1029 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f6d02d99e9f4692941e445b44e0614e9.m4v cac2ab412b6886d05bd5eaa6fc4cac0a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/52fe63931afc124af9f035b10b35a89b.pdf e4ef817c66431542746efa3330b50cda PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Gene Van Zee Cold War (Korean War Era-Post Korean War Era) 46 minutes 46 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born in Pella, Iowa on April 1, 1929 -Grew up there -Attended Pella High School -Father was a farmer -Gene grew up on the farm -He didn't want to grow up to be a farmer -Farm was close to town -Good place to grow up -Family did pretty well during the Great Depression -Raised pigs which helped -Meant they didn't have to spend money on manure for the crops -Didn't have to spend money on feed for the pigs -Never felt like they were poor or had financial problems (00:02:27) World War II -Listened to the radio on December 7, 1941 and heard that Pearl Harbor had been bombed -Didn't understand the implications of the attack -Knew by people's reactions that the attack was serious -Went to church in the evenings on Sunday -Remembers the pastor weeping openly talking about the attack -A lot of men enlisted in the days after the attack -Uncle was drafted -Cousin enlisted in the Army -Served as an engineer and fought at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day -Had scrap metal drives and war bond drives -Farm wasn't affected by rationing -Given extra gas for farming -Kept Victory Gardens and his mother canned a lot of food -Once he entered high school he considered the possibility that he would have to serve -Still seemed unlikely though because by that time the war was nearing its end (00:05:12) Medical School -Graduated from high school in 1947 -Went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Became interested in medicine through an advanced chemistry course -Not worried about the draft while in college -Korean War broke out in June 1950 -Pre-medical and pre-ministerial students were exempt from getting drafted -In junior year of college he applied for Medical School �-Got accepted into the University of Iowa -Told parents and his father said he'd never make it through medical school -After four years of Medical School he graduated -At the end of Medical School had to do two years of service in a foreign country or on a ship (00:10:07) Enlisting in the Navy -Joined the Navy Reserve to do his two years of compulsory service -Didn't know how to swim -Felt it would be better than being in the infantry (00:10:45) Stationed at Naval Hospital Pensacola -Processed and sent to Naval Hospital Pensacola at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida -It was an excellent place -Not confined to any particular specialty -Got a lot of medical experience -Navy training consisted of only one afternoon of training -Went into a parking lot with a Marine sergeant and marched around for an hour -Didn't receive any introductory Navy training either -Lived off-base with his wife in Pensacola -Rented a house for $100 a month -Wife spent her time taking care of the house and their daughter when she was born -Pensacola was a major hub for Navy aviation -Headquarters for Navy Pre-Flight Training -Location of the Aviation School of Medicine -Served the fleet -Had Primary and Secondary Flight Training Schools -Took care of Navy personnel and the family members of personnel -Performed 250 deliveries of babies in his first year there -Watched deliveries, then performed them, then taught how to oversee deliveries -Hospital staff worked twenty four hours a day, seven days a week -Had every other day off, then every other weekend off -The hospital served as a community hospital for the base -Treated personnel and their family members -Took care of emergencies -Dealt with casualties from training accidents -Men crashed trying to do carrier landings -Spent a year at Pensacola (00:17:06) Assignment to Japan -Given the option to leave the Navy at the end of that year, but he decided to stay in another year -Requested Italy or Hawaii as assignments -Instead, he got assigned to Japan -Wife and daughter were allowed to go with him -The move to Japan felt informal and natural which made the transition more comfortable -Drove to Pella to see his parents, then Toronto to visit his wife's family �-Reported to San Francisco to wait for a flight to Japan -Quartered in a nice hotel -Given three months to get to Japan and get established -Five days after arriving in San Francisco they boarded a plane for Japan -Flew to Honolulu, Hawaii then Wake Island then Tokyo, Japan (00:19:34) Stationed at Naval Air Station Atsugi Pt. 1 -Assigned to Naval Air Station Atsugi near Yokohama -Best naval air station overseas at the time -General MacArthur had been there to accept Japan's surrender -Had originally been used as a kamikaze base -In the mornings he took care of personnel on sick leave -In the afternoons he took care of the family members of personnel -It was effectively a family practice -Did that work for two years -Worked in a Japanese medical facility -Excellent facility and able to care for his patients well -Had a lot of barracks on the base -It was a support base for the 7th Fleet -Meant there was constant activity on the base -Planes flying in and out of the base transporting people and supplies -Chose to live off-base among the Japanese people -Lived in one of the villages near the base -First house was basic, but comfortable -No indoor plumbing, relied on kerosene lamps, and had no telephone -Had a live-in maid -Second house was a missionary's house -Modern house, finest house in the whole village -Had a garage and a yard -Allowed to transport their car from the U.S. to Japan -Took six weeks for the car to get there -Roads were unpaved and narrow (00:24:23) Evidence of the War Pt. 1 -A lot of damage from the war was still present -Japanese had cleaned up most of the rubble, but the infrastructure needed work (00:25:02) Contact with the Japanese -Treated with respect by the Japanese civilians -Got to learn some of the language -Never felt in danger in Japan -Sometimes they even left their door unlocked at night (00:26:44) Evidence of the War Pt. 2 -There was still some damage in Yokohama -Japanese were tearing down damaged buildings and clearing away the rubble -Main focus was on rebuilding roads and bridges -In his two years in Japan he saw a lot of progress in rebuilding the country (00:27:36) Travel Pt. 1 �-Drove somewhere with his wife almost every weekend -Saw Mt. Fuji -Explored the Japanese countryside -Visited the beach resorts -Visited Tokyo -Part of the city still needed repair, but downtown was in good shape (00:28:50) Stationed at Naval Air Station Atsugi Pt. 2 -For the most part, it felt like having a civilian medical practice rather than a military assignment -Service clubs did a lot for the wives of the servicemen -His second daughter was born in Japan -It was a great assignment -Two years of freedom and not a lot of extra responsibility -Usually only in called in to work once a week when he wasn't scheduled -In the U.S. it was multiple times a week at any time (00:30:14) Travel Pt. 2 -He got to see Hong Kong -Pilots needed flight time each month, so he caught a ride to Hong Kong with them -En route got to spend a night on Okinawa -Got to see the Philippines -Went to Baguio for a medical conference -Got to see Kyoto (00:31:29) Fellow Servicemen -All of the personnel he encountered were committed to their duty -Many of the men were career sailors -Personnel stationed in Japan knew it was far better than duty in Korea or aboard a ship -Never saw any segregation -Even had some black doctors in his group -Got to know a lot of people from a lot of different places in the U.S. -He never witnessed any racism -Some American servicemen married Japanese women (00:34:50) Prostitution -Had to do a lot of venereal disease control -After a while he was an expert at dealing with the diseases and controlling outbreaks -There were, effectively, U.S. government protected and military subsidized brothels near bases -This meant that one of his duties was to make sure the girls were healthy -One of the biggest problems was when soldiers came back from Tokyo or Yokohama -They came back with a disease then unwittingly spread it to the brothels -Then Gene would have to figure out which girls the soldier had slept with -This was to a) treat the girls quickly and b)contain any outbreaks -Had to deal with penicillin-resistant gonorrhea -Wrote an article about it, but got ignored by every major medical magazine -Thought the idea of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was absurd �(00:37:13) End of Service -Navy had some programs to encourage him and the other doctors to reenlist -Had no interest in making a career out of the Navy -Offered a promotion to lieutenant commander, but he wasn't interested -Enjoyed his time in Japan, was treated well and paid well by the Navy, but wanted out -When he had been at Pensacola he had been encouraged to reenlist as a flight surgeon -Had no interest in doing that -Remembers going out on the Gulf of Mexico on a carrier to watch planes land -One plane missed the carrier, crashed, and sank in the ocean -Terrible thing to see, but didn't influence his decision not to be a flight surgeon -Discharged from the Navy in 1958 (00:40:40) Life after the Service -Waited for car to get back from Japan then began looking for a place to practice -Spent two weeks in San Francisco -Decided to set aside three months to look for a place to practice -Looked in British Columbia because his father-in-law was working as a pastor there -Knew a clinic in Denver, Colorado was looking for a doctor -Pella, Iowa desperately needed a doctor, but his wife didn't want to live there -Looked in Raymond, Minnesota -Looked into a Dutch community in Wisconsin -Tried Coatesville, Pennsylvania -Didn't seem too promising though -Tried Goshen, New York -Wound up settling on Pella, Iowa because the town needed a doctor and there was family there -Lived and worked there for 42 years -Had three daughters -All three daughters also went to Calvin College -One daughter married a man in Jenison, Michigan -One daughter married a man in Chicago -One daughter married a man in Arizona -Gene and his wife wanted to be closer to their daughters -Decided the best place to move would be Grand Rapids, Michigan -Bought a condo -Feels that it was a good move -Able to be close to daughters in Jenison and Chicago -Now, all three daughters have vacation homes in Michigan -Had nine grandchildren and eight out of those nine grandchildren went to Calvin as well (00:45:20) Reflections on Service -Showed him what the world is really like -Gave him a better perspective on diversity and culture -Instilled in him and his wife a love for travel -Made him a more worldly person �� 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_VanZeeG1741V Title A name given to the resource VanZee, Gene (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-09 Description An account of the resource Gene Van Zee was born on April 1, 1929 in Pella, Iowa. He graduated from high school in 1947 and went to Calvin College for pre-medical school then went to the University of Iowa for medical school. He enlisted in the Navy Reserves and was stationed at Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida taking care of personnel and the family members of those personnel. After a year at Pensacola he reenlisted and was assigned to Naval Air Station Atsugi near Yokohama, Japan. He treated American personnel there and their family members then returned to the United States and was discharged in 1958. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanZee, Gene 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 Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ea4244e4908543972c2552ed12dac556.jpg 073d140360618b96b89df9bcacea572f 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 Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> 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 GV012-01_UAPhotos_001005 Title A name given to the resource Varsity rowers with the Pat Manning during its dedication Description An account of the resource Varsity rowers with the Pat Manning during its dedication, November 2, 1974. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives black and white photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/52b456ac0ea49a5b516741fad09441c1.jpg 509d232249d754295180d2567686c083 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 Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> 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-50_X927 Title A name given to the resource Varsity T1 British trainer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Varsity T1 British trainer, September 1, 1953. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education Slides World War, 1939-1945 Airplanes, Military--Recognition Great Britain Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1953-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3d868781ff04bc8c70d0039378ecc93b.jpg 7aadd305c83a253d942306ec5e50775b 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 Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 VanDiasRobert_Photo01 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Vas Dias, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Vas Dias, Assistant Professor and Tutor at Thomas Jefferson College, Poet Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a273f84d74d382325090c8af6c907162.jpg ecd3eb0db17fe8f9feabcfa95d4d86d2 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 Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 VanDiasRobert_Photo02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Vas Dias, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Vas Dias, Assistant Professor and Tutor at Thomas Jefferson College, Poet Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7ad03be92d9490cd56a06fe5ad98f761.JPG bf627be1d9123660f7617a989d62608b 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 Oceana County Migrant Labor History Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shell-Weiss, Melanie Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Growing Community: A Century of Migration in Oceana County." This project was a collaboration between El Centro Hispano de Oceana, the Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society, and Grand Valley State University funded by a Common Heritage grant from the United States National Endowment for the Humanities. The materials in this collection document the history of communities in Hart, Shelby, and Walkerville and explore themes of migration, labor, religion, family, belonging, national and cultural identities, regional, national, and international connections, and citizenship. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Oceana County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource El Centro Hispano de Oceana; Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf image/jpeg audio/mp3 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Image Sound recording Language A language of the resource eng spa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016 Subject The topic of the resource Oceana County (Mich.) Hart (Mich.) Shelby (Mich.) Farms Farmers Migrant agricultural laborers Hispanic Americans Account books Diaries Oral history Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 DC-06_Oceana_Vasquez-Zandra-002 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vasquez family Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987 Title A name given to the resource Vasquez Family picking apples, 1987 Description An account of the resource Vasquez Family picking apples at Golden Hart Farms in Hart, Michigan. Pictures from left to right are Eloisa's younger sister, Francisco Vasquez, and Zandra Vasquez (background, red jacket). Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Vasquez, Zandra Vasquez, Eloisa Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage Project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Subject The topic of the resource Hart (Mich.) Migrant agricultural laborers Hispanic Americans Farms Farmers Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c3393e1284ff098d673f70fee4da5261.jpg c4239d2b75a8ee3479a47604fa2c3618 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 Oceana County Migrant Labor History Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shell-Weiss, Melanie Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Growing Community: A Century of Migration in Oceana County." This project was a collaboration between El Centro Hispano de Oceana, the Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society, and Grand Valley State University funded by a Common Heritage grant from the United States National Endowment for the Humanities. The materials in this collection document the history of communities in Hart, Shelby, and Walkerville and explore themes of migration, labor, religion, family, belonging, national and cultural identities, regional, national, and international connections, and citizenship. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Oceana County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource El Centro Hispano de Oceana; Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf image/jpeg audio/mp3 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Image Sound recording Language A language of the resource eng spa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016 Subject The topic of the resource Oceana County (Mich.) Hart (Mich.) Shelby (Mich.) Farms Farmers Migrant agricultural laborers Hispanic Americans Account books Diaries Oral history Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 DC-06_Oceana_Vasquez-Fidencio-003 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vasquez family Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1971 Title A name given to the resource Vasquez family trip to Mexico, 1971 Description An account of the resource Photo of Vasquez family trip to Mexico. Pictured are Fidencio, Jr. with his two brothers, sister, parents (Fidencio and Lupe Vasquez), and a cousin. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Vasquez, Fidencio Jr. Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage Project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Subject The topic of the resource Mexico Hispanic Americans Family vacations Migrant agricultural laborers United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c83ace746523bd36941709bd6b4f7f38.jpg 66150cbc5980acaf6c80823c7971c410 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 Oceana County Migrant Labor History Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shell-Weiss, Melanie Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Growing Community: A Century of Migration in Oceana County." This project was a collaboration between El Centro Hispano de Oceana, the Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society, and Grand Valley State University funded by a Common Heritage grant from the United States National Endowment for the Humanities. The materials in this collection document the history of communities in Hart, Shelby, and Walkerville and explore themes of migration, labor, religion, family, belonging, national and cultural identities, regional, national, and international connections, and citizenship. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Oceana County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource El Centro Hispano de Oceana; Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf image/jpeg audio/mp3 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Image Sound recording Language A language of the resource eng spa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016 Subject The topic of the resource Oceana County (Mich.) Hart (Mich.) Shelby (Mich.) Farms Farmers Migrant agricultural laborers Hispanic Americans Account books Diaries Oral history Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 DC-06_Oceana_Vasquez-Fidencio-008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vasquez family Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1971 Title A name given to the resource Vasquez family trip to Mexico, 1971 Description An account of the resource Photo of Lupe Vasquez (right) with two of her children. Children are the younger sister and brother of Fidencio, Jr. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Vasquez, Fidencio Jr. Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage Project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Subject The topic of the resource Hispanic Americans Family vacations Migrant agricultural laborers United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8682b3d251899008c4109abced01867f.jpg bc5867b213003e11c05e784efe44f3cf 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 Oceana County Migrant Labor History Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shell-Weiss, Melanie Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Growing Community: A Century of Migration in Oceana County." This project was a collaboration between El Centro Hispano de Oceana, the Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society, and Grand Valley State University funded by a Common Heritage grant from the United States National Endowment for the Humanities. The materials in this collection document the history of communities in Hart, Shelby, and Walkerville and explore themes of migration, labor, religion, family, belonging, national and cultural identities, regional, national, and international connections, and citizenship. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Oceana County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource El Centro Hispano de Oceana; Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf image/jpeg audio/mp3 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Image Sound recording Language A language of the resource eng spa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016 Subject The topic of the resource Oceana County (Mich.) Hart (Mich.) Shelby (Mich.) Farms Farmers Migrant agricultural laborers Hispanic Americans Account books Diaries Oral history Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 DC-06_Oceana_Vasquez-Fidencio-009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vasquez family Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1971 Title A name given to the resource Vasquez family trip to Mexico, 1971 Description An account of the resource Photo of Lupe Vasquez on family trip to Mexico. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Vasquez, Fidencio Jr. Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage Project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Subject The topic of the resource Mexico Hispanic Americans Family vacations Migrant agricultural laborers United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6c729b5aec44637ef889f3972dbe9156.pdf b395d84017565b7ad43d5e69ec940394 PDF Text Text Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department Fidencio Vasquez Jr. Interview Interviewed by Norma Gonzalez-Buenrostro June 18, 2016 Transcript NG: This is Norma Gonzales, and I'm here today with Fidencio Vasquez Jr., the Second, at the Hart Library in Hart, Michigan, on this day, June 18, 2016. This oral history is being collected as part of the Growing Community Project, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Program. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am interested to learn more about your family history and your experiences living and working in Oceana County. Can you please tell me your full name and spell it? FV: Fidencio Vasquez Jr. the Second. F-i-d-e-n-c-i-o V-a-s-q-u-e-z, no middle name, J-r, the Second. NG: Do you use any accents when spelling your name? FV: No. NG: Okay, thank you. Alright, so let's get started. Can you tell me where you grew up? FV: Can I tell you where I was born first? 1 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department NG: Yeah, definitely. You can tell me whatever you like. FV: I was born in Edinburg, Texas. NG: Alright. FV: My parents came across from Mexico and I was ten days old when I moved to Hart, Michigan. NG: Alright, what year was that? FV: 1955. NG: Nice. And you came to Hart when you were ten days old? FV: Yes, I lived in Crystal Lake. NG: Oh okay, is it far from Oceana County? FV: Right outside of Hart. It'd be north of Hart about three miles by Crystal Lake. NG: Alright. FV: I live down the road from there. NG: So why did your parents move to Hart? FV: Back to where we came… that’s when my parents left Texas - Edinburg - we moved to Hart. I lived outside of Hart until grade school there. NG: Did your parents have a reason to move to Hart? Were they seasonal workers? Did they have- did they pick any...? FV: Well, they started working at a farm right near the area where we lived, which was like a half a mile from Crystal Lake in that area. They worked for a farm that had cherries and that's where they started. And my parents bought a house right there, just a little ways from Crystal Lake. NG: Alright. Do you remember going to the farm yourself at all as a child or was it just your parents that went? FV: No, I remember. I have some pictures. I forgot to bring them other pictures of me and my brother getting new bikes, my second older brother. I had another brother. My first brother was named Fidencio Vasquez, Junior. He was born in 1946, or ‘48, one of the two. And he died at two months from a tumor in his mouth. I never got to meet him. And then in 1952, my second brother was born. He was named Fernando Jesus Vasquez. And then they had me and they named me after my first brother. It's kind of different because I wished that they would name my second brother Fidencio. NG: You got that opportunity. FV: Yeah, I got the opportunity. NG: That's good. 2 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department FV: Yes. And I remember, I have a picture at home that me and my brother are sitting on bikes. I was probably seven, eight. And I knew what kind of place we were living at and what my parents were doing. They worked for farmers right in that area- for one farmer. NG: Do you remember the name of the farmer or the name of the...? FV: The name was Mr. Hare. And that's the only farmer that I know that owned that area land was cherries, apples, that they, whatever, picked or planted. It's pretty much what I can remember of that. NG: Did you ever pick yourself? Did your parents ever bring you to the farms and...? FV: Well, my dad's mother, she used to take us with her two daughters and her son. I remember being there and this picture right here, that's my dad's mom. My grandmother, I grew up with her, too. She used to take me with her son and me. We used to go to different states like Ohio to pick strawberries. NG: No way! FV: When I was little. NG: Oh, did you like going to the farms with your grandma? Was it fun? FV: Yes. NG: Yeah? FV: Because I just wanted to go, so she took me. NG: That's good. So, can you tell me more about what your parents did for the farmer? Did they go ahead and till the land or did they just pick? Did they stay with that farmer every year or did your parents move on eventually? FV: Oh, they probably planted trees by hand and picked cherries and apples and peaches, probably. Those are probably the only three kinds of fruit that I can remember being around that area when I grew up. And then I walked back and forth to grade school every day, my brother and me, Fernando. NG: Did you go to school here in Hart? FV: After the school...the school burned down. It was made out of stone. You know, all grades went to this school. There was a basement and an upstairs. And I think it burned and then they were building. So, my parents bought... we moved to Hart when I was twelve on State Street in front of the fairgrounds. NG: Yeah, right around here. FV: Yeah, I was twelve years old when my parents bought a house in… [music begins] NG: Oh, I can go ahead and pause it. FV: Okay. 3 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department EB: So, we were talking about the house that your parents bought on State Street. What year was that when you guys bought the house? FV: It would have been [nineteen] fifty-five, sixty-two. NG: And it was very close to the fairgrounds you mentioned, right? FV: Yes. NG: So, you saw the whole fair, and every year you saw how it built from there. Can you tell me a little bit more about that? How the fairs progressed? FV: Yeah, I used to go there all the time and I loved the fair. I was a regular, kind of. And I played all the games that were cheap. And when I was old enough, I don't know when, maybe when I was anywhere between twelve and fifteen, I helped put up some rides. NG: So, you worked for the fair? FV: Yes. NG: Is it run by the city or is it an outside organization? FV: It was run through the- what’s it called? Agricultural Council or something, you know? NG: Right, yeah. FV: There's a name for it. NG: Alrighty. So, it's like the Agricultural Organization... FV: ...Organization, yeah, and they would set up all the rides and I would go. It was… things were really cheap back then. I had so much fun. NG: How cheap? Do you remember any prices from back then? Like ten cents? FV: Ten cents, maybe five cents - real cheap. NG: So what kind of rides did they have back then? FV: Scrambler fairgrounds, Tilt-A-Whirl, the carousel with horses... NG: The merry-go-round? FV: The merry-go-round. Different kinds of rides, I don't know what all the names of them are but... NG: That's alright. So, you said that the agricultural organization put that together. Was there any of the produce that they would showcase at the fair? FV: Yes, they had different buildings for different things. Horses, rabbits, pigs, lambs, cows. And they had a commercial building with a lot of the fruits that people grew. They had different farmers come in, put up their own little displays of everything, and arts and crafts kind of with their kids. How the kids learned in 4-H. How the kids learn how to bring up their animals. And everybody had their own little animals. It's very neat. 4 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department NG: Did you ever join the 4-H? FV: Never did, no. I just enjoyed going to it every day. NG: That's good. So what else can you tell me about growing up in your… you mention your teenage years. Did you go into the farm working yourself, or did you move away from that? FV: No, I went into the farm work. I was, well, as it says in that paper. My mother worked for a nursery called Hawley’s Nursery. This is very important for you to look at, too. This is... I made this in nineteen... this gentleman picked me in nineteen ninety-eight. His name is right there. He was introduced to me through one of my cousins out of Muskegon; he worked for the Muskegon Chronicle. NG: Okay. FV: He made the story on how I preferred the farm work. Between when I was ten and fifteen… well, I was a newborn. Because, well, it says in the paper: I was ten days old, even though I moved here, my mom worked for this nursery named Hawley’s Nursery. They grafted trees to produce fruit. And my mother carried me in a basket when I was a newborn. You know, I still lived out of town. They'd quit working for that farmer and my dad went into truck driving, or working in a factory… working in a basket factory in Shelby Basket factory. I remember going with him. He worked at night. He ran a machine that made different blueberry boxes, strawberry boxes. And I remember as a kid going with my dad to work and then later… well, when I was born, I guess my mom carried me first before I went to work with my dad. And my mom worked there for forty-five years. And I think I worked for… there was an area farmer right next to the nursery I was working on. His name was Monroe Piegels [?]. He had the land just down the street. I worked on the farm doing disking, mowing grass, learned how to trim trees, and worked at Hawley’s Nursery. The whole Vasquez family pretty much ran this Hawley’s Nursery. He had great big orchards of trees and all my aunts and uncles were grafters. And then after you graft a tree, on your hands and knees. You know, you're on your hands and knees, my mom was a grafter. You know you use… they cut up… my uncle used to go cut off these limbs like this and cut the leaves off where the bud would produce the fruit tree. NG: Right. FV: And my mom would cut the line like this and cut that little butt off with a knife and slip it into the tree, and then the person behind her would tie it with a rubber band really fast. And I would go behind with this little bucket and this little lantern in it... kerosene lantern with a bow on top and you put wax in it and you carry it with a paintbrush. After you graft them, put tape on them, you have to seal them. So, I did that until I was fifteen. NG: And after that, did you move on from there and go to a factory or another farmer? FV: I have a history of working with farmers. On the west side of Oceana County, I started out at Hawley’s Nursery and then Bob Ryder [?], Jack Hare [?], Lewis Claudie [?], Richie Rider [?], and on and off now for the last seven, eight years for Joe Daley. I learned how to drive a cherry rollout. It’s a long machine. NG: Okay. FV: And the tarps, you pull the tarps out, they're maybe twenty feet wide, each one. Twenty, twentyfive feet. The machine was probably fifty feet long, the machine was. And I would drive it with a tractor 5 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department up to the tree to the center of it, and I'd release the levers so the tower would come out and they'd put it around the trunk of the tree. And then there's another man with a machine that would drive up to the tree and shake the tree so the cherries would fall off, and I would reel it in with a conveyor belt going, and the tank was in the back. So, I learned how to do that for seven years, on and off lately, and I still work there. But after I was fifteen, I started working for Gale’s IGA. NG: Oh, okay. That one right here. No way! FV: Uh huh, yeah. NG: How was it back then? FZ: It was pretty neat, yeah. NG: What did you do at IGA? FZ: Well, I worked in the grocery department. NG: Okay. FZ: And I worked for Mr. Gale - Mr. Gale's father - to help him unload the truck. I'd be in the back working with him alone. They had rollers for the man up in the truck, putting stuff on the rollers, and we'd stack it in piles, empty the truck, and open boxes and price them. Priced everything and hauled out to the aisles and we'd stock. And I did a little bit of everything there. I even learned how to work in produce. They had a freezer storage there where people would come in, rent lockers. And I worked in the produce department and I helped clean floors. And well, I don't know what year it was… where the laundromat is right now, that was the grocery store and Gale’s insurance agency was next to it, this little office. And then down the road, Mr. Gale bought...there was houses on that property. He bought most of the houses and little by little, he built a new grocery store. I think it was ten years later, maybe? Somewhere in there? Or maybe not even ten years later, maybe five years later, he built a new grocery store. NG: Is that the new one that we have now? FV: Yes. That whole place was the store. That whole building was the grocery store. And they had the meat department in the back, our stockroom was in the back, and the freezer department had storage where people come and rent lockers to put their… buy meats and, you know, or they buy like cows or something. And then it came in packages and they'd bring it there and put them in a storage room in the freezer. And then little by little as that store was getting built, I was helping in there, once in a while. And then I worked in the grocery store and then when the shelves were up, they moved all the groceries. We did it by cart, carrying anything that was on the shelves and go to stock them in the new store. So, it was kind of neat, you know. Work here, work here and make sure to bring over here. So, when the store was... as they were working on it, we were stocking shelves, little by little before they opened it. NG: Right. FV: And I also helped work inside, do some different jobs when they were building floor with Irwin Gale's son, Dennis Gale. And it went from there. And I worked there ten years. I was twenty-five. And then I wanted to go to Texas with these friends of mine that were almost like my family, my other mom 6 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department and dad. So, I went to Texas for a year to Lubbock, Texas, and I worked there at a gas station and I worked in a garage changing tires and running U-Haul trucks and trailers. I worked there for one year. NG: And then you came back to Oceana…? FV: Because I missed my parents. So, my dad and my uncle were working for Oceana Canning of Shelby, they were truck drivers and they were coming to Lubbock, Texas, to bring a load of canned cherries. And I asked my dad, can you go ask Mr. Gale if I can have my job back? Then he called me and he said, “Yeah, you can.” And so, I was excited to come back home. I missed my parents. NG: That's good. FV: Yeah, yeah. NG: So, when you came back you got your old job back? FV: I got my old job back. NG: That's great. FV: And I worked there until 1990. Twenty years. NG: That's good! FV: And then I went… okay, let me see. Yeah, after that, I worked for Bob Ryder [?], who was a fruit farmer. He had many different kinds of fruits: apple, all different kinds of cross-breed apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, which you don't find much around that apricots… maybe nectarine trees, now they're getting more popular. And I would pick every other day and go to the farmer's market every other day. We had two markets, one in Grand Rapids and one in Muskegon. I worked at both of them. NG: You would sell the produce that you picked the day before? FV: Yeah, we'd spot pick the trees. Spot pick, get the good stuff, number one grade and then we had a number two basket. You know, you buy, you can buy expensive stuff or you can buy cheaper stuff. I learned how to do that. NG: That's good. So, you have a lot of skills with agriculture and you're very educated on how to run farms and stuff. FV: Yeah. NG: That's great! FV: Yeah. And I resigned in 1990. And, I had a friend that was living in Grand Rapids after he got out of college. And I needed a job and I didn't want to do any more fruit farming or anything, I wanted to get some kind of... something different. He was a hotel manager for… he worked at, like, a Holiday Inn when he started and then he was working for another hotel when I went down there from 1990 to ‘95. I was working in the summer for Mr. Ryder [?]