Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Bos, William (Interview outline and video), 2008
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
United States. Navy
William Bos was born in Cascade, Michigan on December 18, 1922 and went to school there through 8th grade. He had to quit school early to work on his father's farm when his father got sick and later received deferments from serving in WWII because he was a farmer. Bill grew anxious while his friends were being drafted and enlisted and decided to enlist in the Navy in June of 1944. After basic training, he was sent to the Pacific and endured a very long and difficult voyage to the New Hebrides, where he worked for several months on a Marine base and helped set up farms there. Late in the year, he was assigned as an anti-aircraft gunner on an escort ship and sailed to Guadalcanal, the Philippines and Okinawa, where he witnessed many kamikaze attacks.
Bos, William
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Bosserman, Willard (Interview outline and video), 2010
United States. Army
Willard Bosserman served in World War II as a mechanic in the Army. He was drafted in 1943 and worked in a maintenance company attached to the 87th Division, and then to the 66th Division. His company shipped to Europe in December, 1944, and took part in the final campaign in Germany.
Bosserman, Willard
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
Bostwick, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2004
Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American
Robert Bostwick was born on April 7th, 1933 in Home Acres, Michigan. He was drafted in to the United States Army in 1953, while the Korean conflict was occurring. While in basic training, the conflict ended, and he was shipped to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, where he was a personnel management specialist until his discharge 2 years later.
Bostwick, Robert
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Military education
World War, 1939-1945
Slides
Airplanes, Military--Recognition
Russia
Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)
No Copyright - United States
Barry Bosworth, visiting speaker, White House Council on Wages and Prices
Newaygo (Mich.)
Houses
Black and white photograph of a man and a woman sitting on a deck attached to the side of a house. The photo is taken from ground level looking up a flight of wooden stairs to the deck.
Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955
Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222)
Bouchard, Wallace Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2015
United States. Army Air Corps
Wallace Bouchard was born on July 1, 1927 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Army Air Force Reserve in 1944, but was ejected from that in spring 1945 due to the Second World War ending. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday on July 1, 1945 he received his draft notice and reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois in mid-August 1945. He went to Keesler Field, Mississippi for basic training and stayed there for Aircraft & Engine Mechanic Training. He was sent up to Chanute Field, Illinois for Specialist Training with the P-47 Thunderbolt then was assigned to Biggs Army Airfield, Texas. While in Texas he was assigned to Headquarters Squadron of the 9th Air Force and worked on the squadron's C-47 as well as the 9th Air Force's P-51s. In November 1946 he was discharged from the Army.
Bouchard, Wallace Joseph
Boucher, Gary (Interview outline and video), 2009
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. National Guard
Born in White Cloud, Michigan in 1953, Gary Boucher just missed the draft for the Vietnam War. However, based on input from several of his friends and his own investigation, Boucher joined the Michigan National Guard in 1978. Following training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he served in an engineer unit whose main mission was the construction of bridges. Boucher served in the Guard for fourteen years and left in 1992.
Boucher, Gary
Warships--Recognition
France
Bougainville class French PG (patrol vessel), October 1, 1947.
Bouwkamp, Wilbur (Interview outline and video), 2007
Wilbur Bouwkamp served in the US Army between 1941 and 1945. After basic training, he was assigned to the 10 Armored Division, where he served on a recovery vehicle, a tank adapted to tow damaged tanks back to friendly lines where they could be repaired. He was wounded in action in Europe but returned to his unit, and received orders to ship home shortly before V-E Day.
Bouwkamp, Wilbur
Bovee, Betty (Interview transcript and video), 2009
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
Betty Bovee was born in Lansing, Michigan on April 29, 1923 and later moved to a small town where she grew up on a farm. She graduated from high school in 1941 and moved in with her aunt in Los Angeles, California. Betty spent the majority of her time working while in California, until she met her husband Chet. She quit her job once they were engaged and they got married in Phoenix, Arizona. Betty followed Chet around on different bases that he was stationed at for the remainder of his time in the service. They had three children while he was in the service and they moved back to Michigan once he was discharged.
Bovee, Betty
Bovee, Chester (Interview outline and video), 2009
Chester Bovee was born in Michigan on June 10, 1923 and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps when he was 19 years old. He went through basic training at Contra Field in Texas where he also worked as an electrician. Chester later got a high enough test score to move on to be a pilot and was sent to the University of Montana to take academic courses. He then went to pre-flight school in Santa Ana, California before he was sent to Thunderbird Field in Arizona for primary flight school. After training he had met his new crew in Roswell, New Mexico and they were getting ready to go to the Pacific before they heard that the war was over.
Bovee, Chester
Bowers, Susan (Interview outline and video), 2014
Susan Ryan Bowers is the widow of Vietnam War veteran Steven Bowers. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee and then grew up in Florida. She met Steven in 1963 after a deployment to Europe. He was in the Navy as a bombardier/navigator for an A5 Vigilante in RVAH 5 Squadron (reconnaissance). They were married in January 1964 and in June of that year he was deployed to Vietnam where he saw action flying bombing missions along the coast of Vietnam. During his time in the service she was an active member of the Sanford Naval Air Station community in Florida and ardently supported his involvement with the military and with the Vietnam War. After his tour ended in June 1965 he decided to leave the Navy and they moved up to Grand Rapids, Michigan where he worked for Lear-Siegler, an aerospace company, which allowed him to still be involved with the military, specifically the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Bowers, Susan