees built all of the infrastructure for use by the Air Force. -At Ubon he resided in a concrete two story barrack well built to protect against weather. -A house boy polished their shoes and cleaned their clothes. -The house boy used ironed clothes with banana leaves. �-The starch would seep into the uniforms. -Caused uniforms to “foam” if caught in the rain. -Workers on the air base would bring their children. -One would babysit while the other was cleaning. -(Seemingly these may be local people). -Requested his wife to send little toys or gifts for them to have. -Beer cost only 5 cents, while a Coka-Cola cost 25 cents. -His preference: wine or Popov Vodka. -Popov was only 90 cents. -They would take the “baht bus” in to town. -Baht is a Thai currency. -Drink ice used in town was made from local rivers. -Used the vodka to pour over ice to sterilize the water. -It was not a war zone. (00:40:00) -At that time no air bases had been attacked in Thailand. -“A shopper’s paradise.” -American’s boosted the local economy. -One of his purchases: a set of bronze ware utensils with rosewood handles. -Another: gave them his black and white wedding photo. -A craftsmen recreated it enlarged and in color. -Souvenir temple rubbings: cloth with crayon rubbed over the surface of the temple carving. -The town was about 15 minutes drive away from the base. -Spent 13 months in Thailand. Udon, Thailand -In May, 1967 the 555th Tech Fighter Squadron relocated from Ubon to Udon, Thailand. -Significant special operation activity in Udorn base. -He and his crew were the last to be picked up in the relocation. (00:45:00) -Packed up the base flag to relocate, and still owns it. -Took on a new temporary duty. -Working in the control room on a night shift. -Managing the fleet of planes. -A “frag order”. What the mission requirements were. -Ensure all the operations were done in sequence. -Kept track of all the maintenance going on. -Temporary role turned long term because he excelled at his new role. -They desired having someone familiar in the control room. -Soon he was transferred to the 432nd Tech Recon Control Wing. -His job with them as a maintenance controller. -Managing the fleet of planes being maintained on the flight line. -In this role he interacted with many special operations. -Interacted with Air America. -Gave him a “big picture” view. -Air America was a CIA operation that used planes to deliver rice/supplies to Thailand, Laos, �Cambodia, and South Vietnam. -Public affairs. (00:50:00) -Moved special ops to places marked planes couldn’t go. -Supporting locals also provided them with intelligence. -Training local Thai and Laos how to fly small, short range craft to go on missions. -Lima Site 85: -A US base in Laos was overtaken by enemy troops. -About 11 were able to be evacuated. -Required the base to be bombed and napalmed to prevent information and technology from use by enemies. (00:55:00) -The largest Air Force casualty of the War. -Most memorable moments were when someone would make a “MiG kill”. -A celebrated event. -Planes would fly in spirals and use phosphorous lights in celebration. -Also memorable, the Bob Hope Show. -Raquel Welch was along with them. -He grew a handlebar mustache for the occasion. -He was picked out of the crowd to be interviewed by Bob Hope. (01:00:00) -It was a sit-down video recorded interview. -He was raised Lutheran. -Married into the Catholic Church. -At Ubon he was taking a confirmation class. -Through the local church he heard about a nearby school with a barebones hut to teach in. -They used foam missile cases to insulate the structures roof from the hot radiating sun. -Took about 4 days’ time. -The local mayor (called the Puyabon) invited them to come participate in a local social gathering. -Dancing, lots of food and rice wine. -They used red ants for food seasoning. (01:05:00) -Red ants are citric like a lemon. -Australians were also part of the military force at the Ubon Air Force Base. -They participated in a number of CIA missions. -They used a MARS station to communicate by radio and phone to the US. -The communication was set up and funded by Barry Goldwater. -Mail and audio reels as well. (01:10:00) -On July 27th, the Udon base was attacked by sappers. -They attempted to blow up a C-141. -About 10:30 pm. -Several casualties and damage to certain planes. -His tour was supposed to end in October, 1968. -His replacement didn’t come for another 30 days. �End of First Military Enlistment, New Enlistment at Homestead, and Misc. -Relieved to be out of the military. -He had a free day in Bangkok before his flight left. -He was offered an assignment to Homestead Air Force Base in Florida. -The job market at that time was very weak. -So he chose to take the assignment on a 4 year tour in the US. -Returned to the US in San Francisco, California. -Had to re-enlist to accept the assignment. -A tax incentive to those that were in or flew over Vietnam was offered. -A month tax-free. -Upon re-enlisting he took up the journey to Vietnam and back for this purpose. -Flew to Okinawa, then a civilian flight to Taiwan, to Ching Chuan Kang base, to Bangkok, and then finally back to Ubon. -Upon his return to San Francisco the climate was hostile with hecklers. -Flew home to Michigan from there. -Had a 30 day home leave. -Took a slow trip to see family and travel to Homestead, Florida. -They put him to work in the control room as his experience were very desirable. (01:20:00) -At Homestead, the structure was still assumed under a squadron mindset. -At the time the US was friendly with the Shah of Iran. -Iran was being supplied with Phantom planes. -He trained maintenance officers to maintain the fleet. -Experience that was very useful for future use. -Reflecting on military experience: The best thing he’s done. -Advice: Entering the military with education as an officer is much higher paying. -Enlisting in the military and getting education with the GI Bill shaped his life. -He took college education for aviation business management. -Now he is an airport manager. -Discovered he enjoys managing people more than manual mechanic work. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_ScherwitzL1023V Title A name given to the resource Scherwitz, Robert Lee (Interview outline and video), 2009 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-11-12 Description An account of the resource Lee Scherwitz was born in 1946 in Teaneck, New Jersey. He entered the service in 1965 and his military career primarily concerns management and maintaining aircraft for the Air Force. At Lackland Air Force Base in Texas he undertook his basic training. Next he worked at Shephard Air Force Base in Texas to maintain aircrafts. By late 1965 he arrived at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan where he worked on the F-106 planes. Eventually in 1967 he transferred to Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Missouri with the "Flying Fists". After receiving orders for Asia he was flown to Ubon, Thailand with the 555th Tech Fighter Squadron. In 1967 his Squadron was relocated to Udon, Thailand. With the 432nd Tech Recon Control Wing he worked as a maintenance controller and interacted with Air America missions. Re-enlisting in 1968, he went to Homestead, Florida where he worked in the control center once again. Eventually Lee would leave the service in 1991 after the Gulf War. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scherwitz, Robert Lee Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brock, Rosemarie (Interviewer) Lest We Forget Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a0d19256debc5a73772ad93d6a69c460.m4v 1cf2b8800cf06fbc345676e1e195a785 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e399e793a3b78125a1e5c6f1211d3f85.pdf 1335843d4c933f3dbe67221eb3047d19 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Arden Pridgeon World War II 1 hour 18 minutes 15 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born on April 5, 1924, in Isabella County, Michigan, at home on the family farm -Attended a one-room schoolhouse -Farm had no electricity, and no vehicles -Farmed with horses -Had 160 acres of farmland, but allowed other people to use the back 80 acres for their farming -Kept the farm through the Great Depression -Paid off the mortgage before the Stock Market Crash in 1929 -Grew cucumbers and potatoes as cash crops -Grew corn to feed the cattle and chickens -Had one older sister and two younger brothers -Older sister went to live with a relative when the Great Depression began in 1929 -Made it easier on the family -Started school when he seven years old -Had to walk two miles to school and his parents didn't want him to walk alone -Meant he had to wait until his younger brother was old enough for school -Parents made sure he knew how to read and write before he started schoolhouse -Graduated from high school in May 1943 (00:03:44) Start of the War -Didn't pay much attention to the fighting happening in Europe and Asia prior to American involvement -Family had a battery-powered radio and a subscription to The Grand Rapids Press -Heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio -Students talked about it in school the following Monday -Nobody knew where Pearl Harbor was or most of the details (00:05:28) Selection for Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) -He took a pre-induction test for the ASTP in April 1943 -The ASTP was a program that allowed recruits to go to college through the Army -Receive specialized, educated training that could be used in the Army -Army needed some soldiers educated in certain areas -Colleges needed students -Government agreed to pay public colleges to train soldiers (00:07:00) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for his basic training -Received an advanced version of basic training along with the other ASTP recruits -Received the equivalent of Officer Training, but graduated as a private (00:07:23) Army Specialized Training Program Pt. 1 -Selected for basic engineering training -Sent to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin (00:07:36) Getting Drafted -In November 1942, Congress lowered the draft age from 21 years old to 18 years old -In December 1942 he was granted a deferment to finish high school -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan, for induction shortly after graduating high school �-Stayed there for two or three weeks -Worked in the kitchen and did other menial tasks (00:09:07) Basic Training Pt. 2 -Sent to Fort Benning in August 1943 -Traveled there by train -Saw a segregated drinking fountain in the South -Came as a shock to him -Remembers it was a hot and sooty train ride -Took a couple days to get from Michigan to Georgia -Had never been in such a hot place before -At Fort Benning he learned how to be an infantryman -Marching, shooting and maintaining a rifle, bivouacking, compass reading, and gas training -Accepted the discipline -The officers and non-commissioned officers training the ASTP recruits resented them -Felt that it was unfair they got selected to go to college rather than go fight -Given demerits, extra kitchen patrol duty, or have passes revoked for infractions -Completed that training in December 1943 (00:13:23) Army Specialized Training Program Pt. 2 -Sent to the University of Wisconsin for his ASTP training -He and other recruits were quartered in a fraternity house -Ate at the Student Union building -Allowed to drink beer, because the drinking age in Wisconsin was 18 years old -Attended regular classes -Marched between classes and had to wear uniforms in class -Had specified study times and bed times -Took 24 credit hours per semester -Stayed at the University of Wisconsin until March 1944 when he completed the term (00:15:26) Joining the 96th Infantry Division -The Army shut down the ASTP because more infantrymen were needed to fight -Assigned to G Company, 381st Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division -Assigned to G Company as a rifleman -Trained at Camp White, Oregon, for a month -Sent to Camp San Luis Obispo and Camp Callan, California, for amphibious training -Boarded a troopship and went to sea so the soldiers could get used to being at sea -Did an amphibious training exercise at a nearby island -Fully loaded with gear and weapons -Officers and non-commissioned officers in the 96th were inhospitable toward the ASTP men -Didn't trust their combat abilities -Received 30 days of refresher training -Mostly rifle training and going on the infiltration course -Infiltration course: crawling under barbed wire while a machine gun fires over you -Felt prepared for that after the advanced training he received at Fort Benning -After the amphibious exercise they did another amphibious exercise at Oceanside, California -Landed at the beach and set up camp -Marines detested their presence -Sent to Camp Beale, California, for more gas mask training and more map-reading training (00:20:50) Deployment to the Pacific Theater -From Camp Beale the division went to Camp Stoneman, California to prepare to go overseas -Took a barge down to San Francisco and boarded a troopship �-Left the United States on July 15, 1944, and sailed to Pearl Harbor -Helped load cargo onto ships for an invasion -The ship he was on could carry a couple thousand soldiers -Stayed in Hawaii until September 1944 then left with a few other ships (00:23:18) Preparation for Invasion of the Philippines -Initially had orders to invade the island of Yap -Orders changed to invade the Philippines -Stayed at sea for one month waiting for the invasion convoy to form -Allowed to stop at the Admiralty Islands for one day to go swimming and drink beer -Crossed the Equator, and he went from being a “Pollywog” to being a “Shellback” -Usually celebrated with a “King Neptune Ceremony,” but there were too many soldiers (00:25:13) Liberation of the Philippines – Invasion of Leyte -Invaded the island of Leyte, in the Philippines, on October 20, 1944 -First island in the Philippines to be liberated by American forces -Told to expect Japanese snipers and a jungle combat zone -Given Atabrine for malaria and water purification tablets -Also told which plants were edible -Navy bombarded the landing zone in the days before the troops went ashore -Had an uneventful landing -Surprised by the lack of Japanese resistance -Went ashore in a Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) -Had climbed down cargo nets from the troopship into the landing craft -Japanese forces were disorganized and incapable of regrouping to mount a resistance -Secured the beachhead and moved into the interior of the island (00:29:15) Liberation of the Philippines – Battle of Leyte -First major encounter happened at Mount Catman -Japanese were defending the hill, but American soldiers and artillery overwhelmed them -Japanese Navy attempted to destroy the American fleet and cut off the American ground forces -Note: Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 23-26, 1944); Allied victory; largest naval battle in history -On December 7, 1944, the Japanese landed paratroopers at the beachhead -Able to secure the beachhead -At night he heard Japanese