. He's in here, too. His article is in here with mine. [paper ruffles] There he is right there. This is a truck, it was like a beer truck with the sliding doors and we put shelves in it to put all our fruit in. We could put four hundred and fifty baskets on both sides. And these apples were already sorted. 7 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department NG: Okay, for like the grade A? FV: And we'd take them from the orchard onto the flatbed truck and we'd put them right on the truck and get more baskets and go get some other stuff, other kind of fruit, and load up the truck. Every other day we did that and the front. That's... NG: Yeah, that's my uncle! FV: …your uncle! I talked to him about this paper the other day. NG: Yeah. FV: I said, “Do you have that paper?” He goes, “I don't think so, but I remember it.” And I was going to bring it down and show it to him. NG: Yeah, maybe we can have a copy of that, too. This is really cool. I recognized him for a second. FV: Yeah, he was my dad's friend. NG: Really? FV: Yeah. NG: Small town. [Laughter] FV: And in the front of the article, this brings down what I did. This is when I started working for him. That was me. I had long hair. That's my mom. I worked there, too, even before I went to IGA. They turned...they sold the nursery to four buyers that bought all this acreage and they turned it into a golf course as my mom was still working there. NG: Oh, okay. FV: You can see in the background that they were making grass parts and it was getting smaller and smaller and smaller and the smallest orchard was the field, or they were doing grafting still. It was getting smaller and smaller and smaller. And then it just...everybody just...there was no more work. NG: Is this golfing field the golf…? FV: The Colonial Golf Course. That whole nursery, that whole area goes all the way back to the highway and all the way back to McDonald's. That was all fruit, all fields. NG: Really? No way. FV: And he had fields out by Round Lake. Big, long fields, almost a half mile long and all my aunts... twenty-seven hundred trees in each row and by knee, on their hands and knees doing all this grafting. And then later, they would take them out of the ground and put them in great big containers and bring them into a nursery, and they'd size them with a grater, the trunks, and then tie them in bundles and then they’d bury them in the ground in rows, side by side. And people would come buy them in the spring when it was time to plant them. NG: Okay. 8 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department FV: Yep, long story short, from there to there. So, let's go back. This is what I preferred after I got out of working at Gale's IGA in 1990. I worked for Bob Ryder [?]. NG: And then when did you finally stop going to the… you said you still continue to... FV: Yeah, I continue. I was working for my friend. He hired me. He worked in like a... he was a clerk but he moved to another hotel. He was a banquet manager. Rent banquets… had sliding doors and this great big, it's like a hall, you know, sliding doors. And I started working in the restaurant as a busboy. NG: Okay. FV: And then I moved up into the banquets department and I learned a lot there. I worked a half a year there in the winter, and then I come back, work half a year on the farm for five years. I went back and forth. NG: That's good. And you continue… you mentioned before that you continue to do that now. So, do you do that currently right now or are you…? FV: No. I worked for Bob Ryder [?] until 2000. NG: Okay, so sixteen years ago. FV: I was there from 1990, I worked for him for ten years until 2000. And then I did a little bit of farm work on the side, a little bit, you know, until I got a real job. I got into laborers union. My office was out of Battle Creek. One of my friends was Fernando's best buddy. He was working for the paper mill in Muskegon, as I recall. It's not there no more. But that's where I started working as a laborer, working in a power plant. My brother and me did. He's like twelve, fifteen years younger than me and we got jobs there. And we're so excited, you know, I was working for a job that was paying eight dollars an hour when I left. Well, when I was working in Grand Rapids, you know, they paid a little more over there and more than farming of course, and then I got into the laborer’s union, which I worked for part of West Michigan from top to bottom. The office would call me and tell me to go, well, you got to go to the paper mill for so many weeks, or you work for different contractors and you do different things and you go there and work depending how many days, weeks or months. And after you finish one job, they can relocate you to another one to a different place. NG: Did you like that moving around? FV: Yes! NG: It was fun. FV: Because I worked and there was a power plant in Muskegon - that one with a big tower. I worked there [loud noise] and then one at a paper plant in Manistee. I worked way down in Irons, Michigan in a generating plant they were building. I worked for different contractors and did different types of work. I did scaffolding. For people to get up on, to do their work, I had to put everything together. So that was really exciting. I did that for… I resigned four years ago. NG: Wow, so what do you do right now? FV: I just work, I'm disabled and I work for farmers. One farmer and I work for a friend - handyman service. 9 �Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department NG: Okay. FV: I paint, we do odd jobs, and I work for the fairgrounds - Parking Supervisor - with my friend that was working there. Well I was even working there for a while. I was a maintenance man. Then I wanted to quit so I gave the job to one of my friends. He's been there fifteen years and I've been helping park cars for seven years and now I'm pretty much just a volunteer. I want to get out and do things for the community. NG: That's good. That's really good. FV: Yeah. NG: So, you work so much with… did you start a family of your own at some time? FV: Never been married, never had any kids. NG: Alright. Well, I think...is there anything else you'd like us to share with the research program? I mean, we got a lot, but is there anything else you'd like to mention? FV: Well, like…? NG: Any advice for a young person who might listen to this recording who lives in Oceana County? FV: Well, if you like to work, just keep working. Do what you want to do. And if you can do it, do it. NG: Definitely. FV: And I know I'm getting a little older now. I can't work as hard as I used to, but I still keep on moving and I keep busy and, you know, whatever you'd like to do, keep doing it or just change from job to job. Don't stop, just… NG: Definitely. FV: ...keep yourself happy. [Laughter] NG: Thank you so much! Well, thank you so much for your time and for sharing your memories with me. And I believe this concludes our interview. FV: Okay, thank you. NG: Thank you! 10 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f380cbb2234dde816be2e5ae8987261d.mp3 07cbf47fee293cb84448c0ca531f3516 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 Oceana County Migrant Labor History Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shell-Weiss, Melanie Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Growing Community: A Century of Migration in Oceana County." This project was a collaboration between El Centro Hispano de Oceana, the Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society, and Grand Valley State University funded by a Common Heritage grant from the United States National Endowment for the Humanities. The materials in this collection document the history of communities in Hart, Shelby, and Walkerville and explore themes of migration, labor, religion, family, belonging, national and cultural identities, regional, national, and international connections, and citizenship. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Oceana County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource El Centro Hispano de Oceana; Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society Relation A related resource Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf image/jpeg audio/mp3 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Image Sound recording Language A language of the resource eng spa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016 Subject The topic of the resource Oceana County (Mich.) Hart (Mich.) Shelby (Mich.) Farms Farmers Migrant agricultural laborers Hispanic Americans Account books Diaries Oral history 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 DC-06_Vasquez_Fidencio Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vasquez, Fidencio Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-06-18 Title A name given to the resource Vasquez, Fidencio (audio interview and transcript) Description An account of the resource Oral history interview with Fidencio Vasquez, Jr., the second. Interviewed by Norma Gonzalez Buenrostro on June 18, 2016 in Hart, Michigan. English language. Fidencio Vasquez, Jr., the second, was born in Edinburg, Texas in 1955. The son of two Mexican immigrants, Fidencio and his family moved to Hart, Michigan when Fidencio was ten days old. Throughout his life, Fidencio worked for many different businesses throughout Michigan, including the local Hart fair, many fruit farms, grocery stores, and labor services. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gonzalez Buenrostro, Norma (interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oceana County (Mich.) Hart (Mich.) Farms Fruit growers Agricultural exhibitions Grocery trade Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e658416a87c0c65f407c9a2ee79df06f.jpg 3e54a3c99c8d8dd42e280fb86127a6d4 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 Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 VasuMark_Photo07 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Vasu, Mark Description An account of the resource Mark Vasu, Director of Emergency Medical Training Program Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College administrators Colleges and universities – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. 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Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 VavereRegina Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Vavere, Regina Description An account of the resource Regina Vavere Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8f37e6f04eeb9a900094a2b59b36c51d.mp4 9725a9d2659a9018b7beafdb8b9b6ca2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55bed89c7fd9791beec600f4a8b13ac8.pdf 2c741bca71c389b4118f5bc56717d258 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Isabelino Vazquez Korean War / Vietnam War Interview Length: (01:36:51:00) Pre-Military Life / Korean War / Early Military Service (00:00:12:00)  Vazquez was born in Puerto Rico and he stayed in Puerto Rico until he was nineteen years old; he completed high school in Puerto Rico and was attending the University of Puerto Rico when drafted into the Army (00:00:12:00) o When he was initially drafted, Vazquez was not overly concerned because he had an understanding of the fighting that occurred during World War II and that was something that interested him, especially the fighting done by the American Ranger units (00:01:07:00) o Ultimately, three people in Vazquez’s family ended up serving in the military at the same time as Vazquez (00:01:32:00)  Vazquez did his basic training in Puerto Rico and the training lasted for only six weeks (00:01:42:00) o All the soldiers who went through training at the camp were Puerto Ricans and for the majority of the soldiers, they would be used to help fill out the 65th Infantry Regiment; however, Vazquez ended up going to a different unit (00:01:58:00)  When Vazquez was growing up, his mother was a nurse and his father was a clerk working at the Federal Court in San Juan (00:02:21:00)  Overall, Vazquez’s basic training did not really consist of much of anything; apart from the typical physical education and exercises, the training was mostly learning how to fight with the different weapons available, including the M-1 rifle, the B.A.R. (Browning Automatic Rifle), light machine guns and the 81mm mortar (00:02:56:00)  After finishing their basic training, Vazquez and the other soldiers at the camp did not receive any advanced training; instead, Vazquez and the others sailed directly from Puerto Rico to Japan (00:03:56:00) o Once in Japan, the soldiers had seven days where they trained with soldiers from the 187th Airborne Regiment (00:04:02:00) o For the voyage from Puerto Rico to Japan, the soldiers traveled on a Navy troop ship; on the ship, there were individual soldiers going to Japan as replacements for specific units as well as several all-Latino units from different South and Central American countries, including Columbia and Ecuador (00:04:21:00)  Vazquez was seasick the first three or four days of the voyage because he had never been on a ship before (00:05:04:00)  The voyage lasted for roughly 40 days and Vazquez would venture a guess that up to 50% of the soldiers on the ship were seasick during the initial part of the voyage; eventually, all the soldiers did become accustomed to the roll of the ship (00:05:12:00)  For the most part, the weather during the voyage was not bad but the soldiers were just not accustomed to being on a ship (00:05:27:00) � o Vazquez and the other soldiers did not see much of Japan because they were restricted to staying on the Army base (00:05:44:00) From Japan, Vazquez and the other soldiers sailed to Korea, arriving in the port town of Pusan; from Pusan, the soldiers boarded a train headed towards Seoul (00:06:05:00) o The train ride to Seoul took about two days because enemy forces had infiltrated as far south as the train line; at different points, the train stopped and Vazquez and the other soldiers had to disembark and fight various enemy forces (00:06:28:00) o Once in Seoul, Vazquez was assigned to be a messenger in G Company of the 15th Infantry Regiment, 7th Division; Vazquez received an assignment as a messenger because Vazquez spoke some English (00:06:52:00)  Some of the other soldiers in the company were English-speaking Americans but because of Army segregation policies at the time, there were also soldiers from the Hawaiian islands, Japan and Germany, amongst other places but no African-American soldiers (00:07:16:00)  There was one battalion consisting of only African-American soldiers attached to the 3rd Infantry Division (00:08:14:00)  When Vazquez joined his company, the company was already deployed to a defensive position on the front line (00:08:35:00) o Vazquez’s initial perception of Korea was that everything was different in Korea; based on his limited knowledge of Korea, someone would either be in the rice paddies or on the top of hills or mountains (00:08:49:00)  Vazquez would climb one hill or mountain expecting it to be the last one but there was always another one and another one after that (00:09:07:00) o Vazquez’s company was in contact with the enemy all the time; for the most part, in the beginning, the company occupied defensive positions and the enemy would come in and attack them (00:09:22:00)  The enemy forces would only attack at night in order to protect themselves from American aircraft; normally, the enemy attacks occurred around the same time, so Vazquez and the other soldiers in the company knew when they had to be ready for an attack (00:09:54:00)  The enemy attacks usually followed a regular pattern, where their artillery would bombard the American positions before the infantry would attack en masse (00:10:28:00)  However, the American soldiers knew the pattern and were able to protect themselves from the artillery (00:10:51:00)  During attacks, the Americans had “the final protective line”, which consisted of interlocking fire from all the machine guns in the unit, as well as artillery and mortar fire (00:11:00:00) o When the order for the “final protective line” is given, all the weapons in the unit fired, aiming two hundred meters away from the position and slowly creeping back towards the position (00:11:18:00) o Vazquez stayed as a messenger for about two weeks before his company commander assigned him to the 3rd platoon as a rifleman (00:11:40:00) � o Vazquez’s company commander had been served as a company commander during World War II and the commander did not believe in the losing ground to enemy forces (00:12:06:00)  In the mind of the commander, if the company lost any ground, then the soldiers were going to have to eventually come back and attack in order to take the ground back (00:12:17:00) o Eventually, the Army that Vazquez’s unit was a part of, 8th Army, broke through the enemy lines and began advancing (00:12:34:00)  When they would attack the enemy positions, Vazquez’s unit and other American units would attack during the daytime, although every unit attacked in a slightly different way (00:12:57:00)  Vazquez’s company commander usually had two platoons attack in a frontal assault as a feint while having the other two platoons attack from both flanks (00:13:15:00)  The enemy defenses mostly consisted of trenches, which meant that once the American managed to take control of one end of the trenches, they could use the trenches to attack the other parts of the enemy position (00:14:00:00) o For the most part, they were open trenches, although in some spots, there were bunkers (00:14:19:00) Vazquez stayed in Korea for fourteen months, although he did not spend the entire time with the same regiment; when his initial twelve-month tour ended, Vazquez transferred to the 65th Infantry Regiment (00:14:34:00) o Vazquez transferred to the 65th Infantry because the soldiers in that unit were completing their tours at the same time, so they would all be going home at the same time (00:14:54:00) o However, when Vazquez arrived, the 65th Infantry was not moving the soldiers out yet because the regiment had suffered a large number of casualties; Vazquez stayed with the regiment for two months as a platoon leader (00:15:01:00) o When he transferred to the 65th Infantry, Vazquez was an E-7, a Sergeant First Class (00:15:17:00) o At the time Vazquez joined, the regiment was still involved in fighting; almost every day, one or two platoons would go out and try to take different high grounds (00:15:32:00)  Sometimes, the enemy would hold onto the high ground and other times, they would fall back (00:15:58:00) o Vazquez's unit in the 65th Infantry did not suffer the amount of casualties he had seen with the 15th Infantry (00:16:22:00)  When Vazquez first joined the 15th Infantry, there were fifty men in his platoon but by the time Vazquez left, the platoon was down to only six soldiers (00:16:32:00)  Twice, the platoon received some replacement soldiers, enough to fill some of the holes in the platoon; however, the platoon never reached more than 70% full (00:16:46:00) �     All of the platoon’s losses occurred during attacks on enemy positions; the platoon’s own defensive positions were strong enough to defend against the enemy attacks (00:17:11:00) During his tour, Vazquez saw a lot of Korean civilians, most of who were retreating away from the fighting (00:17:38:00) o During the initial trip out towards the front, Vazquez and the other soldiers were traveling towards the front while the civilians were traveling in the opposite direction, toward Pusan (00:17:50:00) o However, once Vazquez and the other soldiers reached the front line, there were no civilians (00:18:03:00) Reflecting on his time in Korea, Vazquez realizes that while he was with the 15th Infantry, he had a very good company commander as well as very good platoon leaders and a very good platoon sergeant (00:18:23:00) o Vazquez’s time in the 65th Infantry was different because the soldiers in the regiment were a little bit disorganized and they did not have the type of support and resources that the 15th Infantry had (00:18:58:00)  On some occasions, when Vazquez and the other soldiers would take a hilltop and try to dig in but would hit rocks and could not dig in; however, in the 15th Infantry, Vazquez’s company commander would call an engineering squad to use explosives to clear away the rocks (00:19:17:00)  The 15th Infantry received a large amount of artillery support while the 65th Infantry did not nor did the 65th Infantry receive the same type of engineer support as the 15th received (00:19:37:00) o The 65th Infantry was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division but the division did not provide enough support to the regiment (00:19:56:00) After leaving Korea, Vazquez returned to Puerto Rico, briefly left the military, then returned between a month and a month and a half later, where he promptly applied for a transfer to the 82nd Airborne Division (00:20:27:00) o When he was growing up, Vazquez wanted to serve in the Army as either a Ranger or a paratrooper (00:20:48:00) o During the period he was not in the Army, Vazquez returned to the University of Puerto Rico and started playing baseball, although he did not have the same skill as he had before he went to Korea (00:21:20:00)  The competition was much higher after Vazquez returned, so after the month, he went back into the Army (00:21:34:00) When he joined the 82nd Airborne, Vazquez had to attend jump school, which was very difficult for Vazquez (00:21:50:00) o There were not too many Spanish-speaking soldiers in the 82nd Airborne at the time, so the other soldiers treated Vazquez differently, making the training very difficult for him (00:22:05:00)  Vazquez was somewhat lucky because a couple of nights before he began jump school, when he went to the NCO club on the base, there was a sergeant first class who had been stationed in Puerto Rico (00:22:25:00)  The sergeant, first class saw Vazquez sitting by himself, so he struck up a conversation with Vazquez and eventually, a master sergeant came to the same table and talked with both men; as it � turned out, the master sergeant was the NCOIC (Noncommissioned officer in-charge) of the 82nd Airborne Division’s jump school (00:23:03:00)  When Vazquez started the training, the other soldiers were giving him a hard time but the master sergeant Vazquez had met at the NCO club did not know about it (00:23:24:00)  Then, after two weeks, the master sergeant came down, saw Vazquez, and the two men started talking; the master sergeant asked how everything was going and Vazquez told him everything that had happened with the other soldiers (00:23:29:00)  Vazquez figures the master sergeant talked with the other soldiers and told them to lay off Vazquez because after that, Vazquez did not have any problems with the other soldiers (00:23:50:00) o After he completed the basic jump training, Vazquez went straight into jump master training because the master sergeant had given permission (00:24:02:00) Once he finished jump master training and NCO training, Vazquez transferred to the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (00:24:34:00) o The 11th Airborne was being formed and needed personnel, so soldiers were taken from the 82nd Airborne to help fill out the 11th Airborne (00:24:52:00) o Vazquez joined the 11th Airborne in 1954 after re-enlisting and joining the 82nd Airborne in 1953 (00:25:02:00) o After the 11th Airborne was completed and at full strength, the entire division moved from Fort Campbell to Germany in January 1956 (00:25:16:00)  The division moved to Augsburg, Germany with the assignment to support the various armored units in the area in the event of a Soviet attack into Germany (00:25:38:00)  While in Germany, the division took part in various tactical exercises, deploying to positions behind the armored units (00:26:02:00)  Vazquez would label his time in Germany as one of his best tours of duty, staying in the country for three years (00:26:32:00)  Overall, the 11th Airborne did not receive much training in the way of making attacks; instead, the division was largely used as a ready-reaction force (00:27:07:00)  Although the division was primarily stationed in Germany, the soldiers also did a couple jumps in Italy and for a brief period, deployed to Lebanon (00:27:26:00) o The soldiers’ deployment to Lebanon was in 1956 and was primarily a show of force (00:27:49:00) o During his time deployed in Germany, Vazquez decided to make a career our of the Army because in Germany, for whatever reason, although he was only a sergeant first class, Vazquez was a platoon leader (00:28:44:00)  While in Korea, Vazquez was twice offered an officer’s commission but he declined both times; Vazquez declined the commissions because he did not want to be an officer and because he enjoyed being an enlisted soldier (00:28:59:00) �  In Germany, Vazquez received another offer for an officer’s commission and although he decline again, he kept command of his platoon, although he had been promoted to E-8 (Master Sergeant) (00:29:23:00) After the three-year tour in Germany, Vazquez returned to Fort Campbell for several years, until 1959, when he joined the Special Forces (00:29:39:00) Special Forces / 1st Vietnam Deployment / 2nd Vietnam Deployment (00:30:01:00)  Vazquez did not know much about Vietnam prior to joining the Special Forces (00:30:02:00)  Two different things motivated Vazquez into joining the Special Forces: first, when he returned to Fort Campbell, Vasquez joined the 187th Airborne Regiment, the same regiment he had trained with in Japan prior to going to Vietnam (00:30:16:00) o When he joined the 187th, Vazquez was already very experienced in airborne operations, having made numerous jumps in both jump school and jump master training, as well as several jumps while stationed in Germany (00:30:46:00) o There six or seven other soldiers in Vazquez’s company who had made a similar amount of jumps as Vazquez and eventually, two of the men decided to join the Special Forces (00:31:12:00)  The Special Forces training was the most difficult training Vazquez experienced in the military (00:31:45:00) o The first training new Special Forces members underwent was qualification training; the first two weeks of the qualification training was largely physical, including swimming and hiking in the mountains with a weapon and a ninetypound rucksack (00:31:50:00) o The Special Forces training happened all over the southeastern part of the United States, including North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia (00:32:21:00) o Qualification training lasted for eight to ten weeks with only about 30% of the soldiers who started actually finishing (00:32:51:00)  After finishing the qualification training, the soldiers went through different, individual skill courses, such as: light weapons, heavy weapons, demolitions, medic, operations & intelligence, etc. (00:33:04:00)  Prior to the skill courses, each soldier took a battery of tests to determine which course would be best for them (00:33:32:00) o Vazquez was selected to train skill courses in operations & intelligence (00:33:50:00)  Operations & intelligence soldiers had two primary jobs while in the field: doing diagnosis and analysis of a situation before sending the information higher in the chain of command and acting as the second-in-command to the Special Forces team leader, assisting in tactical situations (00:34:00:00) o During the training, officers trained with a different group than the NCOs, although NCOs made up the majority of the soldiers in training (00:34:56:00)  At that time, a soldier needed to be at least a sergeant in order to qualify for Special Forces (00:35:07:00)  When the qualification training ended, all the soldiers went through a filtering exercise, where two officers, one acting as a commanding officer �   and the other as a executive officer (XO) would lead a detachment of NCOs (00:35:21:00)  The detachment would train in the field for four or five weeks to see if the two groups, officers and NCOs, could work together and survive as a team (00:35:44:00)  This part of the training occurred in North Carolina (00:35:57:00) o Vazquez started the Special Forces training in January 1959 and finished the training a year later, in January 1960 (00:36:20:00) After finishing the training, Vazquez was assigned to “B” Company, 7th Special Forces Group, which was stationed Fort Bragg, North Carolina (00:36:46:00) o Vazquez stayed in the 7th Special Forces for about four months before a new Special Forces group, the 6th Special Forces Group, formed and soldiers from all the different existing Special Forces groups, including Vazquez, were selected to help form and train the 6th Special Forces (00:37:02:00) Vazquez stayed with the 6th Special Forces for another four months before transferring to the 8th Special Forces stationed at the Panama Canal, whose assigned area of operations included all of Central and South America (00:37:31:00) o For the most part, the 8th Special Forces assisted various Central and South American countries perform different operations (00:37:58:00) o At their time, the group’s primary assignment was to train the military forces of the Central and South American countries, including training the Cuban exiles who took part in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion (00:38:19:00) o Vazquez stayed with 8th Special Forces for three years and did several missions in Columbia, Ecuador, and Bolivia (00:38:38:00) o All the soldiers Vazquez served with in Panama spoke Spanish; every soldier in the Special Forces had to train in a secondary language and Vazquez, although he spoke both English and Spanish, still needed training in another language, so he trained in Arabic (00:39:41:00)  Vazquez trained in Arabic because the 7th Special Forces at that time was responsible for the Middle East (00:40:07:00) o While in the various Central and South American countries, Vazquez and the other Special Forces soldiers did not become overly involved in actual combat; instead, the soldiers spent most of their time training soldiers in the other countries’ militaries (00:40:38:00) Vazquez’s assignment in Panama ended in 1965, when he transferred to the 1st Special Forces Group stationed on Okinawa and did Vazquez did a “short tour” in Vietnam, assisting in the training of South Vietnamese Special Forces soldiers (00:41:05:00) o While in Vietnam, Vazquez assisted in training the South Vietnamese Special Forces (00:41:30:00) o After the four months in Vietnam, Vazquez and his team were replaced by another team of Special Forces soldiers who continued training the South Vietnamese soldiers (00:41:59:00) o The area where Vazquez and his team conducted the training was a good area, located very close to the ocean and on high ground (00:42:23:00) � o Apart from training the South Vietnamese soldiers, the other primary assignment for Vazquez and his team was training South Vietnamese nurses, both men and women (00:42:42:00)  At the time, there were two trained medics in Vazquez’s team, both of whom had gone through the Special Forces’ medical courses, which often took several years to complete (00:43:04:00)  Once a soldier finished the medical training, he was qualified enough to be a physician's assistant, and thus capable of training nurses (00:43:22:00)  While the two medics trained the South Vietnamese to be nurses, Vazquez spent most of his time collecting intelligence from civilians who came into the clinic that the nurses ran (00:43:47:00)  Everyone knew that at least some of the civilians were Viet Cong, so Vazquez would interview them through a translator to try and obtain information (00:43:56:00)  Every day, Viet Cong came to the clinic to see the nurses because their forces did not have any trained medics (00:44:24:00) o Vazquez was smart enough to recognize who were the Viet Cong and who were not and would only ask certain questions to the Viet Cong members so as not to tip them off that he knew who they were (00:44:44:00)  Once they determined someone was part of the Viet Cong, Vazquez and the others would tip off the South Vietnamese Special Forces detachment (00:45:03:00) After finishing the short tour in Vietnam, Vazquez went back to Fort Bragg and was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group before the group received assignment back to Vietnam in 1966 (00:45:47:00) o When the group deployed, it was assigned to operate in the Mekong Delta region and Vazquez continued working in Operations and Intelligence (00:46:12:00) o The group’s primary mission was going into a specific area of operations where they would recruit and train locals to conduct combat operations within that specific area (00:46:30:00)  Prior to when Vazquez arrived back in Vietnam, the Americans had a single Special Forces detachment operating within the A Shau Valley that was completely destroyed during an enemy attack (00:47:10:00)  The detachment was destroyed because the Vietnamese in one of the companies the soldiers recruited from the area were actually part of the Viet Cong, so went the enemy attack started, that company began firing from the inside the camp (00:47:22:00)  Vazquez realized he needed to be smarter when he recruited local Vietnamese, so he focused on recruiting ethnic Chinese living in the cities (00:47:41:00)  The Chinese were very loyal and so long as the Americans treated them well, took care of their families, paid them on time, and did everything they could for them, then the Chinese would fight for the Americans (00:48:21:00) �o When Vazquez and the other soldiers first arrived at the area where their base would be, they first had to clear the area of the enemy by doing a combat assault, where all the soldiers were mounted in helicopters (00:48:44:00)  Once the area was clear of enemy soldiers, it took the Special Forces soldiers ninety days to build their camp (00:49:01:00)  Construction of the camp was mostly done by a team of SeaBees (Naval Engineers) using small bulldozers (00:49:41:00)  Before the SeaBees arrived, the Special Forces soldiers had formed the lay out of the base (00:50:01:00)  The soldiers knew that during the monsoon season, they would not be able to operate at the base, so the SeaBees commander suggested building the base’s buildings on top of 55 gallon drums (00:50:04:00)  When the soldiers asked how they would defend the base during the monsoons, the commander said they would cut holes in large conex containers for the soldiers to fire the weapons out of and would build a platform the soldiers could stand on; after that, the entire container was covered in a special webbing that went deep into the ground before being tightened (00:50:46:00)  Once the monsoons rains did eventually come, both the buildings and the conex containers would begin to float (00:51:40:00) o The camp came under attack, initially by enemy probes, usually as squad of ten or fifteen soldiers, although larger attacks followed (00:52:05:00)  However, the soldiers in the camp knew that the camp was going to be attacked because they had gathered information from the surrounding villages that the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were building a number of wooden boxes (00:52:19:00)  To counter the possibility of the attack, Vazquez placed one squad in the area where he thought the attack most likely to come from, which was to the north (00:53:04:00)  To the south of the camp was the Mekong river, which offered protect in the form of Navy boats (00:53:16:00)  The first time the enemy attacked the camp, they attacked with a single battalion but when the attack began, the forces Vazquez had placed on the north side of the camp discovered the enemy very quickly (00:53:30:00)  The enemy eventually fell back, after which the Americans called in a AC-130 gunship, the “Spooky” (00:53:48:00)  While the help of the gunship, the enemy attack was stopped four hundred meters away from the camp (00:54:04:00)  The soldiers knew that prior to an attack, the enemy would build two different things, wooden boxes to carry away their dead and wounded, and wooden ladders (00:54:26:00)  During the destruction of the Special Forces detachment in the A Shau Valley, the enemy used ladders to help cross the wires surrounding the perimeter of the detachment’s camp (00:54:33:00)  The soldiers in Vazquez’s camp knew that if the enemy in the area had ladders, then their camp would soon be attacked (00:54:43:00) �   The first enemy battalion to attack the camp