soldiers moving around in the jungle, trying to scavenge food -Filipinos helped American troops in any way they could -On November 11, 1944, they were on a patrol when the Japanese ambushed his patrol -Opened fire with a machine gun -They were able to reorganize quickly and counterattack, losing only two men -Stayed low and assessed the situation -Taught them to be a little more careful -Set up ambushes against the Japanese -Found a Japanese soldier in a creek that had committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) -Japanese hid and waited in an attempt to wage a guerrilla war on the American troops -Minimal organized resistance from the Japanese -On December 25, 1944, General MacArthur declared the island secured -Continued to look for Japanese stragglers -Stayed on guard and carried weapons at all times -Got one Japanese prisoner-of-war -Gave him food -Died two days later because he had been starving and the food killed him -Pathetic, and he felt sorry for him �-Able to celebrate Christmas 1944 -Had a special meal, had a Protestant and Catholic chaplain available for religious services -Sang songs and tried to make things as festive as possible (00:39:24) Preparation for Okinawa -On March 20, 1945, they received orders for the invasion of Okinawa -Knew almost nothing about Okinawa -Knew it would be a major battle -Refitted with gear and ammunition and received bayonet training -He was assigned a bazooka -Expected Japanese armored resistance -Had another man carrying a flamethrower (00:41:33) Invasion of Okinawa -On April 1, 1945, he saw hundreds of American planes, and over 1,000 American ships off Okinawa -Saw Japanese kamikaze planes attacking the American ships -Stood on the deck of his ship and watched the initial landing of troops -Placed on a Landing Ship Tank then went ashore on a Landing Vehicle Tracked (amphibious tractor) -No resistance on the beach -Japanese wanted to draw the Americans deeper into the island before attacking -Fatal strategic mistake for the Japanese -Could have stopped the invasion, but allowed too many soldiers to get ashore -For the first ten days there was little to no resistance from the Japanese -Marines moved north while the Army moved south -Landed thousands of troops (00:44:39) Battle of Okinawa -Received a Bronze Star for his actions on April 14, 1945 -The Japanese wanted to use their expendable troops first to try and repel the Americans -Arden and his unit were dug into a position when those Japanese troops charged -He just kept firing his sub-machine gun until they stopped coming -None of them broke through the line -Amazed him that the Japanese kept coming despite being mowed down -Only artillery support the Japanese had were “knee mortars” -Note: Knee mortar: Type 89 Grenade launcher; portable and small -This was the first major action he encountered -The next day, he and the other troops collected souvenirs from the dead Japanese -Mostly wristwatches, flags, and other items like that -Japanese could have inflicted more damage if they had used a better strategy -Americans were on the offensive (00:49:20) Getting Wounded -Shortly after the action on April 14 he was sent to the rear to collect rations and supplies -Support personnel didn't want to risk coming up to the front line -En route, a grenade exploded near him and peppered his jaw with shrapnel -Dog tag chain stopped the shrapnel from hitting his neck -Went to an aid station near the front line -Technically, since he had suffered a head wound he required evacuation -Sent to the airport and flown to the naval hospital on Guam -Felt uncomfortable being with more severely injured men (00:51:27) Returning to Okinawa -Sent to an Army Replacement Depot on Saipan and requested a redeployment to his unit on Okinawa -Had to do combat training and a psychological evaluation before returning to Okinawa �-Arrived on Okinawa on June 1, 1945 -Rejoined his old platoon -All replacements -He was immediately promoted from private first class to staff sergeant -Placed in charge of the platoon -Manned the radio mounted on a flamethrower tank during one advance -Tank had to be within 25 feet of its target before it fired -He smelled the flesh burning whenever the tank hit a target -Japanese soldiers strapped satchel charges to themselves and tried to attack the tank -American soldiers with the tank shot them before they got close enough -Pushed the Japanese into the caves or to the end of the island -Japanese soldiers at the edge of the island committed suicide rather than admit defeat -One night, the platoon got ahead of the rest of the company -Had to send a detail of soldiers back to help evacuate the wounded -Had to stop on the road at night on the way back to the rear -Made him realize he wouldn't want to be the company commander if the opportunity arose -Took some shrapnel in his left arm -Medic told him to keep it as a souvenir (not a serious enough injury to warrant surgery) -Had civilians surrender to them by the hundreds -Had dropped 50,000 surrender leaflets on Okinawa before the invasion -Only saw one Japanese civilian present that leaflet to the Americans (01:01:34) End of the Battle of Okinawa -By the end of the battle, most of the buildings on the island had been destroyed -Okinawans had dug large, underground burial sites -Japanese soldiers had hid in them which required the sites to be destroyed -Never saw an intact building on Okinawa -Saw acres of destroyed rice paddies -Meant that farming was impossible -Left the island in mid-July 1945 -Ordered to bury Japanese soldiers on their way back across the island -Received 25 points during his time on Okinawa -Note: Points awarded for combat, medals, dependents, rank, and length of service -Had received a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, combat, and a promotion on Okinawa (01:04:22) End of the War -At the end of July the unit moved to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines -Prepared there for the planned invasion of Japan -He was made squad leader for the invasion -Kept the replacements they had received in Okinawa -Mindoro was a higher, drier island than Leyte or Okinawa -Didn't see much of the local population -On Mindoro when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan -Came as a shock for the war to be over so quickly and so dramatically -Ordered to turn in weapons and ammunition (01:06:53) Coming Home & End of Service -Offered the chance to reenlist or go home -He decided to go home -Sent to Leyte to board a troopship bound for the United States -Landed at San Francisco on January 4, 1946 -Given a meal before leaving to be discharged �-Sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and was discharged there on January 11, 1946 (01:08:54) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Decided to use the GI Bill to go to college -Attended Michigan State University -Graduated in June 1949 -Army Specialized Training Program had helped give him direction for his education -Took a job offer in Benton Harbor, Michigan -Moved there on July 11, 1949 -Had a wife and his first child -Worked for the company in Benton Harbor for 16 years -Got his master's degree at night school -Taught at Western Michigan University for 25 years (01:14:14) Reflections on Service -His time in the Army helped direct him to college -Without the Army he probably wouldn't have gone to college -Wouldn't have had the direction or the funding to do that -Led to him getting his master's degree in business (01:16:52) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Got married in 1947 -Had his first