was from the North Vietnamese 514th Infantry Regiment (00:54:58:00)  The soldiers in the camp were familiar with the 514th Infantry because the regiment was often the main enemy force that the soldiers had to fight (00:55:10:00)  The first attack on the base happened in July 1967 (00:55:22:00)  Most of the enemy forces operating in the area surrounding the camp were part of the Viet Cong, while the 514th Infantry had only recently moved into the area (00:55:34:00)  Vazquez and the other soldiers knew the 514th Infantry was in the area because they had received intelligence from other units about the movement of the regiment (00:55:45:00)  During the first enemy attack, apart from calling in an AC-130 gunship for support, Vazquez also requested support from a mobile strike force, a battalion-sized unit (00:56:06:00)  After the AC-130 attacked, the mobile strike force helped push the enemy back (00:56:24:00)  Normally, enemy attacks would also include sappers, which the soldiers needed to take out first (00:56:35:00)  During the first attack, the initial contact that the platoon on the perimeter made was with the enemy sappers (00:56:38:00) o Vazquez was wounded six days after the enemy attack, when the camp was attacked by two enemy battalions (00:57:06:00)  During the second enemy attack, the commander of the mobile strike force was told to come in but the strike force ended up attacking and defeating both enemy battalions (00:57:18:00)  During the attack, Vazquez was fighting with some enemy forces and did not realize that a second Special Forces team was coming via the river; when the second team arrived, they assisted in defeating the remainder of the enemy forces (00:58:20:00)  Initially, the senior medic in Vazquez’s team took care of Vazquez’s wounds, after which Vazquez was evacuated back to Saigon, where he stayed for one night before going to Yokohama, Japan (00:59:09:00) Vazquez spent four-and a half months in Japan, all of which was recovery time for his wound (00:59:38:00) o Initially, the doctors told Vazquez he would be in the hospital for six months but if he worked hard in the physical therapy, he could make the time spent in the hospital short (00:59:54:00) o After four and a half months in Japan, Vazquez transferred to Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, where he spent another two months (01:00:11:00) Once Vazquez got out of the hospital, he had to pass the Special Forces physical test a second time to be assigned back to Special Forces, which he did (01:00:37:00) o Vazquez completed the physical test late in 1968 and was then sent back to Panama to rejoin the 8th Special Forces Group (01:01:02:00) o When the commander of 8th Special Forces heard about Vazquez being wounded, he sent a letter to Vazquez saying that although Vazquez had declined promotions �before, given that he had been wounded, the commander suggested Vazquez accept a promotion straight to captain (01:01:18:00) o At the same time Vazquez received his promotion to captain, the 75th Ranger Regiment was short of commanding officers, so Vazquez transferred to the regiment (01:02:29:00) 3rd Vietnam Deployment / Reflections (01:02:38:00)  When Vazquez arrived back in Vietnam to join the 75th Rangers, he was assigned command of “D” Company; however, the battalion that the company was part of was reorganizing and the battalion commander wanted Vazquez to be his XO (01:02:38:00) o Vazquez declined the offer to be the battalion XO because he wanted to be a combat company commander, which meant staying in combat (01:03:01:00) o Eventually, a lieutenant colonel who had been Vazquez’s company commander heard Vazquez was a company commander in the 75th Rangers, visited the Ranger camp, and told Vazquez that Vazquez was being reassigned to the lieutenant colonel’s unit in the 101st Airborne, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Airborne Regiment, where Vazquez was made a company commander (01:03:37:00)  Vazquez joined the 506th Airborne in January 1969 (01:04:23:00) o However, when Vazquez first joined the regiment, the company commander he was meant to replace still had some time left on his tour, so Vazquez spent time with 187th Airborne Regiment until the previous company commander’s tour finally ended (01:04:39:00)  During his time with the 187th Airborne, Vazquez worked as an S-5, which involved helping look for intelligence (01:05:10:00) o During the first couple of months with his company, Vazquez and the company went on numerous missions, such as providing support and protection for various firebases (01:06:32:00)  At the time, the only major difference between serving in the 101st Airborne and a regular infantry line company was that in the 101st, the soldiers deployed to their positions via helicopter (01:06:01:00)  However, the tendency was to land an entire company in the same location, something that Vazquez did not like; because Vazquez knew his commander, he changed the procedure so that not all three of his platoons landed at the same area (01:07:12:00)  Whenever the company deployed into the jungle, Vazquez had several different landing zones chosen as both primary and secondary locations (01:07:55:00)  After Vazquez instituted the change, the other companies in the regiment operated in a similar fashion (01:08:13:00) o In April, 1970, Vazquez and his company moved to a series of hills, near the proposed site of Firebase Ripcord,1:08:34:00)  Another company [actually two other companies on separate occasions] had gone onto the hill by helicopter but had been driven out, but Vazquez's company climbed up on foot and held it. (01:08:54:00)  During the first night Vazquez’s company was on Ripcord, the enemy launched an attack (01:09:03:00) � The way Vazquez had set up his defenses, he had one platoon positioned to the right and another platoon positioned to the left, so when the enemy attack came, he was able to counter attack with the remaining platoon and successfully cleared the area of enemy soldiers (01:09:13:00)  While in the 101st, Vazquez had very good platoon leaders; one of leaders had been in the ROTC while another was graduate of the military academy at West Point (01:09:38:00)  During the enemy night attack, Vazquez chose to launch his counter attack at night; attacking at night was not common amongst regular infantry units but it was common amongst forces (01:10:13:00)  According to Vazquez’s training, if his unit was attacked, they immediately launched a counter-attack to clear the area of enemy soldiers (01:10:23:00)  After the attack on the first night, Vazquez helped in setting up the perimeter defenses for the entire firebase (01:10:44:00)  Vazquez finally left Ripcord just before the operation turned in favor of the enemy (01:11:06:00)  While his company was on Ripcord, Vazquez always kept two platoons on the base while the third platoon was always in the field (01:11:33:00)  Occasionally, the enemy would launch probing attacks against the base but they were never able to fully penetrate the base’s outer defenses and get inside the perimeter (01:11:52:00)  Initially, the soldiers constructed bunkers higher on the hill where the base was located while Vazquez and his company were located lower on the sides of the hill in “L” trenches; “L” trenches allowed the soldiers to defend in two directions (01:12:20:00) o The “L” trenches did not have too much in the way of overhead cover, maybe enough for one or two soldiers to take cover under (01:12:56:00) o However, being in the trenches meant the soldiers presented much smaller targets for the enemy; if a soldier was walking about fully exposed, then the enemy might launch an RPG into the position (01:13:11:00)  At the time Vazquez rotated out of Ripcord, his company was at almost full strength; as far as Vazquez can remember, the company only suffered a handful of casualties (01:13:36:00) o After he left Ripcord, Vazquez became the S-4 officer for the 2nd Battalion, which meant he moved back to Camp Evans; once at Camp Evans, Vazquez worked in providing support to all the units in the battalion, not just those units stationed on Ripcord (01:14:20:00)  When the soldiers went into Ripcord, the firebase was located on a hill lower than two of the mountains in the same area (01:15:26:00)  On both sides of the base were mountains high enough that the enemy could launch artillery and mortar strikes onto the base (01:15:35:00) � Initially, the enemy several unsuccessful attempts to penetrate the base, all of which were stopped by Vazquez’s various perimeter defenses, such as 55 gallon drums full of napalm buried in the ground, straight wire [he used conventional barbed wire as well as concertina wire, since the enemy could not use ladders to press down the straight wire], and artillery fire pinpointed to specific locations (01:15:54:00) o Vazquez went back to Ripcord two days before the final withdrawal from the firebase to help create the plan for how to effectively withdraw all the troops and the equipment (01:16:57:00)  Vazquez had the plan developed but the day that the withdrawal was supposed to begin, one of the C-46 transports being used crashed into the bunkers, brought down by enemy gunfire (01:17:15:00)  Vazquez’s withdrawal plan went ahead and they successfully withdrew all the soldiers on the firebase as well as the artillery pieces, with Vazquez’s XO staying on the firebase until the last gun was taken out (01:18:11:00)  During the withdrawal, Vazquez traveled to Ripcord twice and both times, it was often under very heavy enemy gunfire; however, once on the firebase, Vazquez used his helicopter to help ferry wounded soldiers off the firebase (01:18:32:00) o Overall, the primary mission at Ripcord was positioning 155mm and 105mm artillery pieces to fire onto enemy supply depots in the A Shau valley, a mission that was accomplished (01:19:28:00)  When the order was given to withdraw, the soldiers had to withdraw; it was not their fault that the fighting at the firebase failed to go in their favor (01:20:14:00)  Vazquez did not want to rotate off the firebase because he knew that even if the enemy attacked with four or five battalions, the perimeter defenses were good enough that the enemy were not going to be able to break through (01:20:19:00) o During the time Vazquez was commanding the company on Ripcord, the morale amongst the soldiers was very high because Vazquez commanded his unit from the front (01:20:56:00)  Vazquez led from the front because if the company was ever hit, he wanted to know exactly what was happening (01:21:15:00)  Although conventional wisdom holds if someone is at the front, then they are likely one of the first ones hit but Vazquez shrugs that wisdom off, saying “if you are in the first squad and you get hit, then you get hit”; however, being in the first squad meant Vazquez knew where the enemy was attacking from and what their strengths were, which meant he could use his own forces accordingly (01:21:31:00)  When Vazquez took over command of his company, Vazquez talked with the previous company commander for a couple of hours and the previous commander warned Vazquez that there were two or three soldiers in the company that the commander struggled with (01:22:13:00) �      Sometimes, the soldiers did not want to go into the field or do other assignments (01:22:40:00)  Other than that handful of soldiers, the previous commander said that the rest of the company was pretty good (01:22:47:00)  The first thing Vazquez did when he took command of the company was talk to the handful of troublemakers and made it clear that when the company moved, everyone in the company moved (01:22:52:00)  Vazquez does not recall ever having any problems with the supposed troublemakers (01:23:28:00)  Once back on Camp Evans, Vazquez assumes there were more troublemakers but he did not worry about them because they were not his problem (01:23:56:00) o While Vazquez commanded the company, there was not much in the way of racial tension that divided the company (01:24:15:00) Vazquez was originally supposed to leave Vietnam at a certain date but he missed the flight because he was still helping with operations around Ripcord (01:24:42:00) o No one from the brigade could find Vazquez and they eventually became upset with him because he had missed his flight out; eventually, the battalion commander personally flew out and took Vazquez back to the division headquarters (01:25:08:00) After Vazquez left Vietnam, he returned to the Special Forces school at Fort Bragg and after finishing his captain’s commission [as the army downsized after Vietnam, many captains were "riffed", reduced in rank to NCOs], became the command sergeant major for the school (01:25:49:00) o Vazquez stayed at the school until 1980 before leaving active-duty and joining the reserves, although he only stayed in the reserves for a brief period, having finally had enough of the Army (01:26:38:00) After retiring from the Army, Vazquez took a job working as a logistics manager for a corporation (01:27:02:00) o While stationed at Fort Bragg for the last time, having already completed his bachelors degree, Vazquez obtained a masters degree and then a PhD in Business Administration (01:27:19:00) Going as far back as his time serving in Korea, Vazquez recognized that there was a certain part of the American public, including the media, that maintained an anti-war sentiment (01:28:10:00) o When Vazquez and the other soldiers returned from Korea, most Americans did not know what the Korean war was even about (01:28:23:00) o When the soldiers came back from Vietnam, Americans everywhere were parading against the war, but Vazquez paid little attention to them because it was not his problem (01:28:36:00) Vazquez has written a book focusing on his experiences during both the Korean and Vietnam wars, as well as his life and experiences in general (01:28:56:00) o According to Vazquez, the most important thing in the book to him was not his overall service in Korea or Vietnam but a specific incident involving the 65th Infantry in Korea after he left (01:29:31:00) �  After Vazquez left the unit, a large number of the soldiers were courtmartialed and the commander of the 2nd Battalion was relived of his duties (01:30:04:00)  There have been a lot of things written about the incident that were lies about situations and events that Vazquez was involved in (01:30:12:00) o While reading through the Department of Defense and Department of the Army records, Vazquez realized the people writing in the records were not on the ground during the situations they were writing about (01:31:04:00)  The records talked about a certain hill and the fighting that occurred there; in reality, Vazquez had served at that location three different times and the records did not accurately portray what happened (01:31:32:00)  In another record, the 2nd Battalion commander was ridiculed for giving up the hill where Vazquez served when in reality, the commander and two of his companies attacked and reoccupied the position for fifteen days, eventually having to retreat from the hill in the face of increasing Chinese artillery fire (01:32:49:00) One lesson Vazquez learned while in Vietnam and Korea was never to withdraw from a position because he would eventually have to come back to retake the position (01:35:50:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VazquezI1279V Title A name given to the resource Vazquez, Isabelino (Interview transcript and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vazquez, Isabelino Description An account of the resource Isabelino Vazquez was born and grew up in Puerto Rico and was drafted into the Army in 1951 at the age of nineteen years old. Once drafted, Vazquez went through training in Puerto Rico before deploying to Korea and fighting in the Korean War. He served as an infantryman in the 7th Infantry for twelve months, and then as a platoon leader in the all-Puerto Rican 65th Regiment for two months. After Korea, Vazquez briefly left the military before re-enlisting and completing jump school, after which he served in both the 82nd and 11th Airborne Divisions, with the latter division while the division was in Germany. When he returned to the United States, Vazquez completed the training for the Army Special Forces and traveled between the different special forces groups, including the 8th Special Forces Group in the Panama Canal Zone and the 1st Special Forces Group stationed on Okinawa, Japan. While with the 1st Special Forces, Vazquez did a short tour in Vietnam helping train South Vietnamese Special Forces and nurses. After completing the short tour with the 1st Special Forces, Vasquez briefly returned to the States to join the 5th Special Forces Group before the group deployed to the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. During his second deployment, the enemy wounded Vasquez, forcing his evacuation, first to Japan then to the States. Once out of the hospital, Vasquez served a short period with the 75th Ranger before joining the 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as a company commander. While with the 506th Infantry, Vasquez helped set of the defenses for Firebase Ripcord, site of one of the last major battles involving American forces in Vietnam. When Vasquez left his company command, he served as a battalion S-4 before returning to the States and eventually retiring in 1980. 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 Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-10-06 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3adddc8bb4a640d72b1aa057fe102d24.mp4 674e0bb737e9ccdfab87350036336e2e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3bffd35b1ace26bfc1d631746e59b425.pdf f9583d0e703726797727df43bf20e402 PDF Text Text Interview Notes John S. Vedrode (00:32:00) Introduction (01:08) Family and childhood (02:37) • Grew up in the farming area of Merrill, MI with three sisters working on a 500-acre sugar beet farm. • Attended school through the 7th grade and went to work on the family farm with his father. Pre-enlistment (08:06) • He was working at the green elevator on December 8th, 1941 when a worker mentioned to him that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Vedrode next mentions that he had been deferred for 6 months and then drafted in June, 1942. Enlistment and Training (10:49) • Went to Detroit for a physical and was given a clean bill of health. From there he went to Fort Custer for fitting. (12:08) • From there he went to Fort Rucker for basic training. (12:37) • Vedrode recounts a story regarding his ranger training. During his training he was commanded to trudge through 10 feet of water in a foxhole up to his shoulders. Such a task was difficult at best since he had to crawl out like a snake while a machine gun fired at them 18 inches off the ground. (13:28) • While undergoing training, he met an officer by the name of Mike Drenine who gave him two weeks of commando training. (16:12) • After commando training he stayed with his company until being deployed. The Philippines (16:59) • While stationed in the Philippines, Vedrode served in Carlson’s Raiders and trained under him. (18:13) • Vedrode tells of an encounter of which Colonel Carlson tells a certain sergeant, “You do the training too; just like these privates are doing.” �Marshall Islands (19:35) • Vedrode talks about a combat encounter that he had on the island of Eniwetok. • Landing on an island that was only two miles wide by three miles long, the importance of this island to the U.S. Marines was an airstrip. • Vedrode tells of an encounter where he was wounded. After landing and meeting no resistance at a particular pillbox, he calls for a flame thrower to destroy it. Upon destroying it, Vedrode went around to the side of the pillbox where he was hit in the head. When the medics came to get him, he did not want to go even though they told him to wait for the ship to come and pick him up. Tagged as he was, to identify that he was wounded, he disappeared on three occasions that the boat came to get the wounded. (23:34) • Vedrode talks of how he took a month and a half to heal on Eniwetok Island. (27:22) • Brief description of a Japanese soldier who comes charging out of a cave while they fired at him while they set a charge which explodes, the cave, but does not kill the Japanese soldier. • Vedrode talks about an encounter in which he blew up a 75 mm gun turret. While a group of his men were firing two machine guns, he crawled up in between them to the gun emplacement and placed a charge there and 10 seconds later it exploded. Afterwards, he received the Silver Star and the rank of staff sergeant for his bravery. Japan (24:22) • During his three-month stay in Japan, he tells of an encounter where he gives some Japanese kids candy. After serving three months in Japan, he is sent home. Going Home (25:11) • Instead of telling of his experience in going home, he talks about his four brothers and the different branches they served with: Frank (Merchant Marines), Louie (Navy), Ernie, and Steve. After the war (29:08) • Vedrode talks about his marriage years after the service. He says he met his wife after the service and was married between 20 and 25 years. In addition, �he had five kids: Laura, Linda, Tina, Doug, and Dan and quiet a few grandchildren as well. (32:20) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VedrodeJ Title A name given to the resource Vedrode, John (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vedrode, John Description An account of the resource John Vedrode served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942 to 1945. He describes combat on Eniwetok, where he earned a silver star for destroying a Japanese gun emplacement, serving with Carlson's Raiders in the Philippines, and serving on occupation duty in Japan after the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Marine Corps World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-25 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a5516ad0752c72e6d1fe665344a3de35.jpg 6c9ad9184dbbcd5cb9f8a9ebddccc12d 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 Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 VeenemanLaurene Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Veeneman, Laurene Description An account of the resource Laurene Veeneman, Library Services Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History Librarians Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7e33065f767e58090fe05759ad3329ec.m4v a0f5bc19458a8091bee5e7220d884bf2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2de6982eddddb449a646368fc7e7f0b4.pdf e72d272cf3e5b53fda6b4866e4df2467 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Veteran: Gilford Veenstra Interviewer: James Smither Transcribed by Gabrielle Angel Interview length: 59:00 0:00:00.2 I: We're talking today with Gil Veenstra of Grand Rapids Michigan and the interviewer is James Smither of the Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project. Okay, Gil, start us off with some background on yourself and to begin with, where and when were you born? V: I was born August 1, 1926 in Grand Rapids. My mother was a school teacher. My dad was an auto mechanic. I: Okay, and did you grow up in Grand Rapids? V: Yes. I: Okay. Now, were your parents able to keep their jobs during the Depression? V: No, they had a hard time like a lot of the folks. They lost their nice, big house. He lost his business. He's a new car dealer and he served in the Army at the tail end of World War I as a motorcycle mechanic. I grew up on a farm with five boys and two girls. There was a role for that many kids as adults. Anyway, we worked for my dad when I got to be twelve, fourteen. Dad started me young. He rejuvenated his business but he never purchased a building. He was always shy of the same thing would happen as happened in the Depression. We went through hard times. I remember we were making house payments of twenty-seven dollars a month to the lady just down the street from where we lived. They still sent me to a Christian school. 00:02:06.1 V: I had one sister, she developed polio when she was about twelve, had her paralyzed from the waist down. She took most of my parents' energy and funds. At Mary Free Bed, she got all kinds of treatment. When she was old enough and I had a garage I fixed the car with hand controls so she could drive because my dad had passed away in 1950. I: Well that's getting a little bit ahead of ourselves in the story here. Let's go back into the 1930s. Your family had a hard time but you manage to kind of still make it through. You were, they were able to send you the Christian schools. Now, do you remember how you heard about Pearl Harbor? �V: On the radio on a cruise ship. We had a three-ship convoy headed out of Frisco. Actually, it was Treasure Island. And we went to Hawaii; that was our first stop, and we got and we couldn't get off of the ships. I: Back in in 1941 when the Pearl Harbor attack happened you heard about it on the radio. Now did you think at the time that the war would be over before you were going to get into it or do you not think about it? V: You know, as- as a young person there was a whole bunch of us guys in the senior class at Christian High went out and enlisted together. Just get in there and get it over with. We had that attitude and that feeling: do what we can. 00:04:04.1 I: And that's 1944, so that's several years down the line, but as you were going through school did you just always assume that sooner or later you were going to have to go? V: I don't think I gave it any thought. I: But, now when you enlisted did you choose which branch of the service to go into? V: I did. I: What did you choose? V: I chose the Navy. I: And why did you choose the Navy? V: You know, that's a pretty good question. Because my dad was Army, I didn't have any relation in the Navy. It was kind of our camaraderie in our senior class in high school that we were gonna enlist in the Navy when we graduated, so a bunch of us we came together. I: So, you're saying some of the other guys had a preference and you just went with them? V: Yeah, more or less I: Alright, so where did they send you now for training? V: At Great Lakes. I: Okay. And this is the summer of 1944 now? V: Correct. I: Alright, Great Lakes to the north of Chicago. What did the basic training consist of? V: We had firefighters, aircraft identification, machine shop, a bit of electrical shop. They exposed us to quite a wide field that we could choose from. I didn't expect that was going to happen, what are you good at? �I went into the basic engineering class right there at Great Lakes. They were committed I go to diesel school. 00:06:15.9 I: While you were still at Great Lakes, how much emphasis did they put on discipline and following orders? V: Boot camp is strict. We kept the barracks clean. Kept yourself clean. Did your laundry. Learn to tie knots. Everything had to be rolled and square knotted. We had a Chief who was in our company that owned a company that made band instruments. He was a real strict one for marching. A nice guy, sharp, but you better get your cadences right and stay with him. I: Now, how easy or hard was it for you to adjust to that kind of military life? V: Very easy. I: Why was that? V: I had some friends in my company. Friends that started with “V”. For instance, Elmer Veen. I'm Veenstra, he's Veen. If he'd wash down here, I'll wash up the vault. It was a few of the guys from our class and just seemed like we fit right in. I: Alright, how long did basic training last? V: Seven weeks and four days for boot camp. 00:07:57.5 I: Okay, and then what they do with you after that? V: I went into engineering, basic engineering. And that required a variety of exposure which determined that, using their judgment and my grades and whatnot, I better stay in a more technical field: diesel. I think in those days there were the thoughts of invading Japan. I'm sure of it. They were looking for good diesel mechanics for the landing craft, LCMs, and I enjoyed working on that GM 671, the same engine that powered city buses early in the 40s and 50s. I: Did you do your diesel training at Great Lakes or did they send you somewhere else? V: I eventually ended up in diesel school in Richmond, Virginia for diesel and advanced diesel. And, was that just learning the engines and how they work and how to a fix them. The instructor said, "How many of you guys have experience? My dad had a garage. I worked with my dad. Another guy says, "My dad was a service manager up in Minnesota for a Ford dealer." Another kid says, "I come out of Pennsylvania I'm a farm boy and he said we can fix anything." So, it was the three of us and we monitored the class. First of all, they did a time study of a tear down with the three of us working together. And then, they'd get the flunkies in and then time them. The navy's way isn't always the right way but it works, and I enjoyed it. �00:10:21.2 I: So, you were already helping do the training while you were still in training? V: Yeah, I did a teardown of a 671 and put her back together. Pressed a button, [motor noise] she’ll run. I: Now, did you get a chance while you are in the diesel school to actually ride in any of the landing craft, or were you just working on the engines themselves? V: The power units where there was an engine they had a little joules four-cylinder engines I ran the pump for a generator and the auxiliary stuff on that warship powered by diesel. I: But, at this stage you're not actually on any boats or ships. V: No, we were in the shop. I: While you were there in Richmond did you get to go off the base at all or did you just stay there? V: I think we were free to go on Friday night. We went up to this Mark Wade, his name was, he lived in Chatham, Pennsylvania just across the- a short distance from Baltimore, Maryland. We went there several times, stayed with Mark. The same three of us we were together on those kinds of settings, home cookin', sleep in a good bed. The neighborhood girls that would come over and just play games. We were just kids, nineteen eighteen, eighteen by that I'm sure. Ah. 00:12:23.4 V: Friday night they also would bring in girls, bus-loads of girls from Richmond, and they had what do you call a guy who plays a record? I: Well, a disc jockey. V: Yeah, a that's it. And they would have a dance. As a Christian Reform young man, we didn't believe in dances. Movies were, movies were not good either. I'll tell you a little story? I was sitting down. It was held in the gym. I was sittin' on the lower tier in the gym, just watching the goings on, and a young lady came up to me and she said, "Why aren't you dancing?" I said, "I don't know how." She said, "Do ya wanna learn?" I said, "Not in front of all these people." I said, "Maybe you and I could sneak behind the bleachers and you could give me some pointers." It happened, and she was my buddy for a few weeks. A Jamaican lady, Rita McCormy was her name. I don't know what nationality she was, but she was not Dutch. I'll tell you what. She taught me a few steps. It was interesting. �00:13:56.9 I: Did you go into the city of Richmond at all or just - ? V: We went to a movie now and then on our weekends if we didn't go up to Mark Wade's house. I: Asking in part because you're in the South and the South was segregated in those days and Grand Rapids wasn't. Did you notice any of the segregation or the Jim Crow, or did that not register with you? V: I never got involved with anything about segregation. I: Did you see things like whites-only bathrooms or anything like that? V: No, I really don't remember it. I: That's fascinating just to find out. Sometimes you notice sometimes you don't. But really a lot of your time off base was spent up in Pennsylvania, which is going back north again. Okay, alright, how long did you spend in Richmond? V: Well, diesel school was six weeks and four weeks I think, so, two and a half months. But I didn't finish up because I developed the German measles. Then my class graduated, so I think some of them got an advancement of rate. I would have qualified; I was right up on top of my class. Now I'm stuck in sick bay. And corpsmen don't know kids' maladies. You know when you've been a parent and you have eight kids like my wife and I have you go through those whooping coughs and tonsillitis and on and on and on. I was left all by myself and until the Lieutenant said, "Well, what are we going to do with ya?" I said, "Get me outta here." I said, like, "I want a job. I want to work. I want to be responsible for something." 00:16:11.1 V:And they sent me to California. I boarded a ship headed to the Commander of the Western Sea Frontier. I said, "Well, where's the Western Sea Frontier?" Nobody seems to know. You can't go west forever. We were on a troop ship. We had a true destroyer escort as well for our protection. They said the Japs had some submarines in that area. It took 28 days to get to the Philippines to my base at Guiuan, Samar where I ended up. Turned around coming home was only 18 days. It was a slow ride out there and a quicker ride home. I: When you went out, you would have had to zigzag and change course. V: True, we did a lot of that. I: Now, what was the weather like on the trip out? �V: On the way out? I: Yeah. V: It was calm. The ocean was smooth. We played cards every day. The guys taught me how to play bridge. There was lots of little fish, flying fish in the wake of the boat. Ship. It was just a just a nice cruise. It was smooth. Coming home, it was just the opposite. It was rough, it was dark, food was lousy. It wasn't as nice coming, home and there should have been a lot of joy. We were going home! We did our part. Anyway. 00:18:08.4 I: So, when did you go out to the Philippines? Are we still in '44 have we made it to '45 now? V: I get to the Philippines early in '45 like April, I think. They were still driving on the wrong side of the road, I know that. In the Philippines, that changed in June, I think, and I hadn't been in the Philippines very long before they put me on the right side of the road. I: So, when you went out to the Philippines initially you're on the islands of Samar. Okay, so what is your job initially? V: Initially, guard duty. I think they stopped at they started at the top of the alphabet from Z down. I was 18 -year-old kid that they strapped a 45 automatic on my belt. I had never had one in my hand before and I was a guard. And they said, "After dark, eight to midnight." The place was fenced in, but you had to walk from post to post. I mean you had your area to cover. There was something on the other side of the fence. I didn't find out what it was, but it scared the willies out of me. It made quite a racket and I seen it and didn't know what to do with it. But, pretty soon it quieted down I was relieved of that job. I worked in the chow hall. I officially sliced bread for about 2000 guys with a hand-slicer. I worked in the ammunition belt throwing cartons of boxes of, actually of 30 and 50 caliber machinegun bullets. 00:20:17.5 V: I said to whoever I can find out in charge, "Give me something I'm qualified for. I don't need to work in the chow hall." "Well, he said, "do you want to go to the loader pull?" I said "No, I'll get that when I get back home." "How about boats? Oh, we have room in small boats for you." So, we had LCM landing crafts and I think a boat was a 45-foot yacht. We had a what they call a RERE boat, a few black cats, a float boat, float plane. I forget the initials for that. But when you �armed that when you are out on the water, you were on a boat that had big cushions around the edge so if you got close to it you wouldn't puncture the fuselage, but it’s like a plane. There are numerous boats. Aircraft carriers, they call them, Jeep carriers, they couldn't fly a plane very big off of them. They would anchor out off our base while the pontoon barge would hook onto a plane drop a plane over the side onto our pontoon barge and we'd run it into the shore. 00:21:57.9 V: Right adjacent to our navy base was a B 24 Bomber Army base. We brought a lot of planes into there. That was when the war was, Japan was still putting up some resistance. Ah, Germany had surrendered when we were on the troopship going overseas. So I ended up in a boat-pool like that. I was assigned an LCM, a picket boat, and crewmen on pontoon barge. Pontoon barges were, most of them had twin power units. The pontoons were about 6x6 squared cubes, held together with iron girders, 9x12, that's nine by six plus the in between them. I think, I caught a few planes on there, especially the ones where the wings folded, but I didn't do a whole lot of that mechanical work. But I did, I got a nice story. We'll get to it about my experiences as a mechanic, unless you want to hear it right now? I: Well was this while you were still on Samar? Is this while you were still on Samar with the small boat unit or does that come later? V: I'm still on Samar. I: Yeah, go ahead. V: Okay. One day, the Chief, head of the boat load team, came in. His personal sea boat was knocking a horrible knock and his consensus of opinion was among the highly rated guys, including the Chief first class, second class, third class war mechs, was we can't fix that. That thing's junk. The main bearing is wore out of it. 00:24:16.0 V:I happened to come in off a run and I, like an inquisitive young guy, I'm listening to this conversation and and I listened to that knock, and I said, "That's not a main bearing knock." I said to the Chief, "The last job I helped my dad with in the garage, Bert Hammer had brought in an old dump truck that knocked just like your boat and we tore it down and it had a bad flywheel, a loose flywheel, and we went. to the junkyard and got a flywheel for it and we fixed it." As soon as I said this, he was as happy as happy could be. Okay, now we're in the Philippines and here comes the head man's boat and it's knocking and I said to him, "That's not a main bearing knock." I said, "I think you got a loose fly wheel." "What's your name?" he says so I told him. He says, "What's your rank?" And I says, "Fireman." �He hesitated and then said, "Can you fix that knock?" I said, "Yes, sir. It. was the same job as the last job I did helping my dad before I went on active duty.” And, the Chief was so happy. It took me a couple days. I had to round up the parts I needed, the tools and whatnot. 