child in 1948 -Ultimately had six children -Had 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren -All of his children graduated from college � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PridgeonA1939V Title A name given to the resource Pridgeon, Arden (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-07-05 Description An account of the resource Arden Pridgeon was born on April 5, 1924, in Isabella County, Michigan. In April 1943 he was selected for the Army Specialized Training Program and in the summer he was drafted. He received an advanced form of basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and in December 1943 he went to University of Wisconsin for the Army Specialized Training Program. In March 1944 he completed his term there and the ASTP was shut down. Arden then received orders to join the 96th Infantry Division and was assigned to G Company, 381st Infantry Regiment. He trained in Oregon and California before deploying to the Pacific Theater on July 15, 1944. He participated in the invasion of Leyte, Philippines, on October 20, 1944, and the subsequent Battle of Leyte which ended on December 25, 1944. In April 1945 he participated in the invasion and the Battle of Okinawa. Upon being wounded on April 15 he was evacuated to Guam for treatment and Saipan for retraining. He returned to Okinawa on June 1, 1945, and continued to fight. In mid-July 1945 he and the rest of the unit moved to Mindoro to train for the invasion of Japan. With the war over, he opted to return to the United States and landed at San Francisco on January 4, 1946, and was discharged on January 11, 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pridgeon, Arden Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/877fe55bbdbd88b2db86371d10c9fc25.m4v b0c44b1910efa252bcf9056e41dc573c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fa1bf3d09b7953d6aaee211c0e4f21c8.pdf cccbab23eb136e9bfeb4dbe400d47a31 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Gregory Phillips Vietnam War 1 hour 9 minutes 21 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life -Born in Birmingham, Alabama, on August 22, 1948 -Grew up in the area -Attended the University of Alabama -Studied political science -Graduated in early 1969 (00:01:00) Getting Drafted & Basic Training -Drafted after he graduated from college -Reported for duty on July 16, 1969 -Received his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia -Eligible for officer training (since he had a college degree) -Didn’t interest him; he wanted to get out of the Army as soon as possible and alive -Older than most of the recruits -Majority of recruits were 18 or 19 years old and he was 21 years old -It was a culture shock for him, especially with the drill sergeants screaming obscenities at him -He was a little overweight, so drill sergeants focused on him -Didn’t stop him from completing basic training -Discipline wasn’t a problem for him -Lasted nine weeks -First week spent at the induction center getting processed due to the Moon landing -Next eight weeks consisted of training -Most drill sergeants had served in Vietnam, and all of them were career soldiers (00:04:08) Advanced Infantry Training - 2/3 of his training company was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for advanced infantry training -Fort Polk was a primitive base -Buildings had been built during World War II, had scorpions, and wild boars -Eight weeks of intense training -Some training was geared towards fighting in Vietnam, but most of it focused on conventional warfare -Did an “escape and evasion” course -Learning how to avoid capture and how to endure being a prisoner-of-war -Had non-commissioned officers (sergeants) training them -Some of them were younger than him, and most were new sergeants with no experience -They were nice men, at least (00:06:48) Deployment to Vietnam -He got two weeks of leave after completing advanced infantry training -On December 10 (or 11), 1969, he left for Vietnam -Flew from Birmingham to Los Angeles to Fort Lewis (near Seattle, Washington) -Stayed at Fort Lewis for two or three days -Flew from Fort Lewis to Alaska to Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam -Flew there via Flying Tigers Airlines -Landed during the day and it was hot -Boarded buses with wire on the windows to keep out grenades �-Sent to an induction center for processing (00:08:21) Service with 1st Infantry Division -His first assignment was with the 1st Infantry Division at Lai Khe -Served with them for two months -He served in the Color Guard -Responsible for “casing” (or retiring) units’ colors that returned to the United States -Spending his first two months with the 1st Infantry Division was excellent training -Taught him the skills that helped him survive with the 101st Airborne Division -Got into occasional skirmishes -Usually 20 – 25 American soldiers against 2 or 3 North Vietnamese soldiers -He watched the experienced soldiers to learn how they acted in combat -Discovered a few bunker complexes -Told to do as he saw, and don’t talk -Gave him more discipline -He served as the radio-telephone operator with the 2nd Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment -Operated in triple-canopy jungle -No contact with civilians unless they passed through a village -Joined 2nd Battalion (mechanized) of the 2nd Infantry Regiment -Had armored personnel carriers for travel and combat -Easier than walking, but lost the element of surprise -Saw no combat with them -Spent six weeks with that unit -Saw an old man walking around in the middle of nowhere, so they brought him back to base -Suspicious, but not an immediate or apparent threat (00:15:40) Morale in the 1st Infantry Division -Most of the men had a bad attitude because they had been drafted -Focused on survival, not heroism (00:16:18) Transfer to 101st Airborne Division -Reassigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Phu Bai -Passed through Long Binh during the reassignment process -Stayed there for five days -Took a C-130 cargo plane up to Phu Bai -Went through SERTS (Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School) -Learned how to rappel and go on long marches -Some replacements had experience while others were brand new soldiers from the States -Most of it seemed pointless to him, especially the rappelling -Joined Delta Company of the 1st Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment -1st sergeant asked him which platoon he wanted to join -Joined his unit on March 1, 1970 -Commander of Delta was Patrick Skinner -Nice, relaxed man -Flown by Chinook helicopter to the field to join his unit for maneuvers -Joined the 2nd platoon in the field (00:20:13) First Major Enemy Contact -One week later he saw his first major combat action -They set up a night defensive position -Operating in “I Corps” (military district in South Vietnam in the mountains) -At midnight he heard 25 or 30 explosions at 1st platoon’s position -2nd platoon moved to their position to assess the damage �-Skinner had been knocked unconscious, and several soldiers sustained critical wounds -He and the other men built stretchers to carry the wounded -Waited two hours for a helicopter to evacuate the wounded -The enemy knew the company commander was at the position they attacked -One of the wounded men ultimately died from shock -They had most likely been attacked by sappers -Small teams of North Vietnamese soldiers that hit and ran with satchel charges (explosives) -They weren’t able to catch the sappers -Left the area too fast, and the American soldiers focused on securing