00:25:53.9 V: And, okay. The war's over. They are startin' to get rid of stuff: planes that they would have sal- that they'd salvaged the motor out of them, or vehicle, a jeep maybe, some boats, some small planes, a lot of bombs. The air guys would bring the bombs down to our base to our jetty, and we had a crane out on the end that that took them. Just like at the airport where they got your carts loaded with your suitcases, these old carts were loaded with bombs. We would load them onto the barge and take them out into deep water, push everything off the side. On this particular day, I had to be on duty from 8:00 at night until midnight, might even have been 4:00 in the afternoon. I said to the Chief, he and I were buddies by then, I had fixed his boat, his engine, I said, "Chief do you care if I- may I take a couple of hours off this afternoon and catch up on my correspondence?" He says, "That's fine. You be back here by 4:00." So I went to chow hall first went to my tent, we lived in tents,. I hadn't been there very long. The bomb disposal guys were doing their job. All of the big bombs were supposed to have been diffused. One or two of them were not. I'm sittin' in my shack, in my tent, and I hear this horrendous explosion then a second explosion, and I rounded up a jeep and I was headed for the boat pools. I gotta find out what happened. I know what's happened. Somebody didn't defuse a bomb or the crane dropped it. I didn't know what, but I couldn't get anywhere near it. The shore patrol got in right away and said, "You can't go it's still too dangerous; there may be more explosions." 00:28:32.1 V: There I am, without a job again, without a real job. The boat pool was gone. Thirty- five guys, some were from the Air Corps, and the bomb disposal, some were guys that were on duty, regular duty at the boat pool to take care of it, and some were the Filipino fishermen that loved to fish off of in the [unknown word, sounds like Rossetti] and I heard them say, I'm not sure of that number, but it was in the area of 35, were killed. I: What about men from your own unit? Did you lose any of the men from your- did you lose any of the men that you worked with? �V: Yeah. I was the only one. They put out a paper on the chow hall bulletin board. Sign boat pool boat pool personnel, sign this thing, a notification that your name and what your job was at the boat pool. I was the only one signed in, and a couple days later shore patrol came to my tent. I didn't know what to do, to be real honest with you. I went to my tent and, I'm sure of it, tearful, shocked. You know, my friends were gone. 00:30:06.7 V: And shore patrol says, "Let me see your dog tags. Come with me you'll go see the exec.” He says, "Veenstra where've you been? Shacked up with one of your girlfriends up there in the hills?" I says, "No, sir, I don't do that." He just was goofing with me a little bit. Giving me a hard time, I think. And he tried to account for my time and I said, "I had been right in my tent I signed the roster sheet at the chow hall every time it was posted. And I didn't know where to go and I didn't know what to do my job was gone, and my buddies." Later they said to go off to see Commander Grant from Allston, Massachusetts. He was the Lieutenant Commander I had chauffeured around the water. He came to me and he said, "How would you like to go up to Sangley Point to be up in Manila? They got some boats but they haven't got the mechanics. Would you like to go up there?" I said, "It's better than sitting here in my tent wondering what happened." Nobody knew. If they knew they didn't tell anybody, the higher-ups. There had to have been an accident somewhere. He said, "Tomorrow morning, have your sea bag packs. I'll be back to pick you up and take you to the airstrip." 00:31:52.9 V: Which he did, put me on a 646 normally used for paratroopers. The ones with the seats down the sides. And the pilot said, "Veenstra, come on up front." He says, “You're my only guy going for a ride today." And he and the copilot and I, right up in that front cabin. He said, "There's your base right down there." That was after we had taken off. And, he pointed out some of the scenery. It wasn't very long and we were at Sangley Point. You had to settle on a airstrip, you know the metal, that interlocking I: PSP V: Yeah the stuff. First there was just kind of screamed a little bit. "Ah," he said, "Here's your home for a little while." �Another shore patrol let me advance up. He said, "Veenstra, let me see your dog tags." He wanted to make sure. He said, "I'll take you to your..." We lived in classic huts, that was fun. A step upward from a tent. And, yeah. And I got acquainted with the guys. I had, I was third class by then. Right after I fixed the Chief's boat he said, "You're a fireman? I'll see to that." Within two weeks, I had my first stripe. I was kind of proud of that. 00:33:39.4 V: My son, John, worked for me in my shop, and he joined the Navy also. He served on an aircraft carrier the Oriskany in Vietnam. He was in electronics. After he had 30 months in the navy, he wrote me a letter and said, "Dad do you have room for me in the garage?" I had, by that time, three mechanics and then John joined me. My second son was Mike. He went to JCS for a while, then he went up to Ferris State College the automotive school, and then he came to work for me. My third son tried it for a year, decided he wasn't a mechanic and he didn't like being cooped up in the shop. He liked outdoor work. I encouraged him for sticking around for a little bit. I: Was there a point to make about your oldest son that was connected to your story or did you just kind of continue on? V: Well, he, you he said, "The truth is, Dad was in the Navy and, and if it was good for Dad, it will be good for me." So, he enlisted, and he was in the reserve. They had a place on Lower Monroe here in Grand Rapids. Once a week, they would have their meetings and that went on for a while. Until he, it was his choice to go on active duty, or I forget what the second choice was, but anyway he chose to, he chose to go active and he went to school for the technical job he had and he was assigned to this aircraft carrier. It was like a, I pictured it as an electronically controlled, repetitious-firing gun, antiaircraft and he never said much about it. At least we'd spend a day together on this Veterans flight to Washington, D.C. He pushed me in a wheelchair You know I'll be 91 pretty quick. They wouldn't let me walk. In fact, all of the Vets were in wheelchairs. 00:36:31.4 I: Yes, they do that. V: John was my cohort. He was right with me through all the looking at at Philippines, all of the Memorials cast in stone in Vietnam. John was in the Navy in Vietnam times for his carrier. He was interested in seeing those memories, and it was interesting. We went to to the big cemetery the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Interesting to watch the- the so-called guards, the strictness of the way they functioned. It was blessing to me just so see those guys, you know? They were sharp, sharply dressed, every motion was sharp. I got as much of a �kick watching those guys as I did some of the sights. We had... I have a granddaughter that married an Air Force guy and he was a Captain when she met him in Texas, and he went 20 years in the Air Force. He met us and is stationed in Washington. Now, he's discharged from the Air Force, so he's got the same job as a civilian. He was there with, I mean, five kids and he was just as excited as John and I were that he could show his grandpa that. 00:38:40.1 I: Let's go back here to your own stories, and you've gone on now to your second assignment. That's the one at Manila Bay, and what were you doing there? V: Maintenance on boats, a couple of LCMs, picket boats, just general maintenance to make sure gas levels the LCMs all go into freshwater cooled by the salt water had zinc plugs we had to change every so often that took some kind of static out of the water or something. Electrolytic action, I think it's called. And it was a real pleasure to see my grandson Eric "Butterball." He left the service as a Lieutenant Commander. He was up for Commander if he would have signed over for another tour but with five kids, he said, "I'm going to be a dad. Get a real job." [Laughs]. 00:40:03.6 I: Can I go back into your story proper? Now, when you're in the Philippines whether in Samar or now in outside of Manila how much did you see of the civilian population? V: We would get some of these ladies who did our laundry. They'd use stone. They'd beat your clothes up with stone, big rocks, and would wade out rinse them in the clear water dry them and fold them up nice. There were Jap- there were Japanese up in the mountains in oh, it was at Guiuan. And they would come in in the morning and they would have Japanese skulls hanging off their- they didn't have much on but their belt hold those skulls that they had taken care of. I: There were Filipinos that were hunting the Japanese up in the hills? V: They hunted, and for each skull, they were fed and fed well, the same food that we ate. They were tough little guys. No shoes, calloused feet, big feet considering they were little guys. Most of them will come up almost up to your shoulder. I would hate to tangle with those guys. They were tough. The only thing they had for offensive duty was a bow that curved. They didn't have guns. They did well with what they had to work with. 00:42:06.1 V: They would come down and you said, "Do I have anything to do with them?" The times that I spent in the chow hall, I would slice the bread. There was one time that I'd get to see them, but we couldn't talk to them, so if they got in your way one word I remember was iwas. “You know, get out of my way,” I'd say to all of them when I'm coming in with a boat and they're out there fishing with a spear-gun. �But, they're nice people. To top it all off, there was a Filipino, born in the Philippines went to school there, went to some seminaries, wanted further education, came to the US, I think he wanted a wife, too. He found a wife. Ah, he got his education, he's working on a PhD now. He's going back to the Philippines and he's going to be in charge of the seminary there. Brian Najapfor N A J A P F O R, the nicest guy. He's been our pastor in Dunton our URC church for about 4 years while he's deciding where God's going to lead him next. So, he's going to seminary and he's working on his Doctorate. I figure it will take him a year because he has a lot of the preliminary stuff out of the way already. He was a guildsman in the Philippines and now he is as a pastor from the Philippines. 00:44:05.7 I: Alright, and did you go into Manila at all? V: I wanted to bring officers from Sangley Point across the bay. It was a terrible ride. There were so many sunken ships in Manila Bay, and some of them had truck lights. They're sitting on the bottom, they must have had a generator. Some of them had lights on, but most of them didn't, and when fog came in, you couldn't see those lights and you would have to feel almost have to feel our way through. We had spotlights but the spotlight went about as far as the bow of your boat, your picket boat. The fog was pretty thick. A few officers were discussing to us that they had a date and we couldn't get them there on time because we had to take our time. One guy up on the bow to direct the coxswain by sound, you can hear the waves come up against the hull or all of the sudden you'll see a shape in front of you. Give the coxswain the directions. But, we always made it, didn't always make it on time I did not- I should say I didn't get into Manila. I forget what the summer capital of the Philippines is . I: Baguio. 00:45:50.8 V: I had a ten-day R&R and we took a truck, and went up to Baguio for ten days for the relaxation and what not, and back down the mountain back to Sangley Point. But, through Manila on the way up but I didn't see much. I: Did you see much evidence that there had been a war there, did you see damaged things? Or not that you noticed? V: Not that I noticed, that is a good term. I: So, what was Baguio like? V: What's that? I: What was Baguio like? V: Baguio? �I: Yes. V: They had a golf course but the green was sand after one group went off the green, they would roll it, rake it, pack it down, so your ball didn't roll. So, it's almost like a chip-shot. But, the food was good and you'd get a bath every night. 10 days that went awful fast. I: Now. Alright, were you stationed anywhere else in the Philippines or you had Sumar, then you were at Sangley Point. Did you go anyplace else or did you finish your time there? V: I finished my time at Sangley Point except for a short time. North of Manila, there's an out- a home-going dock where we picked up another boat there, so I spent a little bit of time there, but I don't forget what the name of the town is. I took another troop ship back home. Otherwise basically it was Samar, Guiuan. 00:47:45.5 V: I had thirty days where it was, I was it was temporary duty. Running liberty parties into town. I spent 30 days at Tacloban, Leyte attached to a repair ship. We were his Captain's barge. When they repaired what they had to repair, we would take it out to the ship that was out on the bay some place, or bring it in to Tacloban, so I did get to see a bit of that. I was in Tacloban when Japan surrendered. That was not a safe place to be. When guys want to get rid of their ammunition, I'm sure they pointed her up. That was the Fourth of July celebration. They were all firecrackers. I: What comes up comes down again. V: Yeah. That was noisy. I said to my coxswain on my picket boat, his name was Pinky, nice guy I said "Dave, I want to get home. I want to go back to the boat and get out of here. I think it's more dangerous here than a lot of those places have been." But, I'd been there. That was a good experience being my career and being the taxi for the repair ship they treated us so well everywhere else. 00:49:36.3 I: Were you at Cebu City? Did you see something of Cebu? V: Cebu? I: Cebu. V: Yeah. That's where all this I've listed was done, back in about, you know, '45 '46. I: So, when do you actually leave the Philippines? V: I don't remember the date. But it was in the spring of '46. �Okay, I got home, and I went to summer school at Calvin. Took a class in psychology from a professor that was going to retire. This was going to be his last hurrah. My wife's brother Andy had been in the Marines, he said, "Gil, if we are going to take any course we want to take this course with this psychiatrist professor." And, we did. One summer school. I really wanted to Calvin because I wanted to play baseball, which I did. But, the baseball coach left quite a bit to be desired, but I put my time in. I played left field. I could hit it as good as anybody. But, my wife said, "I think it's time we get married." I'd been working for my dad part-time and I'd gone steady with Jane as juniors in high school and then one day she said, "Gil, you're the only boy I've ever dated." I said, "Well, maybe you couldn't do any better." [chuckles] I said, "Gotta start at the top." [chuckles] And she said, "I would like to not go steady. I'd like to experience other boys." And I said, "That's probably a good thing to do. I know I'm not the only good guy around." 00:51:55.2 V: And then I started dating someone else. Ruth VandeKoppel. A nice, little girl Very intelligent, dad was a machinist. But she lived on the West side. Anyways, my best buddy, Bob Nott, and I used to double date. And Luke Nettle also. The three of us used to all go. I had a '31 Chrysler. And Bob knew Ruth quite well. He called me one day and he said, "Gill, I hear you're back with Jane again." I said, "Yeah, how'd you hear that?" He says, "Well, you know, the grape vine around here." He said, "Would you care if I date Ruth?" I said, "Go for it. You know her. We've double-dated so many times. You know her as good as your own girlfriend." And so, he married her. And I married Jane. I: Now, was that dating going on when you were in college or was that back when you were in high school? V: After college. After college, okay. I just went one year in that summer school and my dad wasn't real well and it wasn't very long, long we, I was a quick learner, having been to diesel school, I had some on the job training in the Navy experience. We reached a buy-sell agreement. He wanted to retire, and I would take over. �He lived a month and eight days from that point. He was gone. He never reached 60. He passed away before. 00:53:53.7 V: So, there I was, the youngest graduate in Grand Rapids. Probably the gutsiest one too. We'd go to the clinic unit, the job stores, part stores. I'd go to clinics on- on alternators, generators and starters I went to General Motors' training center in Detroit on automatic transmission. And, every clinic I could get to I would go to, and we had our motor header, our General Motor books, big thick things. Ah, one of my good friends in the business. I went to him one day, I was stuck. He said, "Gil, did you read the General Motor Magazine Board Book?" I said, "No." He said, "Read that book first and if you're still stuck, then you come back to me." I never went back. Elmo was his name. He did a lot of aircraft engine repair for our air strip at Kent County. That was still on Madison and Thirty-Sixth. I: So, how long did you run the garage? V: How long? I did it 30-some years, then my two boys, Mike and John, and I had three other guys. One of them came to me one day and he said, Marlin Dryer, he said, "Gil you've trained, I think I'm ready to have my own shop, but I won't infringe on your business. I'm going to establish a shop in Grandville." And so, Marlin went there. Jack and Dick stayed with me for eighteen years. And they stayed with my sons another eighteen. They were in the garage longer than I was. But, I had about thirty-some years. And I had good mechanics. We did a lot of work for the doctors in Blodgett. That was when my shop was on East Benjamin and East Fulton. 