the perimeter -A couple nights later they got hit again, and that time it was his platoon -Taken to Camp Evans to regroup and recover -He had taken a small piece of shrapnel in his eye during that fight -Awarded the Purple Heart for his wound -Brought in replacements to account for the severely wounded and the dead -Spent one night at Camp Evans (00:27:17) Firebase Ripcord Campaign – Entering the Area -Flown to Firebase Rakkasan with a new company commander -Before leaving Firebase Rakkasan on May 5, artillery hit the landing zone to prepare their assault -Flew out to Firebase Maureen, an abandoned base in the A Shau Valley -It was a hot landing, because the artillery had been fired at the wrong coordinates -Landed in the midst of a thousand North Vietnamese troops -They fired tear gas at the firebase to hamper the American troops -A long firefight ensued with the North Vietnamese until they retreated (00:31:22) Firebase Ripcord Campaign – Operating out of Firebase Maureen -Conducted patrols in the area around Firebase Maureen -Someone spotted an enemy soldier with red hair -Unless it was a genetic anomaly, then it was probably a Soviet adviser -Remembers making camp to the west of Maureen and seeing mountains on the Laotian border -On May 6, his platoon moved to the south of Maureen -North Vietnamese soldiers ambushed them and wounded two men -Continued moving through an abandoned bunker complex area -North Vietnamese opened fire from an embedded machine gun position -Called in air support and a jet dropped a 500 pound bomb on that enemy position -No effect; North Vietnamese still kept firing -After the failed bombing run, his platoon decided to fall back to Maureen to get resupplied (00:34:56) Firebase Ripcord Campaign – Battle of Firebase Maureen -2nd platoon went to Firebase Maureen and established a perimeter -Two-man positions around the base -Set out anti-personnel mines -Some men dug foxholes while other men used existing bunkers -Dusk on May 6th when they established their positions at Maureen -At 4 a.m., on May 7, North Vietnamese forces attacked Firebase Maureen -Platoon leader got killed first -North Vietnamese attacked with satchel charges and small-arms fire -Killed seven men on the west side of the perimeter in the initial assault -Multiple wounded -Gregory set off his mines to hinder the enemy attack -Platoon sergeant fell back to the center of the perimeter with a radio to call in reinforcements -The platoon sergeant ordered Gregory to help another soldier on the west perimeter �-He ran to that position and fought from there for 2 ½ of 3 hours -During the battle he was wounded six times, but never stopped fighting -North Vietnamese continued to throw satchel charges at the perimeter -One landed two or three feet away from him, but it was a dud -They threw out flares to guide the helicopters -During the battle he was about 25 yards away from the platoon sergeant (small perimeter) -Armed with an M79 grenade launcher and a pistol for the duration of the battle -Shrapnel from an RPG hit him in the back of the head -North Vietnamese closed to within 15 feet of his position -He shot a grenade at one enemy soldier and the force crushed the man’s skull -Fired a canister round (similar to a shotgun round) at another enemy soldier -Enough force to lift him up ten feet and throw him down the hill -He took his friend’s rifle and charged down the hill to engage the North Vietnamese -At this point he was shot in the side -Doesn’t remember if he turned around killed the shooter, or someone else did -The North Vietnamese fell back once 1st platoon arrived at Maureen -He was treated and stabilized long enough to be evacuated via helicopter -Gregory didn’t tell anyone about his experience at Firebase Maureen for over 20 years (00:49:10) Reunions Pt. 1 -In the early 1990s he started talking about his experience in Vietnam -On Veterans’ Day he wore his Purple Heart ribbon on his shirt -Someone made a positive comment about it -Led to his decision to start talking about his time in the war -Got involved with the 506th Infantry Regiment Reunion group, Currahee -The writer, Randy Mills, reached out to Gregory to give his perspective of the battle at FSB Maureen -Gregory remembered the most out of all the men -Mills wrote, Troubled Hero: A Medal of Honor, Vietnam, and the War at Home (2006) -About Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth Hays and the battle of FSB Maureen (00:51:18) Recovery & Coming Home -First sent to the Camp Evan’s infirmary -1 – 1 ½ hours later he was sent to the hospital in Phu Bai for surgery -Stayed there for one week -Sent to Cam Ranh Bay to being the process of returning to the United States -Didn’t realize the severity of his wound until he learned he would return to the US -Sent to Japan for one week of surgery and recovery -Returned to Fort Rutger, Alabama to complete his recovery -Spent three months there recovering and working as a hospital orderly (00:54:23) End of Service -For the last ten months of his service he was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas -Assigned to be a tank commander -He knew nothing about tanks -Made a tank instructor -Did his job as best as he could despite not being a tank soldier -Participated in secret weapons training -Wife lived with him at Fort Hood until she got pregnant -Returned to Alabama and gave birth to their child there -Working at Fort Hood was like having a civilian day job -No anti-war activity other than Jane Fonda trying to get on the base to protest the Vietnam War �(00:56:55) Drug Use in Vietnam -There was a fair amount of drug use on bases in Vietnam -His first exposure to marijuana was in Vietnam -Men in rear positions were most likely to abuse it -Had down time and it was readily available -He never saw anybody using hard drugs like heroin -Some of the officers smoked pot with the enlisted men -He didn’t appreciate that since they were supposed to be leaders -North Vietnamese smoked pot to get the courage to attack -Never saw men smoke in the field (00:59:05) Life after the War -He had studied to be a teacher, but lacked the patience -Got a job in sales with a food distribution company based in Ohio -Worked for them for ten years -Only way to move up in the company would have been to go to Chicago or Ohio -Didn’t want to do that, so he quit -Returned to Birmingham and started his own food business -Had that business for 15 years (01:00:50) Reunions Pt. 2 -He joined the 506th Infantry Regiment Association -Given a roster of the names of the men that served in the 506th in Vietnam -He was able to make contact his old friend, Dick Doyle -This led to him talking to Randy Mills about his book -Contacted his platoon sergeant, man he fought alongside at Maureen -Which in turn led to contacting other men from 2nd platoon -Gregory is one of a group of men in 2nd platoon awarded for their actions at Firebase Maureen -He received the Silver Star for his actions -Another man received the Distinguished Service Cross -Kenneth Hays received the Congressional Medal of Honor -One man received the Bronze Star for Valor -Has attended Ripcord Reunions to see the other men of D Company -Although he didn’t fight at the battle of Firebase Ripcord, he fought in that campaign -In 2009 he went to his former platoon sergeant’s hometown for a smaller reunion (01:07:55) Reflections on Service -It was a maturing experience -Allowed him to be a district manager at 25 years old in charge of men double his age -Taught him that he could live with less and be alright -Little food and water, sleeping outside, and