00:56:36.4 V: I played a lot of ball. Had a lot of surgeries. I've got metal knees, both of them, a metal hip, both shoulders have been operated on. I've got to see the surgeons at Blodgett frequently One of them was named Jerry Green. He's an ortho-pod and I had to get in to see him, and he had his book on him and he was reading it while he was standing there, and he started to laugh. He said, "Gil, all your problems start on Monday He said, "I wouldn't get out of bed on Monday if I was you." [Both laugh.] That's the doctor. He's gone more into it now. I: Alright. �V: He was a character, that guy. 00:57:34.1 I: Okay, just going to wind things up here. When you look back in time spent in the Navy, how do you think that affected you or maybe what you learn from it? V: To be independent. Not be afraid to tackle an assignment. I make friends easy. I'm just a common guy. We had eight children, so I'm a family man. I'm a fisherman, a hunter. My wife loves the fish. We own a place in Florida in Meadows Island for quite a few years. She'd be fishing the surf with me 5:30 morning. Every day but Sunday, catching as many fish as anybody on the beach. Of course, I'd bait her up, cast her out and hand her the pole. She made friends with one guy who made his own poles. He said, "Jane I'm going to make you a pole." She said, "Well, Gil's got a pole for me." He said, "I'm going to make a special pole." And he did. A 9.5-foot surf pole. It was a little lighter, but it was - she could handle it. Oh, she loved to fish. And we love to eat fish. My kids grew up on fish. I: The cardiologist will be happy. [laughs] Alright, well, you've got a good story, so thank you very much for taking the time to share it today. V: Well, I hope it's worth your while. � 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_VeenstraG2138V Title A name given to the resource Veenstra, Gilford (Interview transcript and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-06-19 Description An account of the resource Gilford Veenstra was born in 1926, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he grew up. He enlisted in the United States Navy after his graduation from high school in June of 1944 with several of his classmates. He received basic training at Great Lakes, which is north of Chicago, Illinois. He received diesel training in Richmond, Virginia. In the spring of 1945, he was deployed to a small boat pool in the Philippines. During his first assignment, he spent time as a mechanic and earned his first stripe by fixing his Commander's personal boat. The boat pool in which he was assigned to was destroyed in an accidental explosion, which prompted his second assignment at Sangley Point, on Manila Bay, where he also served as a boat mechanic. To conclude his time in the Navy, Gilford Veenstra served temporary duty in Tacloban, where he was working when Japan surrendered. He was discharged and left the Philippines in the spring of 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Veenstra, Gilford Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American 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> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/141b8849143e281318f3e8a8e96b34ce.mp4 58d85b7198b9a5067976bf3bc4bb3605 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/87180fa7d4e17f18725094f5b82a4374.pdf 2da3d022733b7e6cb603dc2fd109cdc2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Bob Veenstra World War II Total Time: 43:00 Pre-War (00:05) • • • • • • Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1914. Went to a small public school. Attended Union High School in Grand Rapids. Upon graduation, he went to work at a blueprinting shop. Remembers hearing about Pearl Harbor on the radio. He was drafted in 1943 into the Navy. Training (03:40) • • • • • • Reported to Detroit, Michigan, for his physical and examination. (04:30) Went to Great Lakes Naval Training Station for boot camp. For boot camp, they got up early to go to breakfast, and then they reported to the field to be trained. Was then sent to Williamsburg, Virginia, for more training. He was put in the 42nd Seabee Battalion while he was in Williamsburg. He rendezvoused with the 42nd at Oakland, California. Active Duty (10:30) • • • • • • • • • • • • • From Oakland, he was sent to Hawaii where they did some training work. Remembers crossing the International Date Line. (13:30) Their Battalion’s job was to build a Hospital and airstrip on the Island of Samar in the Philippines. The island itself was rocky. (15:28) His specific job was to be a cook. There were around 8 cooks per ship. On the island, they stayed in tent that were raised off the ground and had wood floors. There were a couple hundred men on this island. They would create a line for the men that they cooked for where the men went through and had the option to choose what food they wanted. (22:10) The various cooks had specific jobs that they would perform. For instance, one man spent all of his time making ice cream for the camp. (24:00) The Navy was able to provide them with fresh food most of the time. They had a menu for the week which they went by. At each meal, they had a couple of hundred men that they had to feed. They were on this island for around six months. They were able to exchange mail with the mainland United States. They did not get much news about the war when they were there. �• • • • (31:45) Shortly after the war was over, his unit got sent to Shanghai, China on the Yangtze River. They stayed on the boat while they were there. They were sent there to be discharged. Also, part of the Battalion’s duty was to destroy mines in the harbor. They were also able to spend some time in the city of Shanghai. They went into the city on Rickshaws and ate the food. (39:30) He was in Shanghai for around a month, and was then discharged and sent back to the United States. DVD ENDS 43:00 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VeenstraR Title A name given to the resource Veenstra, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Veenstra, Robert Description An account of the resource Bob Veenstra was drafted into the US Navy in 1943. He trained as a Seabee in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was stationed in California before being sent to Samar in the Philippines. After the war he was stationed in Shanghai. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Michigan Military Preservation Society (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-10-13 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/825ecced28e8df30d10f810a0c034ecc.mp4 ba3e9b46c965c475b45605fe999c5d5f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d0c61a2f4f9f27e7754e85627770d7c.pdf 0bf112e86b4938e3e1eb83e4a2ea5ac4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Willard Veenstra World War II 48 minutes 25 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born on December 16, 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan -He was the youngest of ten children -His father was a house painter -Born in the Netherlands -Learned his profession in the Netherlands -Remembers that his father had consistent work through the Great Depression -He was employed by a business that bought up and repaired foreclosed houses -His mother stayed at home and cared for the children -She was relatively old when Willard was born -She died when he was fifteen years old -Graduated from Union High School on June 15, 1944 (00:02:19) Getting Drafted Pt. 1 -Five days after graduating from high school he was at a base in Illinois being processed -He had received his draft notice before he graduated from high school (00:02:42) Start of the War -He was at a friend’s house on December 7, 1941 in the afternoon -Remembers hearing the radio broadcast telling of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor -He thought that the war would be over before he was old enough to serve -One of his older brothers got into the Army before he did -Served in World War II and in Korea -Eventually became a lieutenant colonel -Another brother got into the Navy -A few brothers in law also got into the military (00:05:43) Getting Drafted Pt. 2 -He decided to just wait to get drafted instead of enlisting -He reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois to be processed and sworn into the Army -Traded in his civilian clothes for Army clothes at this point (00:06:30) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for basic training -Arrived there in July 1944 -A large part of the training was physical training -Marching and getting into shape -He learned how to shoot a rifle -Also received training with the 37mm and 57mm antitank guns -Glad that he never had to use them in combat though -Wouldn’t have been effective against the German tanks -Remembers that 1944 was a hot summer in Florida -When they marched back from the rifle range an ambulance followed them �-This was in case anyone passed out due to the heat -He trained with men that were his age as well as some older men -He didn’t learn much about them -Knew that they came from all over the United States -There was a focus on discipline and following orders -It wasn’t difficult for him to adjust to being in the Army -When he completed basic training he was given a thirty day leave (00:11:00) Stationed at Fort Meade -He reported to Fort Meade, Maryland in early November 1944 -He was supposed to receive more training with the antitank guns, but that never happened -Issued winter clothing at Fort Meade -Knew at that point he was definitely being sent to the European Theatre (00:11:48) Deployment to the European Theatre -From Fort Meade he was sent up to a camp north of New York City -Most likely Camp Shanks -Didn’t stay there very long -Sent down to New York Harbor to board a ship there -It was a Dutch ship that had been repurposed to carry troops -He was in New York City around Christmas 1944 -On the voyage over to Europe they ran into a bad storm -Some of the men got seasick -It took over a week to get across the Atlantic Ocean -Travelled as a part of a convoy (00:14:08) Arrival in Europe & the Battle of the Bulge -Arrived at Le Havre, France -He was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division -He was placed on a truck and sent to Belgium where the 2nd Armored Division was -Battle of the Bulge was still being fought at this time -2nd Armored Division had been sent down from the Netherlands -Helping to clear out the remaining German forces in Belgium (00:15:50) The Netherlands -After the Battle of the Bulge ended on January 25, 1945 they returned to the Netherlands -Got back there in February 1945 -Carried out various training exercises -He was part of the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment -Regular infantry that just happened to ride in armored vehicles -He was probably the youngest man in his company -Just made sure to watch what the other men were doing so as to learn -They were staying in people’s homes in the Netherlands -Stayed in the Netherlands until they made the final offensive into Germany -During his time in the Netherlands the 2nd Armored Division was issued new tanks -Had to learn what they looked like so as to differentiate them from the German tanks -The Dutch family that he was staying with could speak English fairly well -He could see the Siegfried Line from where he was staying (00:19:54) Advancing into Germany-Rhine Campaign -When the division moved out he remembers crossing a few rivers �-Had pontoon bridges set up so that troops and vehicles could get across -The advance began in March 1945 -Remembers in some German towns bulldozers were used to push aside the rubble -They spent a few weeks moving across northern Germany -They faced some opposition during the advance -Remembers one town that was full of snipers -Civilians were instructed to remove the snipers, or the town would be shelled -The civilians did not comply and the town was bombarded -On April 1, 1945 they came to another town and took it without opposition -As they advanced they checked side roads for German supplies or soldiers -The only major resistance they ran into was when they came to an open area -He was out in front of his squad when they started taking fire from a power station -Bullets were flying over his head -Eventually the shooting stopped and when they got to the station it was abandoned -They didn’t run into any German tanks during the push across Germany -The resistance was so light that they didn’t need air cover or artillery support -He saw quite a few German civilians -Captured some German soldiers and had them march back to the rear to be processed -They were able to travel seventy three miles in one day -Unprecedented in World War II when only one hundred yards would be taken in a day -Able to do this by riding on tanks on the Autobahn -Eventually reached the city of Magdeburg, Germany on April 11, 1945 -This was after the 2nd Armored Division crossed the Elbe River -Stopped there due to orders and a lack of gas (00:26:50) Contact with the Germans -He couldn’t tell how old the Germans were -Their uniforms and the way they all looked made them seem ageless -He remembers when his unit captured a German officer’s headquarters -The soldiers there surrendered without incident and handed over their weapons -He was able to get two Lugers (German pistols) that looked brand new -Wound up losing them after he got wounded in Magdeburg (00:27:45) Getting Wounded -On April 11 they got to the city of Magdeburg -Spent the night there sleeping on the floor of a train station -On April 12 they began to patrol the city and make it secure -They came to a collection of large, concrete sewer pipes -There was a German soldier standing in one armed with a Panzerfaust -A type of German antitank weapon -Willard turned around to warn the tank with the patrol of the threat -He was forced to take cover in one of the other pipes -The tank fired at the German soldier -Concussion was strong enough to knock a cigarette out of his mouth -He, and a few other men got separated from the rest of the patrol -Started to make their way back to the patrol when Willard got shot in the wrist by a sniper (00:31:08) Evacuated -He was taken back to where the tanks were and he was stabilized �-An ambulance was sent out to collect him, as well as other wounded Americans and Germans -He was sent to various field hospitals -Received penicillin shots to insure that an infection didn’t set in -Learned that the bullet had shattered his right wrist bones and caused nerve damage -Sent to a hospital in Cambridge, England -Given good cots to sleep in -Served tea with their meals until the Americans complained enough to get coffee -Got the chance to explore Cambridge -From Cambridge he was sent up to Glasgow, Scotland -Spent a few days there -Boarded a plane in Glasgow and was flown back to the United States -Stopped in Iceland to refuel (00:34:56) Recovery in the United States -Arrived in Mitchell Field, New York and was placed on another plane -Flown to Memphis, Tennessee then was taken to Kennedy VA Hospital -His hand was operated on there -It was part of the University of Tennessee -Arrived there in May 1945 -He was able to see his family on Memorial Day 1945 -Had hand surgery in August 1945 -Stayed at the hospital until March 1946 when he was discharged from the Army -Spent most of his time playing golf or bowling -Allowed to visit downtown Memphis -Remembers seeing a football game one night -He was able to go home on leave quite a few times while he was in the hospital (00:38:55) End of the War -He was in the hospital when the war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945 -There were celebrations, but people knew that the war wasn’t over yet -He remembers being in the hospital when Japan surrendered -The celebrations were big and everyone was happy -Even one stern nurse smiled the day that victory was declared (00:39:43) Life after the War -After he was discharged from the Army he returned to Grand Rapids to work with his father -Did that for a while until he decided that he didn’t like it anymore -Didn’t want to fall off of a ladder and get hurt again -He went to college for a little while, but ultimately decided that he wasn’t ready for it -He went to a technical vocational school -Took a nine month course in technical drafting -Graduated from that as a draftsman -Went to work as an apprentice at one of the oldest architectural offices in Grand Rapids -Received in office training that lasted four years -Same office that designed the Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium -Did design work for Herpolsheimer’s and Wurzburg’s -Went on to work for another architectural office for two years -Worked for another company that designed reinforced concrete structures -Got married in 1950 �-Married for sixty four years (at the time of the interview) -Had five children, eleven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren (00:43:15) Reflections on Service and Memories of the War -Learned that war is not a thing that you wanted to be involved in -It was a different kind of experience for a nineteen year old -He became close with the men that he served with -Attributes this to the fact that they were all in it together -Saw a friendly fire incident when his squad was clearing a house -One man shot his best friend in the stomach by accident -Never knew if the man survived -Didn’t see much physical evidence of the Nazis while he was in Germany -Remembers when they rescued some French prisoners of war from a prison camp -He remembers the winter of 1944/1945 and the living conditions that that entailed -Had to sleep on the ground in a sleeping bag under a half shelter -Would wake up to snow on the ground -Remembers running into a dead cow in the middle of the road and how much it stunk -He saw firsthand the toll that the war had taken on the civilians of Europe � 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_VeenstraW1700V Title A name given to the resource Veenstra, Willard (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-10-30 Description An account of the resource Willard Veenstra was born in 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was drafted in 1944 and reported after graduating from high school that June. He trained at Camp Blanding, Florida, and Fort Meade, Maryland. He was sent to Europe in January, 1945, and was sent to the 2nd Armored Division as a replacement during the final days of the Battle of the Bulge. He returned to the Netherlands with them for training and was assigned to the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division. In March 1945 they marched into Germany and fought across northern Germany, known as the Rhine Campaign, until they reached Magdeburg. He was wounded in Magdeburg on April 12, 1945 and was eventually evacuated to the United States. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Veenstra, Willard Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4