being in combat -Able to endure more than civilians that haven’t seen combat -He wouldn’t repeat his experience, but he appreciated it � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PhillipsG1963V Title A name given to the resource Phillips, Gregory (Interview outline and video), Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-06 Description An account of the resource Gregory Phillips was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on August 22, 1948. After graduating from college in 1969 he was drafted into the Army. He received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and his advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In December 1969 he deployed to Vietnam. He was first assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Lai Khe and he served with them for two months (first in 2nd Battalion/28th Infantry Regiment then 2nd Battalion (mechanized)/2nd Infantry Regiment). Gregory transferred to the 101st Airborne Division at Phu Bai, and joined 2nd platoon of Delta Company, 1st Battalion/506th Infantry Regiment on March 1, 1970. On the morning of May 7th he and the rest of 2nd platoon fought at the battle of Firebase Maureen where he was wounded six times and was later awarded the Silver Star for his actions there. He was medically evacuated to the United States and served at Fort Hood, Texas, for the last ten months of his enlistment (he was most likely discharged in June 1971). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Phillips, Gregory Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f4ea05aadbf8a46d066ea1bb30baa4dd.m4v 6895e2168480e333c8d5b8a70f28d09d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aadc1c6882ae4a1a22025e39af91b726.pdf 38216568e541d238dbdf7111ce5f41e7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Charles Lieb Vietnam War 1 hour 29 minutes 10 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born on October 27, 1946, in Minneapolis -Grew up and attended high school in Minneapolis -Mother stayed at home and father worked for the electrical industry (00:00:50) Admission into West Point -Best friend wanted to go to West Point, so Charles decided to take the civics test with him -Friend got recruited to play football for Annapolis -Charles decided to pursue West Point -He went to Great Lakes Naval Station for the admission process -Closest major military installation -Took exams and had a physical -Told that he failed the physical, but asked his doctor challenge it -Got a football scholarship to play at Colorado College -On June 27, 1964, he received an acceptance telegram from West Point -Doctor had corrected the medical information -Had 48 hours to accept or decline the admission -Took the admission with orders to report on July 1, 1964 -America wasn’t heavily involved in the Vietnam War -Gulf of Tonkin Incident hadn’t happened, no ground troops in Vietnam (00:03:46) West Point -After the first day they started breaking down the cadets to rebuild them as officers -His was the first class with a five-year enlistment, but got leave for Christmas while in school -First two months at West Point (July and August) were called “Beast Barracks” -Intense training and harassment -Similar to basic training -During the school year he had six days of class and 22 credits -Expected to join a sport -Had one month off during the summer -Gulf of Tonkin Incident happened in August 1964, and ground troops followed in 1965 -Military classes touched on this once the war began -Near graduation there was more preparation for deployment to Vietnam -It wasn’t an easy adjustment -Torn down as an individual and rebuilt as a soldier -Didn’t have a lot of military aptitude -Had to have a friend help him shine his shoes -Between his freshman and sophomore years he went to Camp Buckner, New York -Two months of military training -Exposure to other parts of the Army -Fired artillery and did squad maneuvers -Between his sophomore and junior years, and junior and senior years had choice in duties -Sophomore/junior summer: Camp Buckner or “Beast Barracks” as instructor -Junior/senior summer: One month as acting-lieutenant at base of choice �-He chose instructor during “Beast Barracks” -Chose Fort Carson, Colorado, to serve with a mechanized infantry unit -The regular soldiers treated him like an officer -Some of the older sergeants played tricks on him -One told him to go look for a nonexistent vehicle part -Able to go into New York City on special occasions as an underclassmen -The basketball team was playing in the city, so the cadets got to see them play -Different leave protocols for different years -Freshmen not allowed leaves during the school year -Sophomores allowed two leaves per year -Juniors allowed three leaves per year -Seniors allowed unlimited leaves on the weekend -Played lacrosse and traveled all over the country for games -Dignitaries and high-ranking officers visited West Point -President of Nicaragua visited -General Westmoreland visited -Had Peter Dawkins and Norman Schwarzkopf as instructors -Followed the news of the Vietnam War when he got closer to graduation -Graduated on June 5, 1968 -Got married on June 29, 1968 (00:13:18) Training at Fort Benning -Chose to be in the infantry for his active duty -Given two months of leave after graduating -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for further training -Airborne School, Infantry Officer Basic Course, then Ranger School -Airborne School consisted of learning how to jump out of planes and helicopters -Infantry Officer Basic he learned how to be a platoon leader and company commander -Airborne School lasted three weeks -Infantry Officer Basic Course lasted 16 weeks -Ranger School lasted nine weeks -Infantry Officer Basic took place on the grounds of Fort Benning -Instructors had served in Vietnam, and tried to prepare the men for that duty -The Airborne School and Ranger School were far more intense than the Infantry Officer Basic -Ranger School consisted of three phases -Phase 1 at Fort Benning -Phase 2 in the mountains of Georgia -Phase 3 in the swamps around Eglin Air Force Base, Florida -Completed his training at Fort Benning around Christmas 1968 (00:16:27) Stationed at Fort Bragg -Chose Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to be his first duty station -Reported there in January 1969 -Assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 504th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division -Acting as a 2nd lieutenant and the S1 of the battalion (managing personnel) -Chose Fort Bragg for a few reasons -Avoid Vietnam a little longer, get an extra $110, and the 82nd had a good reputation -Stationed there or six months -Knew eventually he’d have to go to Vietnam (00:18:04) Deployment to Vietnam -In May 1969 he received his deployment orders �-Left Fort Bragg in mid to late-June -Went to Europe for a month with his wife -Arrived in Spain, and traveled through Spain, France, Italy, Austria, and Germany -Trip ended in late July -Had orders to be in Vietnam by August 11, 1969 -Had some trouble getting back to the United States -Had to wait for a flight to England, then took civilian flight to the US -Landed at New York City then drove to Minneapolis -Stayed in Minneapolis for two days before flying to Travis Air Force Base, California -Took a chartered commercial flight to Vietnam -Stopped in the Philippines -Allowed two hours off the plane -Deployed to Vietnam as a 1st lieutenant (00:21:04) Arrival in Vietnam & Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Landed at Bien Hoa Airbase -Had no unit assignment going over, but got an assignment on arrival -Friend got him in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division -First impressions of Vietnam: -Edgy from adrenaline, took incoming fire on the first night -Found it to be strange and foreign, but beautiful -Stayed at Bien Hoa for two days (00:22:48) Joining Charlie Company -Flown up to Camp Evans -In the northern part of I Corps (northern most part of South Vietnam) -A Shau Valley (supply route for North Vietnamese) cut north-south through I Corps -Marines were the first line of defense, then the 101st Airborne Division -Charlie Company was in the field when he landed at Camp Evans -Arrived with another lieutenant -Spent a night at Camp Evans and flew out to the field the next day -Joined his platoon in the field -They were operating in the Lowlands east of Camp Evans -Conducting ambushes and searching for enemy troops -Met the acting platoon leader/platoon sergeant, Staff Sergeant Queen -Had been in Vietnam for three or four months -Met with the squad leaders, then introduced himself to the men in the platoon -A lot of young men from diverse backgrounds -Some draftees that didn’t want to be there -Altogether, good men (00:26:47) Patrols around Camp Evans -Started giving orders and taking charge once he joined the platoon -Learned the capabilities of the men under his command -Operated in the Lowlands for four or five days then returned to Camp Evans -Didn’t stay long at the base -Sent to a lot of different areas and saw a lot of different terrain -Never went into villages or other populated areas -Made it safe to assume people in the jungle were the enemy -Civilians had been evacuated from the area, anyway -Joined the platoon and started patrols in mid to late-August -Patrolled the Lowlands and the foothills around Camp Evans �(00:29:27) First Enemy Contact & Later Fights -Went out on a platoon-sized maneuver in early October -Set up ambushes one night -His platoon (2nd platoon) heard movement beyond their perimeter -The enemy passed, and his platoon called in artillery -The next night they moved to a new position by a stream and heard movement again -Set up an ambush and opened fire on them -Firefight lasted three hours -Called in artillery and helicopter gunships -Captured three North Vietnamese soldiers and killed 12 of them -Learned from the prisoners that his platoon had rerouted an enemy battalion -They thought 2nd platoon was a much larger force -Had a lot of smaller contacts with the enemy during fall and winter -C Company had 36 enemy encounters from November 1969 to March 1970 -2nd platoon was involved in 29 of them (00:33:44) Marines Withdrawing from “the Rockpile” -With C Company when they covered the Marines withdrawing from “the Rockpile” -Note: The Rockpile was an observation post near the Demilitarized Zone -Air assaulted onto the observation post -Took enemy artillery fire and got ambushed along the ridge line -Lost two men from his platoon and he was wounded -Only two men he ever lost during his command of 2nd platoon -Called in helicopter gunships (00:35:02) Recovery -Sent to the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Da Nang -Doctor wanted to send him to Camp Zama, Japan, for more recovery -Charles didn’t want to leave -Monsoon season began and it stopped Charles from going to Japan -Had shrapnel in his elbows and back from a grenade exploding near him at the Rockpile (00:36:25) Leadership in Vietnam -Felt he was well-prepared for being a lieutenant in Vietnam -West Point gave him more tactical training -Ranger School prepared him for living in grueling conditions -Capable of reacting unconsciously to situations -His troops did this too, and it allowed them to fight effectively -Captain Hale was an aggressive leader, but a skilled commander that cared for his troops (00:38:40) Operating in the Field -Avoided trails when possible to avoid booby traps -Sometimes the jungle was so thick that it forced you to take trails -At night they established a night defensive position -Set up a perimeter, dig in, set up guard shifts, and set up a listening post -His men had good light discipline at night -If they couldn’t wait to smoke until daylight, they smoked under a poncho (00:40:28) Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez -On January 1, 1970, Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez took command of C Company -He was an experienced soldier, difficult to understand, and forceful in giving orders -Knowledgeable on how to lead soldiers and be in combat -Fought in the Korean War -Operated further south of Camp Evans under Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez’s command �(00:42:05) Long Patrol -On one patrol in early 1970 they stayed in the field for 45 days -Every third day they got resupplied by helicopters -Brought in C-rations, water, and mail -Operated as platoons during that patrol -Didn’t see Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez much during the long patrol (00:44:07) Establishing Firebase Ripcord & Reassignment -In March 1970, the 101st Airborne Division began attempts to reestablish Firebase Ripcord -Firebase Ripcord had been a firebase in the A Shau Valley to disrupt North Vietnamese supplies -A Company and B Company tried before C Company succeeded -He became battalion liaison then S3 (operations officer) in mid-March 1970 -Didn’t directly participate in C Company’s occupation of Ripcord -Stayed at battalion headquarters for one week -Sent out to a firebase with the 1st Division (South Vietnam) -Helped call in artillery fire during the occupation of Ripcord -Stayed on the firebase for about a week -Took incoming fire -He was three days late for his R&R to Hawaii to see his wife -The South Vietnamese at that base were good soldiers -Organized, dedicated, and effective fighters -Had an interpreter on the firebase (00:47:56) Stationed on Firebase Ripcord -After his R&R in Hawaii he was assigned to the Tactical Operations Center for the 2nd Battalion -Arrived shortly after the establishment of Firebase Ripcord in April 1970 -Became the S3 – Air under Major Koenigsbauer -Sent to Firebase Ripcord -Called in airstrikes, monitored radio traffic, and called in beacons for airstrikes -Firebase Ripcord consisted of the following things: -2 artillery batteries, a tactical operations center bunker, barbed wire and defensive positions around the heart of the firebase, mortars, an ammunition dump, helipads, a mess hall, and Conex containers with soldiers from the Army Security Agency to monitor enemy radio traffic -From April to June there wasn’t much enemy activity -Units patrolled around the firebase -On June 1st they started taking incoming fire at least once a day -North Vietnamese began to realize that Ripcord was disrupting their supply route -Enemy activity increased throughout June until it erupted on July 1st -North Vietnamese had been amassing troops around Ripcord before the battle -Worked with two brigade commanders, Bradley and Harrison -Felt that Lieutenant Colonel Lucas was a brave man that got himself in over his head -In retrospect, he made some poor decisions due to a lack of field experience -Had contact with units in the field (00:59:03) Battle of Firebase Ripcord – Battle of Hill 902 -On July 2nd, the North Vietnamese attacked C Company at Hill 902 early in the morning -Charles listened to the radio traffic during the battle, and called in air and artillery support -Also responsible for getting incoming casualty reports -Went later in the day on July 2nd to survey the battlefield and assess the damage -Saw a lot of dead American soldiers -Found wounded soldiers, and also the dismembered remains of soldiers -Thought the North Vietnamese had either withdrawn, or were waiting in ambush �-Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez had been replaced by Captain Hewitt before Hill 902 -Hewitt made severe tactical errors -He allowed C Company to stay in the same position two nights in a row -Didn’t set out a listening post -He slept in a hammock, in the open, on the top of the hill -He was one of the first men killed when the battle began -Army Security Agency knew the North Vietnamese were going to attack Hill 902 -They neglected to tell anyone because they had orders to report to Saigon first -Charles went to the ASA soldiers at Ripcord and told them to never do that again -On top of being exposed, C Company also did other things to draw enemy attention -They attacked a North Vietnamese mortar position on July 1st -They stayed in the same position throughout July 1st into the night (01:06:30) Battle of Firebase Ripcord – Battles of Hill 805 and 1000 -Battle of Hill 805 (July 12-18, 1970) -Battle of Hill 1000 (July 6-14, 1970) -Doesn’t remember much about Hill 805 -Remembers Hill 1000 was taller than Ripcord’s hill, and close to the firebase -Called in airstrikes for six hours one day during the Battle of Hill 1000 -D Company tried to take Hill 1000, then C Company had some success in capturing the hill -Ordered off it after they discovered a huge tunnel and bunker complex under the hill -So deep that the inhabitants could easily survive airstrikes (01:10:45) Battle of Firebase Ripcord – The Fall, Getting Wounded & Coming Home -Throughout July, the bombardment intensified -North Vietnamese employed rockets, recoilless rifles, small-arms, and mortars -Had Ripcord zeroed in, and capable of regularly making direct hits th -On July 18 , the North Vietnamese shot down a Chinook helicopter, which crashed on Ripcord -The crash resulted in an explosion that destroyed all artillery pieces and the artillery ammo -Fire made it difficult for helicopters to operate around Ripcord -Infantry in the field lost all artillery support from Ripcord -On July 21st, a recoilless rifle round exploded near him and wounded him -Two days later, the survivors were pulled off Ripcord and it was destroyed by bombers -Charles went back to the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Da Nang -Learned that one friend was severely wounded on July 23rd -Heard that his former roommate from West Point was killed at Ripcord -It was his third time getting wounded, which meant he would be sent back to the United States -Able to visit the battalion for one day -Realized over half of the men in the battalion were replacements -Shopped around for a couple days then came home (01:15:50) Stationed at Fort Carson -He returned to the United States and served at Fort Carson, Colorado -Served as a company commander in a mechanized infantry unit -In command of millions of dollars of equipment and 250 soldiers -A lot of responsibility for a 22 or 23 year old, and a rare experience -Could’ve been redeployed to Vietnam, but the war was winding down -Stationed at Fort Carson for 2 ½ years (01:17:21) Later Army Career -Took the Infantry Officer Advanced Course -Army sent him to the University of Denver for graduate school -Got his masters degree in international studies �-Studied there from 1973 – 1975 -Went to San Jose State University to serve as Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructor -Final duty -Stationed there from 1975 – 1979 -ROTC was viewed favorably the campus populace -More patriotic than other college campuses (01:19:00) End of Service -Army wanted to send him to Alaska, and he didn’t want to go -He had two children and a wife, and he didn’t want to uproot their lives -Had gotten used to being less of a soldier and more like a civilian -Going to Alaska would mean being more like a soldier, and he didn’t want that -Extended his enlistment for one year and stayed in San Jose -Offered a position at the Army Command and General Staff College -He declined and opted to get out of the Army (01:20:20) Life after Service -Worked for FMC Corporation in San Jose selling M113 armored personnel carriers to the Army -Spent six months as a salesman for the company -Worked as a liaison to the factory -Went to the factory to address a welding issue, and was made welding superintendent -Did that for six months -Oversaw the factory that made turrets -Worked in the international business office -Requested a transfer out of San Jose, and was granted it -Sent to Green Bay to work in the packaging system division of FMC Corporation -Worked for them from October 1983 – 1991 -Got a new job with car wash equipment manufacturer -Dover Corporation bought that manufacturer in 1998 -He retired in January 2009 (01:24:00) Reflections on Service -Army taught him responsibility at a young age, and it prepared him for a career in business -Army taught him people skills -Learn about your subordinates’ lives and interact with them -West Point prepared him for life in general -Had some psychological baggage after Vietnam -Had trouble sleeping and jumped at loud noises (01:25:38) Veterans’ Activities & FSB Ripcord Association -Didn’t talk about his experiences in Vietnam until he participated in the “LZ Lambeau” project -Documentary about Vietnam War veterans in Wisconsin -Stumbled onto the FSB Ripcord Association reunions in 1995 -He was in Denver for his son’s sporting event, and he heard about a Ripcord reunion -Attended for a couple hours -In 2000, he attended the reunion in Shreveport with another C Company lieutenant, Jim Campbell -In 2009 he attended the Myrtle Beach reunion -Found it depressing, because there were some people that hadn’t moved on from Vietnam -Attended the 2016 reunion in Springfield (Missouri), and found it be a more pleasant experience -More of the people have moved on with their lives and put Vietnam behind them � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_LiebC1956V Title A name given to the resource Lieb, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-09 Description An account of the resource Charles Lieb was born on October 27, 1946, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In July 1964 he began his time at West Point and graduated from the academy as a 2nd lieutenant in June 1968. He attended the Airborne School, Infantry Officer Basic Course, and Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. From January to mid-June 1969 he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 2nd Battalion of the 504th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. In May 1969 he received his deployment orders for Vietnam and he arrived in Vietnam in August 1969. He joined Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division as the platoon leader of 2nd platoon. He patrolled with them until March 1970 when he became the battalion S3 (operations officer). He operated with South Vietnamese forces during the establishment of Firebase Ripcord, and was stationed on Ripcord from April until he was wounded at Ripcord on July 21st near the end of the battle for the firebase. After recovering he served at Fort Carson, Colorado, and for the rest of his career he took the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, attended the University of Denver, and served at San Jose State University as a Reserve Officers' Training Corps instructor. He retired from the Army in 1979. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lieb, Charles Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf