215 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e2896025780c3b124057dc8120ec6d84.pdf c059496ddbbca90bad55c7592281edba PDF Text Text Young   L ords   In  Lincoln  Park   Interviewee:  Lenny  Foster   Interviewers:  Jose  Jimenez   Location:  Grand  Valley  State  University  Special  Collections   Date:  10/4/2016   Runtime:  01:13:41         Biography  and  Description   Oral  history  of  Lenny  Foster,  interviewed  by  Jose  “Cha-­‐Cha”  Jimenez  on  October  04,  2016  about  the   Young  Lords  in  Lincoln  Park.   Lenny  Foster  grew  up  speaking  his  native  Navajo  language  with  his  parents  as  a  sheep  herder  on  a   farm  in  the  reservation.  During  World  War  II,  Navajo  US  veterans  were  called  code  talkers  because   they  could  infiltrate  the  Japanese  and  speak  in  their  native  tongue  without  being  detected.  His  dad   was  also  a  U.S.  Marine  radio  operator.  When  Lenny  attended  Arizona  Western  College  he  joined   their  baseball  team  and  played  well.  He  said  then  is  when,  “he  realized  he  did  not  have  any  money.”   In  1981,  he  attended  graduate  school  at  Arizona  State  University.  He  was  asked  to  meet  with  Native   Americans  at  a  prison  because  he  is  a  Sun  Dancer  or  spiritual  leader.  “Preach  and  Teach”  he  figured   out  is  what  he  should  do.  For  over  30  years  he  has  traveled  inside  the  prisons  to  teach  traditional   �practices  such  as  the  passing  of  the  eagle  feather  in  the  Talking  Circle,”  smoking  of  the  sacred   Tobacco  Pipe  and  the  Sweat  Lodge    Ceremony.  For  ten  years  he  was  director  of  a  community  center   and  has  lobbied  senators  and  representatives  creating  legislation  and  implementing  policies.  He   saw  his  job  as  “creating  awareness”  among  prison  officials  and  inmates  and  states  that  99  %  of   Native  American  prisoners  suffer  from  alcoholism  or  substance  abuse.  Therefore  traditional  healing   is  not  only  their  culture  but  also  has  healing  powers.  It  is  the  same  as  any  other  religion  form  other   countries.  Personally,  he  feels  that  Native  Americans  in  prison  are  starving  to  learn  their  true   history  and  traditions  that  have  been  denied  them  in  the  public  schools  of  the  reservations.  There   he  said,  “they  teach  only  about  Dick  and  Jane  and  Christopher  Columbus  discovering  our  land.”  He   has  worked  on  law  suits  to  protect  Native  American  First  Amendment  rights.   On  a  trip  to  Denver,  Colorado  he  met  the  leaders  of  the  American  Indian  Movement  (A.I.M.),  which   were  part  of  the  Rainbow  Coalition  of  the  Black  Panthers,  Young  Patriots  and  Young  Lords.  In  1973,   he  and  others  endured  71  days  of  daily  heavy  gunfire  from  both  sides  with  federal  officers  at   Wounded  Knee.    For  over  40  years,  he  has  been  Leonard  Peltier’s  spiritual  leader  and  has  traveled   to  France  to  receive  a  human  rights  award  from  Frantz  Fanon’s  daughter’s  foundation,  on  behalf  of   Leonard  Peltier.  Today  his  daughter  and  grandson  are  at  Standing  Rock  supporting  that  occupation.   He  was  also  a  good  friend  of  Richard  Oakes  who  he  said  was  a  Mohawk  from  the  east  coast,   attending  school  at  San  Francisco  State.  Richard  organized  students  and  members  of  various  tribes   to  take  over  an  abandoned  Alcatraz  Island  on  November  20,  1969.  According  to  treaties  any   abandoned  federal  land  was  to  revert  back  to  Native  Americans.  He  said  that  Richard  Oake’s   daughter  had  been  killed  during  the  occupation.  Cha-­‐Cha  Jimenez  explained  that  it  occurred  on  the   transport  barge  on  Thanksgiving  Day  when  someone  bumped  the  mother  and  the  baby  fell  into  the   ocean.  He  and  another  Young  Lord,  Cano  Miller  and  others  were  special  guests  during  a  large   Thanksgiving  event  on  the  recently  Alcatraz  Take-­‐over.  The  Young  Lords  and  Cha  –  Cha  were  on  a   speaking  tour  in  California  to  raise  funds  for  the  organization.  Several  witnessed  the  drowning  and   several  dived  into  the  ocean  but  could  not  recover  the  body.  Lenny  said  that  Richard  Oakes  left  the   occupation  feeling  this  as  a  bad  omen,  only  to  be  killed  later  by  “a  forest  ranger.”                 �Transcript LENNY FOSTER: My name is Lenny Foster. I was born in Ganado, Arizona, on the Navajo reservation. I’m 68 years old. I’m a grandfather. JOSE JIMENEZ: Okay, okay, let’s try that. (break in audio) JJ: Start with the same thing. Can you tell me your name, where you were born? LF: Sure. My name is Lenny Foster. I’m a Diné Navajo from Wind Rock, Arizona. I was born in Ganado, Arizona, on the Navajo reservation. I’m 68 years old. And I’m a grandfather. I have three grandsons and a granddaughter. And my work involves being a spiritual leader, a spiritual advisor for Navajo and other Native American inmates in state prisons, federal penitentiaries in the Western United States, primarily in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah. [00:01:00] And I’ve been doing this work for 35 years. I started conducting sweat lodge ceremonies, pipe ceremonies, Talking Circle in 1981. JJ: Can you tell us what the Talking Circle and those things done for, you know, for an audience that doesn’t understand it? LF: The Talking Circle is a spiritual gathering where we all come together, maybe 30, 40 inmates at a state prison or federal penitentiary, we make a circle around the fireplace, and I open up with a prayer, and we’ll pass the eagle feather around, and everyone has an opportunity to express themselves. And it’s very healing for the inmate. It’s a form of wellness. And these are concepts we utilize in the prisons for Native Americans. The pipe ceremony, we use tobacco and a pipe. We pray and sing, and I pack [00:02:00] the Chanunpa with tobacco, [mountain?] 1 �tobacco, and again, make a prayer, and then I light it, and I pass it around. It goes all the way around. Everybody has an opportunity to smoke it. Indian tobacco is one of the most profound ceremonies for Native Americans in the prison system. That’s something that we utilize to make the connection to the Great Spirit, in tobacco. And the sweat lodge ceremony is an ancient ceremonial practice of cleansing and purification. It’s very medicinal. It’s very healing. And it’s something that we fought for in the prison system since the 1970s [00:03:00] and it’s still practiced today. JJ: What did you fight for it(inaudible)? LF: Religious rights, cultural rights, spiritual rights is part of a First Amendment, freedom of worship and the prison officials, the wardens, the correctional officials, the chaplains, are not aware of that. And they think that just because a person is taken out of society, incarcerated, that he loses his right to pray, to meditate. And for Native Americans, it’s very important. And so, we had to file grievances, and eventually file lawsuits, and had to go into the state and federal courts, [00:04:00] and that’s when I said we had to fight for it. That’s the process of a lawsuit. You challenge the rules and regulations that prohibits freedom of worship in the prison setting. And we won the cases. We won the cases. So, that’s an activity that’s still practiced today. It would be hard for anyone that doesn’t understand or practice Native American spirituality that it’s something that we have to challenge, the policies, the rules, the regulations. So, it results in litigation. And we have attorneys that are well versed in that type of litigation. So, that’s something that we had to file complaints and grievances to allow us to 2 �have the ceremonies. [00:05:00] You know, when you look at the population of the Native American inmates, a majority are traditional, meaning that they practice the old ways of worship, using the fire, the rock, the lava rocks, the fire, and having a spiritual leader like myself come in and teach. In the ordinary setting of this type of practices, religious practices, you have the Jewish, you have the Christians, you have the Islamic. But their ways are different from Native Americans. So, the prison officials understand the use of the Bible, rosary, holy water. And the Jewish, they have their ways. And Islamic, [00:06:00] they also have their ways. It seems that the prison officials understand these ways, but when it comes to Native American practices, it’s a whole different ball game. And ignorance should not be an excuse for denying a person’s rights to pray. So, that’s something that is misunderstood. So, we’ve had to rely on litigation. We’ve had to rely on legislation, taking these concepts, having a state legislature, federal legislature, write a legislative language and introduce it into the state capitol or federal capitol. So, that’s an exercise or process in legislation. Then the third avenue that’s available for us to obtain these rights is just to negotiate. So, you have litigation, you’ve [00:07:00] got legislation, and negotiation is just requesting the prison officials to sit down with us and discuss these practices, and put everything on the table and hopefully convince the warden or the chaplains that this can be done without affecting the security. Because security is always a concern that the officials use that they don’t understand the fire to heat up the rocks. They don’t understand the sweat lodge where we enter an enclosed area that’s built with willow saplings and 3 �covered with blankets and canvas, and we’re stripped down and enter the sweat lodge, sit in a circle [00:08:00] inside, and then bring in the hot lava rocks, and then you bring in water and the sage and cedar and make offering, and use the sage to dip in the bucket of water. So, these practices are, I call it ancient, old, ceremonial practices, which they are, and it’s up to us, the burden is on us as Native Americans to teach these officials. So, that’s a process for the last 30 years, 30 years that we’ve been doing this. And it’s a constant. It’s a constant. And I’ll use an example. United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Lewisburg, Atlanta, Allenwood, Tucson, some of the chaplains are new, and they’re very suspicious of our practices, [00:09:00] and they think we’re going to be using contraband. They don’t know our feelings towards tobacco. It’s very sacred. You don’t play with the pipe or tobacco, or use of sage or cedar. And yet they will say these herbs are not approved. And we have to create an awareness that these herbs are necessary, vital for use in the ceremony. Sage, cedar. That grows wild on the country. You don’t buy the stores, or it’s not manufactured. We go off and harvest it. It’s wild. So, these are examples of what we have to engage. The burden is on us as Native Americans, and [00:10:00] spiritual leaders, spiritual advisors, to educate the wardens, educate the chaplains. And it’s a process where denial of our rights initially started out as civil rights, but it progressed in human rights, religious rights. So, we’re at that level now. And they make it so by being ignorant. It’s a racist practice, it’s discrimination. And we’ve had to testify in Congress to create these laws that gives equal protection to our practices. Same as the Christians. They enjoy their ceremonies. They 4 �don’t have to explain why they should use a Bible. Why is it that we have to explain our use of the pipe and tobacco, [00:11:00] the sweat lodge? Yet they’re entitled to their rosaries, their instruments, or items for use in their services. Same way with the Jewish people. They have certain rights that they enjoy. They don’t seem to have to explain everything. Same way, the more recent is the Islamic and the Muslim practices. They had to file complaints to be able to use their rugs, have their caps, and then pray every Friday. So, it made it much easier for them, because there was a certain amount of awareness, a certain amount of understanding towards their practices. But why is it with Native Americans, we’re viewed as undermining the security? [00:12:00] Or that we’re attempting to undermine the security concerns that the prisons have? And for the longest time, we weren’t allowed to use the sweat lodge. We weren’t allowed to use the pipe. We weren’t allowed to have our spiritual leaders come into the facilities and teach. And it was only lawsuits that were brought on by the Native American Rights Fund. Walter Echo-Hawk is a premier Indian rights attorney, and he litigated many of these cases in the late ’70s, early ’80s. I helped him with these practices. And we sat down and wrote legislative language and incorporated that into bills that were introduced. I, myself, introduced bills that would [00:13:00] protect Native American religious practices in the state prison system. And we realized that it has to go to the highest level, which is the federal, the United States Congress. So, we had to write languages that would be acceptable using the sweat lodge. I keep going back to the sweat lodge and the pipe ceremonies because those are the major, or the ceremonies that are 5 �requested by inmates. And the reason I want to share this with this archives, is that these practices are ancient, and it’s basic. When you really look at it, it’s basic. It’s very elementary. And the burden is on us, [00:14:00] the Indian community, to educate non-Indians, because they don’t practice these ways. But for us, it’s necessary for the healing, for the wellness of our people while they’re incarcerated. And unless they’re allowed to participate, there’s no healing or no wellness that occurs. And it’s a very profound statement, or profound way of life for our people. JJ: Now, when you say -- LF: I think it makes us unique. We’re not Christians, we’re not Jewish, we’re not Muslim, but we practice a traditional manner of worship, and that’s -- white America needs to understand that. White America needs to appreciate diversity in their [00:15:00] -- white America needs to appreciate the sincerity, the uniqueness, the wellness and the healing that takes place by utilizing our traditional practices in the prison system. Majority of our Native Americans, perhaps as much as 95, 99 percent are incarcerated because of alcohol and substance abuse, alcohol related crimes. So, we have a duty to reach out to the young Natives, the Native Americans that are -- men and women that are incarcerated to provide an opportunity for a wellness, a spiritual healing, so when they leave, they won’t end up reoffending. They know that they have a [00:16:00] responsibility of going home and taking care of their families, taking care of their children, getting a job, being law-abiding. That’s important, that concept, law-abiding. That means you’re not going to become a burden to the 6 �community, to your family, and terrorize the community, or terrorize your own family. And that happens. That occurs a lot, and the person reoffends because person gets out, his spiritual identity is not intact. They still have a sense of wanting to consume alcohol. They experience a blackout, and act out and terrorize their home. Their responsibilities as a man, as a person, or as a woman, [00:17:00] is not something that they live or practice. Instead, they want to drink. So, it’s up to us as spiritual leaders to talk about these things, these ways and the habits, addictive behavior. Look, you’re not helping your family when you’re terrorizing them, when you’re taking methamphetamines. That’s a real common problem on the reservations. And we feel that the sweat lodge is the key. Pipe ceremony is the key. Visits by spiritual leaders is the key to changing those kind of behaviors. So, actually, when you look at the whole concept, the whole philosophy, it’s very elementary. We are attempting to help our own people using our own traditional beliefs and values. [00:18:00] And if you have prison officials that stop that, or don’t approve of these ways, it makes our job much harder to create that environment of healing, wellness. JJ: What do you think that got them involved into substance abuse? LF: What’s that? JJ: What do you think got them involved into alcohol and [other things?]? LF: Well, my theory about that is the feeling that’s been -- the colonizers, the colonizers make us feel ashamed of who we are. The colonizers brainwash us to discredit our dignity and our pride as Native Americans, which results in a lot of shaming, [00:19:00] a lot of addictive behaviors, lot of anger. And they act out 7 �and they consume alcohol. I’ve seen behaviors among our Native Americans, especially young ones, they end up in prison because they’re very angry, maybe towards their tribe or towards their community, towards their family. And then even their own mothers and fathers, they were upset because they didn’t learn the language, they didn’t learn the culture, they didn’t learn the spiritual practices. And they get incarcerated, and then they request, they say, “I need a medicine man to come and visit me, to talk to me, to pray with me, to doctor me, using prayers and songs.” And sometimes that occurs. Other times, the warden and the chaplain will say, “No, we can’t allow that.” [00:20:00] The concept of incarceration is to lock up a person, throw the key away. And that’s their method or form of not only punishment, but thinking that they’re going to change a person. It doesn’t change them. It just makes them more angry. And I find that among young Native Americans who don’t have an opportunity to engage in their ceremonial practices. So, it’s a difficult issue in today’s time. But that’s the work that I do, and that’s the work that I do. I got started in that 1980, ’81. So, that’s been a long time. And I engage and have experiences in [00:21:00] litigation. Like I said, I’ve worked with attorneys from the Native American Rights Fund, I’ve had introduction of legislation through the New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah state legislatures. I would approach a Native American senator, a Native American House of Representative, and sit down with the officials and say that, “We need to introduce, you need to help us introduce a bill that will address that, and put it into the state statutes,” and then the senator or the House of Representatives will say, “Okay, we can do that. But you need to explain again. 8 �We have to really go in depth about [00:22:00] what is a sweat lodge? What’s the purpose of a sweat lodge? What’s a pipe? What’s the purpose of using the pipe?” And we have to educate our own officials. So, then, once we’re able to do that, to create an awareness, then then the senator will -- Senator John Pinto has been a very good ally of us in New Mexico. Senator Jackson, Representative Peaches and Representative Albert Hill. People like that, who are Native American legislatures at the state level. Senator Inouye from Hawaii, Senator Wellstone from Minnesota. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell from Colorado. These are people that we worked with to introduce legislation. So, once that [00:23:00] passes the committee, the various committees, gets to the governor’s desk, they will sign it, and it becomes state law. Or if it gets to the federal legislation, then it has to come before the committees, the Senate Indian Affairs Committees is one that hears these bills. And if they agree, and they vote on it, and it’s approved, then it would be signed into federal law. So, it’s a lengthy process. It involves hearings, it involves lobbying, it involves advocating for these ways at different levels of government. JJ: How did you get involved in doing those litigations? LF: Well, like I said, in 1981, [00:24:00] I was a graduate student at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. And I was asked to meet with the Native American inmates at the state prison there in Florence, Arizona. And I sat down with them. There was maybe 10 Native American inmates of different tribes, and they basically asked for use of a sweat lodge on the grounds. And they were aware of it, but I knew that I could be a teacher, a mentor, because I had more extensive 9 �knowledge about the use of the sweat lodge and the pipe ceremony. So, it became my responsibility to educate, inform, and teach. As they would say, preach and teach. And so, I took it upon myself to do that, and I approached a representative [00:25:00] from the state legislature, and I approached them, and we sat down, and they wrote down the legislative language. So, that’s how I got involved, it dates all the way back to 1981. And the same experiences is very similar, if I did it, or maybe another person did it, it doesn’t really matter, because the process and protocol is the same. In order to introduce legislation, you need to sit down and write it in a legislative language, and put down on paper, then it’s introduced by the representative, whether he’s a senator or representative, introduce it to committees, and they’ll review it, and if it’s acceptable, then they give it a number and there’d be a hearing. I learned all this. I learned all this. [00:26:00] And so, somebody listening right now that doesn’t understand it, you will have to do some research just exactly what the protocol, the process in each state, whether it’s Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, New Mexico, there’s a process. There’s a protocol of how a bill is introduced and it’s assigned a number, and it goes before various committees, and then the committees will hear, and it’s up to us as the sponsor, to invite some witnesses. And ex-offenders are some of the best witnesses, because they themselves know what problems they had while they were incarcerated to ask to see a spiritual leader. Maybe they were turned down and told, “No, you need to see a priest. You need to see a preacher.” That doesn’t work. [00:27:00] If a Native American has traditional beliefs and 10 �traditional values, and he wants a medicine man, a spiritual advisor, to come in and talk to him and pray with him. And that’s what I do. JJ: You never mentioned that. LF: Well, I’m a spiritual leader a spiritual advisor. I’m a pipe carrier, Sundancer. So, that’s what I do. JJ: Can you explain that, and how did you become that? LF: Well, it’s a special gift from the Creator. In some ways, you’re born with that gift. In other ways, you have to fast for it, go up on the hill, and go on a vision quest. And that gift is bestowed upon you by the Great Spirit. So, you take that and you’re able to heal, create some healing with the individual who asks for help. I’m a member of the Native American Church. [00:28:00] I’ve sun danced for 26 years, so I’ve developed my gift. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 35 years. It’s a real intensive experience of learning these ways. So, that’s what I wanted to share. That’s part of the work I do as a Program Supervisor for the Corrections Project, that I work with the Navajo Nation Behavioral Health. And it’s my duty and responsibility to reach out to Native Americans that are incarcerated, Navajo and other tribes. JJ: Which states do you work in? LF: I work in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, California. Then I also visit federal prisons, and that would be [00:29:00] the USP Tucson, the USP Leavenworth, FCI Phoenix, FCI Safford, FCI La Tuna, Colorado, Florence, Colorado, the ADX and the USP, Leavenworth, Allenwood, Lewisburg, Atlanta, Georgia, wherever Native Americans are incarcerated, they will ask for 11 �me to come and visit. Sometimes the chaplain will make that request, and then I gotta respond. That’s what I do. That’s my work. I get paid by the Navajo Nation to do that. JJ: You do get paid by the Navajo Nation? LF: Navajo Nation. I developed that program. So, we have a program that’s funded by the Navajo Nation to take care of its people in the prison setting. So, that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 35 years. [00:30:00] And it’s a good experience for me, because I feel I’m giving of myself, teaching, instructing, and creating an awareness. But I’m retiring. I’m retiring in December of this year. So, I’ll be stepping aside and letting someone else take over, and I’m gonna just relax. JJ: You grew up in the reservation? LF: Oh, yeah. JJ: So, can you describe growing up? LF: Well, I grew up in a sheep camp where I was raised by my grandmother, grandfather -- JJ: [Can you mention their names?]? LF: -- and my parents were traditional Navajo speaking. JJ: Can you mention their names? LF: My grandfather, his name was [Jim Blacko Begay?], [00:31:00] and my grandmother is [Ursula Begay?] My paternal grandparents were Samuel Foster and Ann Foster. They were all traditional Navajos who lived, raised -- were sheep herders. They lived off the land, planted corn, potatoes, and lived that way of life. They had horses and some cattle and lived basically on the land. No 12 �running water inside, no heating, and everything. You’ve got to go out and chop wood to bring it. That’s what I used to do to help them. And me and my sister. And then we’d go out and herd sheep. So, that was a lifestyle. That way of life is disappearing. Nowadays, [00:32:00] you have use of pickup, you know, going to the stores. Back then, there wasn’t -- when I was growing up, there wasn’t -they had the trading post, but that was quite a ways of distance. And they had a horse-drawn wagon. JJ: A trading post is like a store? LF: Yeah, it’s a store that sold pretty much everything. JJ: You mean food and (inaudible)? LF: Yeah, I’d say it was a different way of life. But today, things have changed. We’re in the 21st century, so you know, you have pickups that’s replaced a horse. It’s replaced a horse-drawn wagon. Pickups and cars. And you even have cell phones now. You have access to computers now. So, things have changed. And through that change [00:33:00] has resulted in bad habits in our diet and health. We have obesity, alcoholism, diabetes. And that lifestyle has changed our habits and the way we live. It’s not good because we’re turning towards the white man’s way of colonization, and it’s very disturbing. The younger generation has a problem with speaking the language. And I’m sure it’s the same in the Spanish. I’ve run into people who have a hard time speaking fluently in their native languages, whether it’s Spanish or whatever language that they were to speak. It’s a big problem with Native Americans. [00:34:00] It’s much easier to speak in English than speak our Native language. So, there’s a -- 13 �JJ: Do you have schools and things -- LF: Yeah, we’ve got the public schools. See, that’s part of the problem. The schools don’t teach the language, they don’t teach the culture, they don’t teach the history. Everything is colonized history. Everything is Columbus discovered America, and Dick and Jane as the primary characters of what the middle class world is all about. That doesn’t apply to us. That’s a foreign concept. But that’s destroying our intelligence. It’s destroying our dignity. It’s destroying our language and our culture. And [00:35:00] we need to change those ways. I grew up in the schools there in Fort Defiance, and we didn’t learn the language. We had to learn that at home. But some places, families don’t teach the Navajo language and Navajo culture at home. They rely on the school to do it, and the school doesn’t do that. So, a person grows up not speaking his language, not knowing his culture. That’s a big problem. So, I was lucky that I was raised by my grandparents. They lived a traditional way of life. They spoke Navajo in the home. And my grandparents were spiritual people. So, they taught my sister and I some of the beliefs, the [00:36:00] values that today I carry with me. As I got older, I progressed through the schools. See, my father was a Navajo Code Talker, USMC Marine during World War II, and he saw the world out there. And he went out there, and he saw the value of education. So, when he was discharged after the war, when he came home to the reservation and started having kids, my mother, they both agreed that we should be educated. So, my sister, myself, and my three brothers, we all went to school, we learned the white man’s education, and we finished high school, went to college, finished that, and 14 �[00:37:00] came home, got jobs, became responsible. I, myself, never went to prison. I work in the prison system as a spiritual counselor, but I never went to prison, so I was able to utilize my experience and pass through the NCIC background check, which is very extensive. Because they’ll do the National Crime Information Center background check, if you have any arrests, that automatically disqualifies you from working as a counselor in the system. Because most Native Americans have some form of an arrest record, so that prohibits a person from doing -JJ: How did you stay away from it? LF: Well, I got involved with school. I got involved with sports. [00:38:00] I knew that -- well, my parents, they didn’t use alcohol. My grandparents didn’t use alcohol. So, they provided me with good role models. I had friends in school, high school especially, that drank and smoked. I didn’t do that. So, I basically stayed away from that. And then when I got into college, same thing. I played some basketball and baseball, stayed active with sports. I stuck with my school, made my grades, stayed away from alcohol and drugs. So, I didn’t commit any crimes. And so, I was lucky in that way. And all of my brothers and sisters, we didn’t get into it. [00:39:00] Because we’re isolated, also. I mean, if we lived in a city, maybe it would have been different, but we lived way out on the reservation, so we don’t have that opportunity to do these things. You have to go to the border towns, like to Gallup, New Mexico, to Flagstaff, Arizona, and you get caught up in the alcohol, drugs, and next thing you know, you’re arrested, or you’re acting out, or maybe you’re being angry about not being able to experience the culture or 15 �the language. That’s important, because once you mess a man’s mind, you’re making him ashamed of who he is as an Indian, develops a real sense of shame and anger. [00:40:00] And if he drinks, all that act out, he acts out his anger, and he’d end up fighting, doing things that’s not appropriate behavior. Burglaries, assault, sexual assault, assault with a deadly weapon, drinking results in DWI. You know, all these different crimes that exist because a person is drinking to escape his shame. And it’s a big problem. I’ll tell you, it’s a big problem. Alcohol is not good for our people. Even smoking tobacco. JJ: You were a counselor [00:41:00] but what other types of jobs did you have through your life? LF: Well, I went to school for sociology. I got a degree in sociology. So, when I got out of college, I went to work with social work, and working with families and juveniles. That’s hard work, because you’re working with people’s behavior. And we have a lot of problems. We’ve got a lot of problems. Alcoholism is a major problem. Drugs. So, we’ve got to deal with those. And then I decided that that wasn’t something I wanted to do, so I applied for a position as a community center director, and I enjoyed that more because I’m dealing with a community where I establish programs for the youth, [00:42:00] athletic programs, men and women, juvenile basketball. We had a city league, arts and crafts, developing the crafts of our Native people, swimming, taught swimming. Youth programs, an emphasis away from the alcohol, glue sniffing, spray paint. So, that work I did for maybe 10 years. I was a director of a community center and dealt with the whole community. And it was a big gymnasium. I allowed them to use the 16 �showers, and kept it open for activity after school, during the evenings, on the weekends. And I just didn’t close the community center. I kept it open for the community. [00:43:00] So, I did that for 10 years. Then I eventually moved on. I went back to school. And that’s where I became involved in the prison work, and that was very satisfactory to me, because I was able to go into the prisons and use my experience, what I learned from my grandparents, speaking the language, teaching the prayers, teaching the songs. And the inmates, they took to that really well, because they were hungry for knowledge. They were hungry for information. I essentially became a teacher, a spiritual leader. I’ve done that for 35 years. But in the process, I’ve done, like I said, litigation, to create new laws, legislation, [00:44:00] negotiations. Every week I run ceremonies. JJ: New laws against social injustice? LF: Yeah, to change the white man’s law. See, white man’s laws, they prohibit traditional beliefs and values. They want all of us to cut our hair. They want us to forget our language. They want us to pick up the Bible. They want us to be Christians. But we’re not cut out to be facsimile of a white man. We do that, then we have a real, serious identity crisis. So, the legislation is to establish our beliefs, our practices, and then the legislation -- or see, the litigation is to establish the laws, to put it into the law books. And [00:45:00] then, the legislations to establish that, become part of the overall religious services or the practices. And then the negotiation is to talk about it, put it on the table, sit at the table, let’s put everything on here without resorting to expensive lawsuits, or even legislation. It’s just, let’s just develop a policy where it’s mutual agreement. So, 17 �we have to we have to be assertive. We have to be aggressive. And we have to be confident that what we’re talking about, we believe in. It’s just not exercise. And you’ve got to know what you’re talking about. You know, dealing with the white man can be difficult because he has a different mindset. And so, that’s been my experience. [00:46:00] And I’ve taken this experience in these areas, and I became Leonard Peltier’s a spiritual leader. I’ve known him since 1970. Him and I were friends in Denver, Colorado. And then he got into trouble with the law defending his people and his land up in South Dakota, where two FBI agents were shot, and some of the people who were present that day turned witness against him and said he was the shooter, which really he wasn’t. These young Natives were threatened by the FBI, and they turned witness, federal witness. The FBI [00:47:00] fabricated the evidence, they fabricated witnesses. They didn’t tell the truth. The shell casing didn’t match the firing pin in the rifle that supposedly was used. They fabricated that. The affidavits were fabricated. They extradited him from Canada based on false affidavits, false witness. So, everything that the government utilized in its case was all lies. And he’s been in prison for 41 years on constitutional violations that were committed, fraud. And when tests were finally done, the government hid the results of those tests from the jury and from the judge. We want to retrial for him, but the judges, [00:48:00] the court said no. They locked him into the case. So, everything was based on a lie. And we can prove it. The shell casings were tested by experts, FBI experts, and they came to the conclusion the rifle that was supposedly used, the AR-15, which is similar to M-16, the shell casing didn’t match the firing pin. So, it 18 �couldn’t have been -- that rifle wasn’t used in this shooting. Yet, they said they matched. And they testified. In court. The FBI experts testified in court and said that it was a match. It wasn’t. Later, we -- the lawyers, Bruce Ellison, dug up the information and realized that the feds had lied on that. They didn’t match. And then, when they brought them up, put them [00:49:00] on the stand, they lied. They were caught in a lie, but the judge just overruled it, and basically they had to lock somebody into that case. So, Leonard Peltier was found guilty. And it’s been 41 years now. I’ve been visiting him for 31 years. JJ: Can you explain -- LF: For a while there, no one was allowed to see him. No one was allowed to see when he was at Marion. USP Marion, no one could go to see him. JJ: Can you describe what type of person Leonard Peltier is? LF: Oh, Leonard’s very friendly. He’s very outgoing. He’s genuine friendly. Kind. He’s a mentor. He’s an excellent painter. He’s a mentor to the other inmates. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t smoke. [00:50:00] But he’s suffering some bad health. He’s got diabetes, he’s got bad high blood pressure, he’s losing his eyesight. He’s not in good health. We need to get him out. But he’s a good person. He’s full of humor. He’s a very genuine, solid person. I believe that years of advocacy and lobbying for his freedom is finally going to result in executive clemency being approved. I feel that. I think that will happen. I think President Obama will free him. JJ: And you were in a committee that’s trying to -- you’re working on that case. 19 �LF: Yeah. I’ve [00:51:00] testified on his behalf in Congress. I highlighted his case when I went to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, I met with Evo Morales in Bolivia last fall to advocate his case to Evo Morales in the Bolivian embassy, and he said he was going to write a letter to Obama. I’m sure he has. I went to Paris, France, met with the daughter of Frantz Fanon. You know, he’s a well-known -- he was a very well-known human rights activist and a writer, author, Franz Fanon’s daughter has a foundation. And they named Leonard a recipient of that Human Rights Award. And I went to Paris, France to accept the award for [00:52:00] him, or on his behalf, which was very significant. So, he’s got supporters all over the world. He’s had Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, the Bishop Tutu from Cape Town, South Africa, people like that, [numerous of?] Congress. He’s got a lot of support. But it’s been hard. The different -President Reagan, Carter, Bush, W. Bush, they just won’t deal with it. But Clinton came close. But I think he backed out. And I think President Obama will sign, will sign the executive clemency. We’ve got a [00:53:00] resolution of support from the Navajo Nation, resolution of support from the National Congress of American Indians, various other organizations that support Leonard Peltier’s release on executive clemency. So, it’s going to become a reality. I feel that that’s something that’s going to happen. We just continue to pray and continue to lobby and advocate for his freedom. So, this is what I want to say at this time. It’s been my work for the last 35 years. It’s been very exhausting. I feel that I put in my time and did that [00:54:00] as part of my work for the Navajo Nation. I’ve become very aware of the criminal justice system, the prison system, based on 20 �my work, and hopefully I’ll be retiring the end of this year. And if you want to get a hold of me, just call me at 928-729-4475, in Window Rock, Arizona, and whatever I can do to help your research or what you’re doing. And thank you for listening. JJ: Can you describe a little bit about -- you were talking about (inaudible) LF: In 1973, I was a very active member of the [00:55:00] Denver, Colorado American Indian Movement. And as part of the American Indian Movement, I traveled with Denver AIM up to South Dakota to lend support to their quest for justice. The tribal chairman at the time was very corrupt, misusing tribal funds and utilizing an auxiliary police force to suppress its people. And it resulted in a very intense struggle. And it became an armed struggle. For 71 days, there was an occupation, a siege at Wounded Knee. I participated in that. I survived 11 firefights. I was right in the front lines. I was in a Little Bighorn bunker with some young brothers. At the time, I was 25 years old, and I was in the bunker with John Perot, Fuzzy Miller, Stan [00:56:00] Letender, John Carlson, Percy Casper. These were some of the people. David Wilson. These are some of the young men. We’re almost all the same age. And we’re in a Little Big Horn bunker. And we engaged in some pretty intense gun firefights. No one was hit. JJ: This is public information. It’s all public information? LF: Yeah, it’s out there. But you know, it was a matter of self-defense. They surrounded us. They wanted us to give up, surrender. And that didn’t happen. For 71 [00:57:00] days, we were engaged in a real intense self-defense. So, that experience for Indian people across this country made a realization that our 21 �ancestors did the same thing. It just became common knowledge that we have this DNA as Indian people that we will defend our people, and we will defend our way of life and defend the land. It’s still happening today. JJ: You call it DNA of Indian people. LF: Yeah, we have that in our DNA. We resort to defending Mother Earth, and defending the water, defending the resources, defending our people, future generations. And that’s happening today up in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, [00:58:00] where the Standing Rock Sioux people are standing up for their right to defend water, water rights. It’s very important. Indian’s use of water in ceremonial practices. It’s life. And we see that the Dakota Access Pipeline is making plans to dig up a right of way, lay down pipes all the way from Canada, and ship oil. But we know that’s not safe. And what will happen if they have a -because a lot of these companies, they do shoddy construction. They slap things together and they leave. They get paid and they leave. What happens to the Indian people that live on the land [00:59:00] who are going to experience an oil spill? And that will go into the ground, into the water table. The Missouri River is where those pipes -- so the Standing Rock Sioux people are making a stand with support from other Indian people throughout Western Hemisphere. Right now, I understand there’s 6,000. 7,000 Indian people there camped, helping. And that whole experience is that the white corporations, the companies, are totally disregarding the free, prior informed consent, consultation with the Indian tribes, the Indian nations, as to why they want to build right through there instead of saying, “We’re just going to use this right away and 22 �build, tear up the land and tear up the cultural sites, the sacred sites.” [01:00:00] Cemeteries. They’re even tearing up the land where they’re uncovering graves. That’s stupid. That’s crazy. So, we’re asking that people, concerned people, make a stand right alongside our Standing Rock Sioux people. JJ: Have you been able to go? LF: I haven’t been up there, no. JJ: Do you know of some people that have gone there? LF: Oh, yeah. My daughter is up there, and so is my grandson, and my brother and his wife are traveling there. JJ: I heard there’s five or 6,000 people. LF: Yeah, there’s a lot of people there. And I went to a meeting in Phoenix, Arizona last week with the National Congress of American Indians. And the tribal chairman, the leader, was a Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Dave Archambault, came and made a presentation and requested help from other tribes. [01:01:00] And he has it. It’s an issue that needs to be supported, and I think it’s one of the most profound issues, in not only Indian country today, but white America. White people can’t drink oil. They don’t care about future generations. That’s not in their DNA to be concerned for human rights or treaty rights, or concerned for the environment. Because they have the might, and they’ve got the money. They want to just [bogart?] their way through all of this in the process. It’s only a matter of time before there’ll be an oil spill. They did that in Alaska. And they didn’t hold that company liable for what they did, the Valdez. [01:02:00] It ran the ground and erupted that ship, and all the oil got all over the place. It could 23 �happen in North Dakota. See, that pipeline started in Canada, and then it goes -it went into North Dakota, and then they have plans to go continue, Iowa and South Dakota. But they’ll be met with resistance from other tribes that live in Iowa and South Dakota. So, this issue isn’t over by many means. It’s going to be a burden on the government. It’s going to be a thorn in the side of the white America. There’s not only legal obligations, but [01:03:00] moral obligations, how they’re going to deal with it, how they’re going to stop it. JJ: And it’s getting a lot of support. I know people from Chicago, from SDS, (inaudible). LF: Yeah, it’s something that involves all people. I know Wounded Knee, that’s how Wounded Knee happened. We had 71 days of armed -- it was finally because the government brought in the FBI and the federal marshals, and they’re trained to use deadly force. So, that was what happened for 71 days, engaging in firefights. It was a result was some people died as a result of firefights, put our arms down, surrender, went to court. Many of our people’s cases were dismissed as [01:04:00] self-defense. And as a result from all of that, Leonard Peltier was targeted. And now he’s been in prison for 41 years. He’s 72 years old. We need to get him out of prison. So, I just want to say that much at this time. I’m gonna -- JJ: Could you just talk a little bit about Richard Oaks? LF: Oh, Richard Oaks. He was one of the leaders from New York. He was a Mohawk. He married an Indian woman from Northern California, and he was one of the student leaders at San Francisco State College. As a result of his 24 �leadership, he had the [01:05:00] charisma to lead, and they decided to occupy Alcatraz Island because, based on the 1868 treaty, the Fort Laramie treaty, any federal lands were vacated or was termed surplus, that it would revert back to the Indian people. So, the students from San Francisco State College and from UCLA and other schools decided to occupy Alcatraz Island as a learning center, a cultural center for education, museum, education center for all tribes. And it went on for 18 months, [01:06:00] negotiations between Nixon’s administration and the Indians, and it resulted -- after 18 months, it began in November 1969, and it resulted ending in June 17, 1971, where the federal marshals came on the land and all remaining young Natives were arrested. Richard Oaks had left because his daughter fell. There were stairs, and she eventually died. And it was a bad omen. He took it as a bad omen and decided to move his family. They went back to Pit River, Northern California. And then when he was there, he had a confrontation with a park ranger. JJ: (inaudible) went there (inaudible) that’s when it ended. LF: Yeah, [01:07:00] a lot of the people went to Pit River. JJ: Who went to Alcatraz. LF: Yeah, and a park ranger shot and killed Richard Oaks. So, that’s how that happened. It was very sad, because he was a good leader. He was a very promising leader for the Indian community. He was young. He was young. I knew him. When I first came to Alcatraz from Fort Collins, Colorado, I met [Pat Janea?], Joe Bill, Al Miller, Richard Oaks, because I knew Pat Janea from my childhood on the Navajo reservation, they all accepted me, and Pat told them 25 �that I was an old friend from grade school from the Navajo reservation. So, that’s how I became acquainted with Richard Oaks, Al Miller, [01:08:00] and Joe Bill. They were good friends. We were all young. We were all young. At that time, I was 21 years old. And that was 1969, 1970. A long time ago. And that was a -I guess I would say it was a moment in history that proved to be defining moment for the movement. It opened up the doors for future movement activities. It opened our eyes as Indian people. We have treaty rights; we have human rights. It went beyond civil rights. That experience there allowed us to exercise our treaty rights. We’re still basing that today, we’ve taken our issues into the international community, [01:09:00] at the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. I myself have been to Geneva, Switzerland a number of times, testifying before the Human Rights Council, the Committee for the Elimination of Racism, CERT, and just other various interventions in the area of treaty rights and environmental rights, human rights. But the process at the United Nations very slow. You’ve got to be patient. You express or do an intervention and testify, it might be a year or two before any kind of result will happen. So, that’s some of my experience. [01:10:00] And I want to thank you for -JJ: Do you have any final thoughts? LF: Well, I think the younger generation needs to be ready to get involved more so. Educate yourself. Participate in the ceremonies. To those that are incarcerated, I would say, to learn all about your spiritual values, your spiritual identity, so you can leave and be comfortable where you don’t need to resort to alcohol, and you can help your family and not be a burden to your community and take care of 26 �your kids. That would be my advice to those that are incarcerated. And to those young students, to learn all you can. [01:11:00] Do some research. Research the treaties. See what the treaty actually says. A lot of times we don’t know what was written in those treaties until you really research and see what are some of the finer items, or points of further discussion. An example, they’re having to deal with health, health issues. The treaty guaranteed health concerns would be addressed. Education. So, when you talk about education, you’re talking about money for scholarships, housing, healthcare. These things. And [01:12:00] even the courts, the criminal justice system, the treaties guaranteed that anyone breaking the law, or any white men that came on to the reservation breaking the law would be subject to punishment by the courts. So, they have to be carried out. So, researching the items and the specifics of treaties, you just have to research and look at, what does the treaty say? What exactly did it guarantee us? Now there’s a fight for water. There’s a fight for uranium, coal, gas, and oil, and those rights that we have, and the white man is trying to take that. So, it’s not right. These treaties are the supreme law of the [01:13:00] land. The international court recognizes it. And other countries throughout the world, they press upon the United States when they’re being an advocate of human rights, they’re reminded by other countries, “You’re violating the First Nations’ rights.” In other words, honor those treaties you signed with the Indian people. The United States doesn’t like to hear that, that they’re at fault. So, that’s about how much I’m going to say. JJ: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. 27 �LF: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure. END OF VIDEO FILE 28 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f5108cf98a873e27b682668c6f6cb418.mp4 934ac87fd0e52c88c4c04bc990920e33 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 Young Lords in Lincoln Park Collection Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Description An account of the resource Collection of oral history interviews and digitized materials documenting the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Interviews were conducted by Young Lords' founder, José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, and documents were digitized from Mr. Jiménez' archives. The Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection grows out of the ongoing struggle for fair housing, self-determination, and human rights that was launched by Mr. José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords Movement. This project is dedicated to documenting the history of the displacement of Puerto Ricans, Mejicanos, other Latinos, and the poor from Lincoln Park, as well as the history of the Young Lords nationwide. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection (RHC-65)</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 2017-04-25 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng spa Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2012-2017 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Título Spanish language Title entry Lenny Foster vídeo entrevista y biografía Descripción Spanish language Description entry Historia oral de Lenny Foster, entrevistado por José 'Cha-Cha' Jimenez el 23/10/2016 acerca de los Young Lords en Lincoln Park. Sujetos Spanish language Subject terms Young Lords (Organización) Puertorriqueños--Estados Unidos Derechos civiles--Estados Unidos--Historia Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Narrativas personales Justicia social Activistas comunitarios--Illinois--Chicago Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park (RHC-65)</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-65_Foster_Lenny Title A name given to the resource Lenny Foster video interview and transcript Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Lenny Description An account of the resource Oral history of Lenny Foster, interviewed by Jose 'Cha-Cha' Jimenez on 10/23/2016 about the Young Lords in Lincoln Park. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago 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 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-23 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/db8462c35ad32452ff7324f39ea86cb6.mp3 62c69cbe0fe79a2ddf83b73ef83dfe14 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/32031d4de500d0428317ac079225cfb1.pdf c87722305ca0dc1b45b4fdcf09667ae9 PDF Text Text Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 1 Eric Gollannek: This is Eric Gollannek and I... Ken Kutzel: …and Ken Kutzel… EG: …and I’m here today with… Ray Foster: Ray Foster. EG: Uh, at the old school house in Douglas, Michigan on July 23rd, uh, 2018. This oral history is being collected as part of the Stories of Summer 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 meet with us today, we’re interested in learning more about your family’s history, in particular experiences of summer. Can you please state your full name and spell it for us? RF: Raymond Edward Foster, R A Y M O N D, E D W A R D, F O S T E R EG: That’s great, alright, so we’ll, we’ll continue our conversation here, you brought in a few things here about your farm, you want to tell us a little bit about where it is and… RF: Well this, this was kind of a family farm, um, my mother, mothers’ parents and uh, her grandparents uh, um, bought eighty acres. They came from Chicago in the late 1800’s and uh, bought eighty acres uh, near the corner of 66th street and uh, 126th and uh, they [pause] they farmed it and uh, [pause] uh, a lot of different things. They had blueberries and raspberries and uh, they had 20 head of cattle and uh, chickens and uh, at different times, different things, uh. Through the years and uh, they raised four daughters, my mother was the oldest and uh, [pause] she spent, she was the last one to leave the farm. The other daughters grew up, we got married and then before World War Two, and then my mother got married after World War Two and uh, so she spent more time on the farm. But as I was growing, when I grew up and [pause] I, I stayed there with my grandparents. They were in good health and uh, help them do things [pause] and uh, but mainly just really enjoyed the place. And uh, it was uh, just a just a beautiful retreat, and uh, a lot of great place to explore and uh, [pause] uh, [long pause] KK: Is the house still standing? RF: The house is still standing, it’s had several owners since then, and uh, but uh, [pause] but it’s been, it’s changed some. Uh, considerably. The house, the outside structure’s pretty much the same but it has a garage added to it, but uh, and uh… KK: I noticed it says here that that’s the Hines homestead? RF: Yes... KK: Is that what it was called? RF: Well yes, my, [stutters] I, I, I didn’t mention that but my, my great grandfather's name was Emo Hines and he came from Chicago and he was not a farmer but he kind of adopted the, the [stutters] hob hobby, but he had just one son, Otto who was my, my uh grandfather and my great grandfather was a German immigrant and uh, [pause] he uh, [pause] along with his son uh, they kind of developed the �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 2 land. They planted fruit trees and grape vineyards and, and uh, and raised cattle, and tilled the soil with a team of horses and uh, um, [pause] it was a [pause] a [pause] a labor of love I think, uh, uh, they uh, it stayed in the family till the 70’s and uh, so ah, let’s see where can I go from there uh, but I, but I, I spent a lot of time there in the 60’s, the 50’s and 60’s and uh, [pause] and uh, [pause] well… KK: How ‘bout, give another...tell us, you, the other day when we spoke with you. You started to tell us a story about one time when you were on the farm and the motorcycles came in... RF: Oh! KK: Would you talk about that please? RF: No, actually that was at my parents’ house… KK: Oh! RF: ...on M89 east of Fennville. KK: Well let’s talk about that anyway! [00:04:39] RF: Okay! Sure! Well it was probably ‘65 ‘66, maybe ‘64 ‘65 ‘66, [pause] I think by ‘67-’68 it kind of fizzled out. But, on a Memorial Day weekend or Fourth of July weekend, uh, you could hear, hear from a long ways away this, this sound of motorcycles coming, and there was long strings of them, and various, [stutters] grou-groups, probably a dozen in a group or so, maybe more, and they came from Detroit, Flint, and uh, [pause] uh, mainly east, on the other, eastern side of the state, but uh, I guess I could describe them as a colorful group. They weren't, they weren't necessarily uh, like uh, social club they were, they more of, of an old [stutters] I I I don’t want to make a comparison to the Hell’s Angels but they were, they were kind of that style. Uh, their, their jackets on the back had, had little titles like uh ‘Disciples from Hell’ or ‘Hell’s Disciples’ or that sort of thing. That theme was very popular, and uh, but when I was able to go to Saugatuck, uh, on those weekends it was incredibly busy, they would actually, unless you could prove you lived there they wouldn’t let you in they would stop at the top of the hill, they wouldn’t let cars down. And, the motorcycles would be rode up the entire like, from Phil’s all the way down to the corner and uh, they um, [pause] they would pretty much take over the town. As, as strange as that might sound, and and the police were, were usually, it wasn’t like today, they were, it was a small police force and they might rent a few, we referred to ‘them as Rent-a-Cops because they were just hired for that special occasion. And uh, I’m, I’m not aware of any major, uh, conflicts that uh, that occurred. There may have been some but I wasn’t really aware of anything, like a, any kind of a small riot or anything like that. I wasn't aware of anything like that but, but as a teenager it was quite a novelty to see that. To be exposed to that, and uh, [pause] so, [pause] um, [pause] well, that was pretty much it, I mean uh, just, just to see it, holiday was over they were gone… KK: Did that happen every weekend? Or… RF: No, no, no. Just on, I only saw it on a holiday weekends, and uh, so, that was uh, kind of a, unique thing. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 3 EG: What were the reactions of your parents, or grandparents? RF: Well you know I… EG: Or neighbors to that? RF: You know, as far as my, the uh, [pause] the [pause] my parents’ generation, I don’t think they uh, I don’t think really could comprehend what was going on. I don’t, [stutters] I, I was never aware that they, uh, it wasn’t something they were happy about, I’m sure, I I know that much but as far as uh, feeling threatened or anything like that or, uh, [pause] they just, they just looked at it as some kind of a temporary thing, a phase I think. I don’t think they thought of it as a, um, you know a… EG: Collapse of civilization… RF: [Laughs] Yeah! Sure, that, yeah. I’m sure they thought of something like that. Yeah…. KK: Although at that time, was the um, was the summer season, here in Saugatuck, I mean was it um, as long as it is now, er, you know? RF: Well, I think, I think I would say it is, um, people started coming up, [pause] um probably before memorial day and, and um, to their cottages and such and uh, they pretty much stayed until after Labor Day, shortly after Labor Day. Yeah, there was good numbers of people. It’s hard to make a comparison between then and now, because things just look at a lot different. They appear a lot different. KK: Why don’t you talk about that? RF: Well, I, I guess I could say that, at that time, it was a very affordable place to go, for, for the average middle class person, and [pause] even though it had a history [pause] from, that I had heard about, you know ‘Well Saugatuck is really one of, a place you want to go because [stutters] they, they, they have bars they stay open all night’ and um there’s that kind of atmosphere but, but as a young person, you, you kind of want to be exposed to a little bit of that. KK: Well sure! All: [Laugh] [00:09:54] RF: Just to, just to find out for yourself and uh, but, that’s, that’s probably the most striking thing, and the development, there’s much more development today. You could, you could see the water when you came in off of, of Blue Start and came into town and you could see the water, uh all the way. There were no condos or anything like that, and uh, uh, [pause] so, [pause] I hesitate using the word quaint, but if you, if you were there in the winter you might call it that, but the summer there was a lot of people so it wasn't really, it was more, it was a tourist town, it was strictly a tourist town. But uh, [pause] uh, the Coral Gables was a really popular place at that time, very popular place. People would be lined up waiting to get in, and uh, and [pause] uh, I do remember some scuffles out front just as a bystander watching some people. Probably some unruly people getting thrown out, and those things kind of stick �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 4 in your head. But, uh, [pause] uh [pause] it was an evolution I guess, you know it just evolved from, you know my parents’ generation, they probably would’ve saw something, even more, uh, more quaint I guess you’d say, more slow paced and um,[pause] uh, but things have, thing have evolved to what they are today and uh, it’s it is, but uh I suppose it’s relative in a way, but it is more, more expensive for the average person to just go anywhere and spend some time in a, a restaurant or a bar. EG: Beyond Coral Gables, were there other places that stood out to you? That you spent time, or… RF: Well… EG: Or stayed away from, or? RF: Well the Butler and Coral Gables were always the biggest two, biggest items, and uh, everything else was just really small. Like uh, there was a place called the Boathouse, and that was down at the end of the street, across Wick’s Park, in that area, and uh, and uh, all the other little places were just um, [pause] were lesser, and then, then I, one thing I remembered too in, in it may have been ‘68 or ‘67, you guys might know, the Blue Tempo came in… KK: Yes let’s talk about that RF: Well, you know, as, as a, as a person growing up at that time, I didn’t even, I didn’t even understand what uh, or fully understand what uh, [pause] um, what a gay, the whole concept of gay people was… EG: Sure… RF: So, uh, but I knew this was a unique place, and I knew it had, but, had I known more, in in hindsight, I might of, might of tried to go there because I know they had great music, and uh, I’m a great uh, admirer of that kind of, uh, music, and a great history for music and uh, but uh, [pause] uh because now, as a 70 year uh, and having lived in the area, or known people in the area for a long time, that whole uh, uh, [pause] uh, shall I say the [pause] the gay scene, is is a, it doesn't, it doesn't even leave an impression on me anymore. KK: It’s become part of the culture. RF: It’s part of the culture, and uh, so, but, but it was always know as a unique place. It was the location was unique and uh, everybody knew that this was a gay bar, and uh, and uh, so, I wish I could tell you I’d been there and experienced it but I, I can’t. A friend of mine was there and I only get bits and pieces from him, but uh, [pause] uh [pause] but uh. EG: What were some of the reactions or things that people, other people’s reactions or things that you’ve heard about? RF: About… EG: [Inaudible] RF: About, concerning that? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 5 EG: Yeah! Ray: Ah, [pause] you know, people uh, were not really very activist type people at that time. Most people, you know, they went about their own business and if something new came along, well they talked about it, but as far as being a [pause] being a objectionable thing or a something that really disturbed people. People just kind of...after a while it just blew by. [00:15:14] KK: [Inaudible] RF: Yeah, and uh, so, the reaction, my impression of the reaction wasn’t, wasn’t anything really big. EG: Just another bar, another club that has good music and we’re probably not going there. That kind of… RF: That kind of reaction. EG: That kind of reaction? RF: That kind of a thing yeah, that’s fair to say. Yeah. KK: You know um, a question I have for you, being a Douglas resident myself, uh, what are your memories of the Douglas side? RF: Well, I occasionally, I would go there with my uh, grandparents occasionally. There was, there was a little grocery store down on the end of the street towards the river, uh, where uh, um [pause] well there was a little novelty store there near Naughtons... KK: Yeah. RF: Near Naughtons store there, that at one time there was a grocery store there… KK: Was that Vansicles? RF: Vansicles, yes! And they would go there occasionally, and uh, [pause] and we would also pick uh, they they raised uh, raspberries so we would pick raspberries and we would bring them into town and right where the park is, where the ballpark is there was a man, a vendor there, [pause] and uh, he would take all we had and uh, he would sell them to the tourists and uh, gosh, just trying to remember his name now, he had a son who was blind [pause] um, [long pause] gah! KK: Well it’s alright, it will come to you when you’re not thinking about it. RF: Right. But anyway it was a, so we did that, we would hang out there for a while but at that time, across the street, the uh, there was uh, a Catholic School there too. So we knew the, we knew about that, and at that time the original Catholic Church wasn’t St. Peter's it was just down the street. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 6 KK: Right. RF: And uh, one little side light to that, I have a, uh, my dad [pause] had an uncle and uh, I [pause] and he was the first baby to be baptized there, and I should’ve brought the name, the baptized name was all the little organizations in town gave him a name and when he went back many years later he was embarrassed because they mentioned him, and brought him, and mentioned him and everything but his baptized name was uh, Peter Paul Benedict, uh, Jacob Ivan, [pause] Clark and uh, and they all gave him a name so, it was, it was an embarrassing thing for him as an adult. But uh, he did happen to be the first baby that was baptized there uh, he was a part of a large family that was also in the area. But [pause] but it was a, it was a, it was a incredibly quiet quaint little town. Just down the street there was a place called the Delicatessen and a man named Red Delky owned it and he had a baker working for him that was a refugee from Austria, a World War Two refugee, and an incredibly talented pastry chef and anybody my age can tell you, that lived in the area that they made the best bread and uh, and uh, uh [pause] sweet rolls and that sort of thing uh, that you could find anywhere. And uh, and uh, down a little bit further there was a little drug store so it was a, really a, had everything. KK: [Inaudible} RF: Just a little town! And uh, I uh, I would also go on Friday night, quite often on Friday night with my grandparents, near the corner of uh, Blue Star and uh, Maple Street, uh going to the north. There was a house on the right hand side, at one time it was a resort, owned by my grandfather's uncle, Fred Hines and [pause] they would pick up people, you would pick up people that came in on the boats and then bring them back to the resort and uh, his wife would uh, do the housekeeping and uh, he was just mainly just took them around town to the beach or wherever they wanted to go and uh, but, they had a little resort there. So but, in later years when I went there with my grandparents, the uh, the next generation down lived there, my, would be a cousin to my grandmother, grandparents, er grandfather and uh, so we would just go there, spend some time there with them, they would uh, talk about old times and that sort of thing, and uh, but uh, it was just [pause] a nice quiet little visit. But uh, I don't know, what else can I tell you? [00:20:46] KK: Do you remember the, uh, the rock festival at all? Were you involved in that, or? RF: I did go to the one at uh, near Goshorn Lake… KK: Okay, that’s Potawatomi Beach, right? RF: Potawatomi Beach, yes. Uh, yes, I did go to that in ‘68, I believe KK: I believe that’s what it was…. RF: I think it was in ‘68, and it was hot and dry and sandy roads and people would, uh, it was [inaudible] it was incredibly crowded and uh, you couldn’t get close to the band stand, it was just uh, again there was, there was that large influx of uh, motorcycle people and they kind of dominated an area there, but uh, so you could hear things from a distance unless you, unless you somehow got there real early and �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 7 worked your way in, but it was kind of a phenomenon I guess because the volume of people, yeah I think I, I think I read where cars were lined up all the way from, from that park all the way to the bridge at the river… KK: I have heard that…. RF: It’s hard to imagine… KK: Yeah EG: Right RF: So, and then they decided they’d never do that again, but uh, the history of those types of things are, is, is great. I mean when it goes back to uh, when they had a pavilion and then it’s the uh, got that racetrack… KK: Right… RF: But uh, I do remember, uh, probably the late 50’s when they had a Jazz Festival, the Saugatuck Jazz Festival, uh, at the racetrack there and uh, Duke Ellington and a few other celebrities were there and my grandparents farm was kind of a, like a mile south of there, on 126th and uh, just about half a mile from the corner of Blue Star and 126th, and with the windows open at night, I remember them introducing Duke Ellington and them mentioning his name, that always stuck in my, stuck with me forever after that. I thought, wow what would’ve been so great to be there… KK: And that sound would carry over because it was all farms… RF: Yes. KK: Yeah. RF: Pretty, quite open at that time. EG: So you could hear? You could hear music and…. RF: I could, yes, yeah, not really well but some, yeah. EG: Yeah. RF: And prior to that it was a stock car track, a little dirt stock car track and there was uh, um, uh, auto racing there. It was quite, for many years, it went on but uh, I never experienced that, I wish I had but uh, [pause] um [pause] KK: Any contact, uh at all, or anything you can share about contact with Oxbow or the people from there? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 8 RF: No, I never really knew about Oxbow until later I, I consider myself an art lover but I, I never really knew about it. I wish that I had known more about it at a younger age but it’s a, it’s a great great thing to have in the area. KK: Yeah, it was more a private club… RF: Way back! KK: And it's interesting that you bring that up because you're not the first person who said ‘We really didn't pay attention to it’. RF: No, I never really knew much about it, till later years, and uh, but uh... EG: Do you remember much of seeing many artists around? Seeing people painting in town, in Douglas or Saugatuck, or? RF: No, I always knew it was an art, artsy community but I didn't spend much time, you know, going from shop to shop, I uh, really at that point in my life, I wasn't really that, I was more, uh, driving your car, go to the beach, and uh that sort of thing, uh, and getting together with people, but uh, the art, [pause] I know it existed but I never, I was never exposed to it. [00:25:16] KK: Then, what was the beach like then? RF: Oh, it was great! Uh, there was, there was of course the Oval Beach, but then, the Douglas, Douglas had a beach, and then there was several beach on down, uh, there were then. I never remembered big crowds there like today. I have seen some photographs of big crowds but uh, but uh, it was a they were, they were fairly well kept up and uh, and uh, it was quite a thing to go the Oval Beach was uh, was really quite a special thing. KK: Were you guys aware at all of the nude beach? Or did that come later? RF: You know, I wasn't aware of that, I heard about it, no I heard about it. I did hear about it as a uh, probably in the late 60’s I heard about it. KK: Okay. RF: But uh, that’s really the end of it there, I, I uh, wasn’t curious about that. KK: Yeah, yeah. Had, had you ever been out on that Denison property with all those dunes? RF: Yes! I have! KK: Yeah that’s kind of, well talk about that a little bit, because that I think has to be seen to be believed. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 9 RF: Well, its, its south of the mouth of the river. I, I did walk that and to the, to the uh, old light house, in that area, and that's great. That was great country to explore and to follow it all the way up to the, to bald head and then back down, it was a great, great experience and very natural area and uh, you could see the old pilings in, in the pine and that little, where the channel was… KK: Yeah, the lagoon, yeah. RF: ...and the lagoon yeah and uh, and then uh, well of course there was the pier you could walk out on that, but [pause] uh, [pause] it was a, you I considered it a great area, beautiful area but I never got to the north side there north side of the channel where the Denison’s property was I never really saw that. Uh… KK: Well it was hard to get out there, always had to take that dug road… RF: Yeah, Dugout road, yeah. I, my mother, in later years uh worked for uh Ken Denison and planted, I think, she and another lady cleaned the boats when it was, when it, when they were in business out there at the end and…. KK: You're talking Broward Marine… RF: Broward Marine, yes, and, and they uh, uh, my mother planted a whole row of daffodils along the bank there and was around long enough to see how nice they looked and uh, and uh, she thought the Denison’s were great people, generous people and uh, [pause] uh, [pause] uh, [pause] only knew, she knew the dad some but knew Ken more uh, but uh, never, I, I don’t know if the big house was built at that time but there was a house there along with the uh, the [pause] marina and the business, but uh, [pause] um, [pause]. The uh, [pause] well going back to the farm there uh, back then all the roads were dirt roads pretty much uh, they hadn’t paved a lot of the roads there and uh, so you uh, that was a [pause] a back in time compared to how it is today. KK: Yeah, where did you go to school? RF: I did go to school in Fennville that's where my family actually lived. KK: So was it the old high school there, or? RF: I did go in the old, to the old high school for a couple years, before it was uh, not used anymore but uh, uh… KK: And what about for a grade school was in Fennville also? RF: Yep, that was also in Fennville, yeah, uh… KK: I'm going to ask you a funny question… RF: ...no, no it’s fine. KK: Did, did you have Mrs. Northrup for any… �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 RF: Yes! Yes I did! [Laughs] KK: [Laughs] Oh, that’s, so, she’s a real good close of mine, and um… RF: Oh my gosh, how old is she? KK: She’s about 93, er um, yep. She has dinner at my house every Monday, in fact she’ll be over tonight… [00:30:03] RF: Really? KK: I’ll have to mention you. RF: She was my third grade teacher. KK: But its, its, she, I was just telling, ah, somebody today uh, we go out with her quite often and no matter where we go, she’s had every person… RF: Oh, no doubt. KK: She taught at, yeah, she taught in Fennville. RF: Yes. KK: Oh that’s kind of wonderful. RF: She was a sweet lady, I, I can tell you that. KK: And it was her family that owned, uh Sunny Shore. RF: Oh, really? KK: On [inaudible] the river road. RF: See I thought, I thought they lived more out on the...south. KK: They lived in Allegan, but it was her husband’s family that went there as kids. RF: Okay, and she did have a son, that's true. Is that true? Yes? KK: Ah, yep, yeah uh [inaudible] Jeff! RF: Okay. 10 �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 11 KK: Her son Jeff, he’s still around. RF: Alright, alright. KK: Yeah. RF: Yeah. KK: It’s a small world! RF: Oh! It’s a lot smaller than you realize if you, if we really, I mean it, when I look at this, or even a newer one I, I know so many of the people on these placards or I’m familiar with them. KK: Well, it’s a small area, really. RF: Yeah, well, for example uh, uh, this farm here this Ed Work farm… KK: Mhm RF: Mrs. Work, Mary Work, she was a teacher in the Saugatuck Douglas area for many years but then she taught in Fennville. She, she uh, her family, her dads family were, were involved in the uh, basket factory. KK: Okay. RF: The name, you probably have seen it. KK: Yep! RF: In concern, in relation to the basket factory, and uh, so and she she donated a ton of really great photos of uh, the history of the area, I’m sure they’re in the archives. KK: I’m sure they’re in the, I’m sure they’re in the collection. EG: [Inaudible] RF: Yeah they’re great. KK: Well that's, that great, um, let’s see. Uh, well you brought a couple of other photos here so, why don't we take a look, why don't you tell us, I see uh… RF: Well, I have, I have to show you this photo here. This photo, and Mrs. Northrup would remember this… KK: I should’ve brought her! �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 12 RF: Well, anyway, this house is no longer there but if you're on the river road there, you go past where sunny side... KK: Sunny Shore, yeah. RF: and you keep going East to, there’s a curve, where 62nd… KK: Yep! RF: ...Where... KK: I know exactly where it is. RF: This house used to be right on that, on the right hand side of that property. That property went way back to a family named Purdy… KK: Okay… RF: Uh, Erastus Purdy he was a civil war veteran and he, he owned that property and they had a landing down below, on the river uh, and a man named uh, one of his sons [inaudible] Purdy they had a boat named after him, and uh he he was kind of a, well I don't know if it was just a tourist, tourist boat or if it was a working boat, but anyway they had a landing there and uh, were I think way back there was actually a trading post there, on that location right down below…. KK: Could be, yeah, because that's, you know, Mac’s Landing is down from there… RF: Yes! Yeah, right it has, there's an association between that and Mac’s Landing… KK: Okay… RF: But uh… KK: Yeah, that's very interesting. RF: Yeah. KK: That already looks like it had fallen on hard time there… RF: Oh yes! Yes. KK: Is that sand or is that snow in front? Is that a little bit of snow? RF: It is snow. EG: It looks like snow, yeah. KK: Yeah it looks like it because I don't see uh, leaves on the tree there. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 13 RF: But I’m sure it was a beautiful house at one time. KK: Yeah! EG: Yeah, lots of great shingle work in the gables and on the octagonal bay. Queen Anne revival… RF: The uh, one of the daughters her, think it was her granddaughter of the original owner, her name was Purdy and she had a friend of uh, she had somebody drive her to Saugatuck or wherever she wanted to go, and the car was a Pierce-Arrow. KK: Oh! RF: Was a beautiful old Pierce-Arrow and uh my mother always remembered that because it, nobody had a Pierce-Arrow. KK: You know what, gosh, Joan Northrup told me a story about that car. RF: I’ll bet. KK: Yeah, and I, bet you she, she knew who the people were. RF: Oh she would know that, yes! I know who the, uh, driver was the driver man’s name was uh, Cleo Art and he lived just down, down 62nd, er 66th street there he had a farm down there and uh, he was the driver and whenever she wanted to go somewhere, he would take her. But uh… [00:35:04] KK: That's great! RF: Yeah. KK: Tell us about your family, do you have children, er? RF: I have two sons, yes! KK: Okay. RF: and uh, they don't live in the area, one’s in Rhode Island and ones in Grand Rapids, but uh, and they they visit, or we visit them but uh, uh, but my family my mother uh, married a man from Fennville and they started a little uh, my my dad and my uncle in the, actually before World War Two in the late 30’s they started a little Mom and Pop grocery store meat market right on the main street where the Salt of the Earth is… KK: Oh! Okay! �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 14 RF: Yeah that was a, and then there’s a stairway going upstairs and then just to the, to the left of that was a little clothing store which was operated by by um my dad and my uncles father, and he had that since the uh early 20’s and uh then it was inherited by the next son and he ran it until the uh, late 60’s and then my uh my dad and my uncle uh, when they were drafted in World War Two they, let the people, the uh, there was a, there was a two brothers that uh, they purchased it, purchased it from they took it back over again and ran it until they got back from the service and they took it back again. KK: Oh that's interesting. RF: Yeah, and uh but they they had a little grocery store there and so so myself and my brothers we worked for them, worked in the store there and that sort of thing and uh… KK: In Fennville, you know obviously where the downtown is and then you know, as you come west, there’s, now it’s a parking lot but there’s a big empty area there, that’s you know, did that burn down? What was there? RF: No. Uh, well, at one time there was a bank on the uh, on the corner just uh, well it would be the south, uh, south, uh, southeast corner. KK: Yeah. RF: …and then, and then no there was a hardware store quite a large hardware store, farm implements on that corner and then next to that was a lumberyard… KK: Oh! RF: Yeah, going west and then next to that was the Fennville Herald newspaper house and it was real small little newspaper office with, and they had to set the type by hand, it was quite a thing, and uh, uh [pause] and then there was the business on the corner, Fennville tire but uh, yeah that was all businesses in there and there were houses behind there was a row of houses. KK: So what happened? Did it burn? RF: No, no... KK: They just tore it down? RF: There were no fires, uh yeah, it just [pause] it they, they were very old and I’m not sure how, where there was a [pause] in bad repair or the city bought it, I really don't know. I know the City now owns that, a large chunk of that land and uh, the uh Salt of the Earth uses part of it for a parking lot or other businesses but uh, yeah, there was a… KK: I’m glad to know that, I always wondered… RF: ...In the 60’s, in the 60’s it was a uh, it had had, a real upturn in economy, the canning factory was going great guns, three shifts, and uh, and uh, employment was high and uh a lot of migrant workers �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 15 were there in the summer and on weekends streets were full of people and uh, and then it kind of went down in the 70’s and 80’s and then that's just starting to come back again, yeah. KK: That’s very, very interesting. You have over here, that you said that you have a boat picture here? RF: Yeah this, this photo here [pause] this little sail boat was owned by a man named uh, Leo Tucker, and he was a fruit farmer uh, down by, on Hutchins lake and, and the name of the boat was the Kit Kat but it, it has a nice shot of the pavilion… KK: ...Oh, it looks wonderful! RF: ...and uh, and the uh, Coral Gables, and uh and uh this photo is my grandmother, uh, Otto Hines’ wife, Edith and it’s on top of Mount Bald Head and I’m going to say it’s not long after the pavilion was built, she was born in the 1870’s, late 1870’s so, she was a young woman but uh, you can see one of the large posts there, and uh, but you can see the pavilion and, and the two uh, [pause], parks…. [00:40:11] KK: ...and I love that you can see the old bridge… RF: Yes! The old bridge, yes... KK: The old bridge is still there… RF: Yeah, and so, and I did get this blown up and I’ve got a beautiful framed picture at home, those are my grandparents there, and uh, they were farmers their whole lives, and uh, when this, when their farm was built it was the first farm on that street 126th from 66th to Blue Star and that road was known as Hines Road. KK: Oh, really? RF: Yeah. KK: Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, so you're lucky to have such nice photos… RF: ...Yeah I am very lucky, these are, this is uh, uh a later picture with some vineyards in the front and they moved the windmill to the back of the house, and er the well and uh, but uh, it was still horse and buggy days, you can see buggy tracks here and uh, uh yeah that's pretty much… KK: ...Really really wonderful, thank you for bringing those. RF: Well… KK: ...Do you have any more questions, that you have Eric, that were on the list that we were supposed to ask? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 16 EG: No, we moved through a good list of things. Lots of really great things some things we haven't heard before… RF: ...Well thanks… EG: ...or that compliment things… KK: Yeah no, it's fun and I’m, I’m going to get you together with Joan Northrup… RF: Okay! I’d like that. KK: Yeah. EG: Anything else you’d like to say? RF: Well, here's one thing I’d like to add. You know the pavilion was, was such a highlight of the, uh, my parents and my, my grandfather Otto, he knew one of the uh, one of the uh, managers or something so he could always get in, and he had four daughters so, I’m assuming they all got in, that would be six people but at that time in history, and I don't know if you folks have ever heard this before, but and I, I don’t bring it up to sound like I’m uh, anti-Semite or anything like that but, the seats were, were marked ‘Gentiles’ for Gentiles and for Jews and one time, I don't know if it was a little crowded or what but my grandfather sat in a place where it said ‘For Jews’ and my mother will never forget this, she says a woman came by and just sat right on his lap until he got up. KK: No, there are, there are a lot of stories, it was very anti-Semitic, uh in Saugatuck and uh… RF: ...Well, yeah, I don’t, I’m not aware of the uh, I know it was, there was a separation there… KK: Yeah… RF: But… KK: They were not allowed, the Jews were not allowed to stay in a lot of the hotels… RF: Oh, really? KK: Yeah RF: Okay KK: Yeah, there’s some, there's some interesting, uh records of that and um, but uh that’s one story I have not heard. RF: Yeah KK: I guess, I guess a lot would’ve come over on those boats, you know what I mean? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 17 RF: From Chicago. KK: From Chicago, yes, so you’d have to accommodate it. RF: There were a few that uh, a few that were, that lived here. There were a few Jews that stayed here, that were, almost like natives and uh, of course South Haven had a… KK: Yes… RF: ...had a larger population of that and uh, [pause] uh, the, the old Glen Shores Golf Club, I know this because my Dad was best man with one of the sons of the owner who, who started the business just before the depression and uh, he had big plans for it and everything and some of the print outs of uh, advertising and everything he advertised it as a Christian place and he, he had a very subtle way of saying, the, the Jews weren't necessarily welcome. KK: It’s hard to imagine… RF: ...It’s a novelty, it’s uh, it’s uh, it was a different world back then, and it was long before World War Two. EG: Do you remember much, and thinking along those same lines, do you remember much uh, African American, People of Color in Saugatuck Douglas area? RF: No, I don't. In, in school when I was growing up uh, we had two or three families and that was it and uh, [pause] uh, [pause] um, [pause] I really don’t, I really don’t no. EG: Not much, not much reaction… [00:45:01] RF: ...Oh no, no, uh, no not at all, uh, there was uh, there was a Jamaican man who worked for one of the farmers there and I knew him a little bit. He used to come into town every, every uh every Saturday to buy his groceries and he, his skin was almost purple you know he, he was very dark, and but he was Jamaican and he uh, a good natured person and uh, hard working person and uh, he about the only uh, man of color that we would see. The uh, Spanish, er uh, I shouldn't say Spanish I should say the Mexican population, we always called them Spanish [pause] for some reason but Mexican is what they were, but Mexican didn't sound right so people said Spanish for some reason... KK: ...Well probably because that’s what they spoke… RF: ...I suppose that’s it, and so, they started uh, their numbers have rapidly increased uh, in uh, in recent years, and there were always Spanish people in school with us. Saugatuck was a little different, that was a little more unique, it was a little more [pause] all [pause] Anglo, all uh, all white. Even to this day it’s more that way, but uh… KK: ...Well that’s really interesting. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 18 EG: One other question that I’ve asked people as we’ve done these recordings. So we’re saving these, with the idea that these will be around 50 plus years from now, so uh, thinking ahead, imagining someone listening to this in uh, 2068 uh, are there, is there anything you’d like them to know about your life or the community here, as it is today? RF: I can just say that, that I can’t complain about anything, I learned a good work ethic, working for my grandparents and uh, and my parents taught me a good work ethic and uh, I think that was a big benefit for me growing into adulthood but on the other side, I got to see, I got to see a great community kind of evolve into a more modern day, uh, [pause] uh, [pause] place and, and those are great memories, but I also have the memories that my parents and grandparents uh, told me about how it was back then in the horse and buggy days and uh, but uh, [pause] I guess I’d just like to say that it was a great place to grow up, uh, a great place to experience. The summers were uh, the winters were kind of brutal but the summers were, summers were great, and uh, Lake Michigan, to have Lake Michigan and uh, the sand dunes and uh, [pause] the river and everything it was a great experience and uh, no regrets. KK: Good! RF: I guess that I would regret that I didn't ask more questions uh, to my grandparents, uh, to try to absorb a little more information but uh, uh, but uh, other than that I have no regrets. It was great, and I love being able to talk to someone that experienced the same things I did, and uh, relate to the same things, those are always fun, but uh, this historical society is doing everything it can to preserve these things and, I, I salute them for that, that's a great thing. KK: Well thank you very much! RF: Thank you. EG: You're more than welcome. Alright, well with that, that will conclude this interview. Thanks again. RF: Thank you. [00:49:24] � 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR-20180723 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-23 Title A name given to the resource Raymond Foster (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Raymond Foster spent much of his summers at his grandarents' farm outside Saugatuck, Michigan. His memories include watching many groups of motorcycles enter Saugatuck in the mid- to late-1960s. He also recalls that the geography of the land around the farm allowed him to hear Duke Ellington play at a 1950s jazz festifal that was 1/2 mile away. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gollannek, Eric (Interviewer) Kutzel, Ken (Interviewer) Van Orsdol, Mollie (Transcriber) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Farming Motorcycle gangs Gay culture Music festivals Beaches Antisemitism Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Stories of Summer project, Kutsche Office of Local History. Grand Valley State University Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) 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/0cce45217c5687ac6307272f84a406ed.jpg 6e39e31cb5362c64c4ad4c829a46559e 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0001 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Title A name given to the resource Tuckers Boat Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a couple sailing upon a small sailboat in Saugatuck. The writing at the bottom of the photograph reads "Tuckers Boat" and the dance hall known as the "Big Pavilion" can be seen in the background on the shores of the Kalamazoo River and Lake Kalamazoo. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Kalamazoo River (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Sailing Lakes Dance halls Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/f9ba920c845c3de98447932c4f4018a8.jpg a0820aaf1d66cc5014d0d974eb174ff5 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0002 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Title A name given to the resource The Gold Bug Description An account of the resource Photograph of a trio of people standing in shallow water next to their sailboat with "The Gold Bug" written at the bottom of the picture. Two individuals are bent over reaching into the sailboat, while another stands off to the side with their foot resting on the side of the boat. The photograph is slightly blurry and in black and white. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Outdoor recreation Sailing Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/bedafd9c449592a440e5708b069002fb.jpg 410d8ad09d4e6b7844045a6463f85d28 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0003 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 Title A name given to the resource Portrait of a Woman at Mt. Baldhead Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a woman in a white dress and white hat sitting on the sand at what appears to be the summit of Mt. Baldhead in Saugatuck, Michigan. She is stylishly posed with a view overlooking the trees, the water, and the towns of Saugatuck-Douglas in the distance. Circa 1910. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Women Sand dunes Black-and-white photography Portrait photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/72cc1ac5dafede3254f09075ea607cf6.jpg 5f51890d8a366ba987fcaa2fd04357ae https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ea696b55cf8c9ed61ca1ecf61feb2db6.jpg 5b6117cfc0835033eb44ca5c6a67170e 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Title A name given to the resource 50th Wedding Anniversary Studio Portrait Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of an eldely couple on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. They are wearing glasses, nice clothing, and smiles for the studio portrait. The back of the photograph reads: "Otto + Edith's 50th Wedding Anniversary." Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Black-and-white photography Portrait photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/3fa846633de1244e2eb43bc0a273c0bc.jpg f79bc5368c68e254c0159f4d5f0f8633 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Title A name given to the resource Abandoned Home in Winter Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a house which appears to be abandoned. The house is seen in wintertime with weathered wood siding. The close up angle appears to show that there is no glass within the window frames and no doors visible. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Abandoned houses Snow Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/12936b265b7e1ae9f447a2afe079b432.jpg 6716d83c770724c9b8b73b98f2063b74 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Title A name given to the resource Heinze Homestead Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a large white farmhouse on the leftside of the frame and there are a few barns located to the right. A group of people that appear to be a family are sitting or standing in the front yard and on the front porch. The writing on the bottom of the picture reads: "Heinze Homestead." Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Families Farming Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/b4e3e41889d9cc5a141f6adc46851307.jpg 4de35d62ea39af6a19c9b24c34303268 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR_0008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Title A name given to the resource Side View of Heinze Homestead Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the Heinze Homestead from a driveway view. There are chickens exploring alongside the dirt drive in the front yard and a tree is partially blocking the view of the house. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Farming Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by Raymond Foster as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/c150c42df5d80bb6bf8cc543935bdc72.mp3 62c69cbe0fe79a2ddf83b73ef83dfe14 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d7eeeebf32dc0410571db954af87f8ee.pdf f8aa78585478ae33bc5db1b3738132d5 PDF Text Text Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 1 Eric Gollannek: This is Eric Gollannek and I... Ken Kutzel: …and Ken Kutzel… EG: …and I’m here today with… Ray Foster: Ray Foster. EG: Uh, at the old school house in Douglas, Michigan on July 23rd, uh, 2018. This oral history is being collected as part of the Stories of Summer 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 meet with us today, we’re interested in learning more about your family’s history, in particular experiences of summer. Can you please state your full name and spell it for us? RF: Raymond Edward Foster, R A Y M O N D, E D W A R D, F O S T E R EG: That’s great, alright, so we’ll, we’ll continue our conversation here, you brought in a few things here about your farm, you want to tell us a little bit about where it is and… RF: Well this, this was kind of a family farm, um, my mother, mothers’ parents and uh, her grandparents uh, um, bought eighty acres. They came from Chicago in the late 1800’s and uh, bought eighty acres uh, near the corner of 66th street and uh, 126th and uh, they [pause] they farmed it and uh, [pause] uh, a lot of different things. They had blueberries and raspberries and uh, they had 20 head of cattle and uh, chickens and uh, at different times, different things, uh. Through the years and uh, they raised four daughters, my mother was the oldest and uh, [pause] she spent, she was the last one to leave the farm. The other daughters grew up, we got married and then before World War Two, and then my mother got married after World War Two and uh, so she spent more time on the farm. But as I was growing, when I grew up and [pause] I, I stayed there with my grandparents. They were in good health and uh, help them do things [pause] and uh, but mainly just really enjoyed the place. And uh, it was uh, just a just a beautiful retreat, and uh, a lot of great place to explore and uh, [pause] uh, [long pause] KK: Is the house still standing? RF: The house is still standing, it’s had several owners since then, and uh, but uh, [pause] but it’s been, it’s changed some. Uh, considerably. The house, the outside structure’s pretty much the same but it has a garage added to it, but uh, and uh… KK: I noticed it says here that that’s the Hines homestead? RF: Yes... KK: Is that what it was called? RF: Well yes, my, [stutters] I, I, I didn’t mention that but my, my great grandfather's name was Emo Hines and he came from Chicago and he was not a farmer but he kind of adopted the, the [stutters] hob hobby, but he had just one son, Otto who was my, my uh grandfather and my great grandfather was a German immigrant and uh, [pause] he uh, [pause] along with his son uh, they kind of developed the �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 2 land. They planted fruit trees and grape vineyards and, and uh, and raised cattle, and tilled the soil with a team of horses and uh, um, [pause] it was a [pause] a [pause] a labor of love I think, uh, uh, they uh, it stayed in the family till the 70’s and uh, so ah, let’s see where can I go from there uh, but I, but I, I spent a lot of time there in the 60’s, the 50’s and 60’s and uh, [pause] and uh, [pause] well… KK: How ‘bout, give another...tell us, you, the other day when we spoke with you. You started to tell us a story about one time when you were on the farm and the motorcycles came in... RF: Oh! KK: Would you talk about that please? RF: No, actually that was at my parents’ house… KK: Oh! RF: ...on M89 east of Fennville. KK: Well let’s talk about that anyway! [00:04:39] RF: Okay! Sure! Well it was probably ‘65 ‘66, maybe ‘64 ‘65 ‘66, [pause] I think by ‘67-’68 it kind of fizzled out. But, on a Memorial Day weekend or Fourth of July weekend, uh, you could hear, hear from a long ways away this, this sound of motorcycles coming, and there was long strings of them, and various, [stutters] grou-groups, probably a dozen in a group or so, maybe more, and they came from Detroit, Flint, and uh, [pause] uh, mainly east, on the other, eastern side of the state, but uh, I guess I could describe them as a colorful group. They weren't, they weren't necessarily uh, like uh, social club they were, they more of, of an old [stutters] I I I don’t want to make a comparison to the Hell’s Angels but they were, they were kind of that style. Uh, their, their jackets on the back had, had little titles like uh ‘Disciples from Hell’ or ‘Hell’s Disciples’ or that sort of thing. That theme was very popular, and uh, but when I was able to go to Saugatuck, uh, on those weekends it was incredibly busy, they would actually, unless you could prove you lived there they wouldn’t let you in they would stop at the top of the hill, they wouldn’t let cars down. And, the motorcycles would be rode up the entire like, from Phil’s all the way down to the corner and uh, they um, [pause] they would pretty much take over the town. As, as strange as that might sound, and and the police were, were usually, it wasn’t like today, they were, it was a small police force and they might rent a few, we referred to ‘them as Rent-a-Cops because they were just hired for that special occasion. And uh, I’m, I’m not aware of any major, uh, conflicts that uh, that occurred. There may have been some but I wasn’t really aware of anything, like a, any kind of a small riot or anything like that. I wasn't aware of anything like that but, but as a teenager it was quite a novelty to see that. To be exposed to that, and uh, [pause] so, [pause] um, [pause] well, that was pretty much it, I mean uh, just, just to see it, holiday was over they were gone… KK: Did that happen every weekend? Or… RF: No, no, no. Just on, I only saw it on a holiday weekends, and uh, so, that was uh, kind of a, unique thing. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 3 EG: What were the reactions of your parents, or grandparents? RF: Well you know I… EG: Or neighbors to that? RF: You know, as far as my, the uh, [pause] the [pause] my parents’ generation, I don’t think they uh, I don’t think really could comprehend what was going on. I don’t, [stutters] I, I was never aware that they, uh, it wasn’t something they were happy about, I’m sure, I I know that much but as far as uh, feeling threatened or anything like that or, uh, [pause] they just, they just looked at it as some kind of a temporary thing, a phase I think. I don’t think they thought of it as a, um, you know a… EG: Collapse of civilization… RF: [Laughs] Yeah! Sure, that, yeah. I’m sure they thought of something like that. Yeah…. KK: Although at that time, was the um, was the summer season, here in Saugatuck, I mean was it um, as long as it is now, er, you know? RF: Well, I think, I think I would say it is, um, people started coming up, [pause] um probably before memorial day and, and um, to their cottages and such and uh, they pretty much stayed until after Labor Day, shortly after Labor Day. Yeah, there was good numbers of people. It’s hard to make a comparison between then and now, because things just look at a lot different. They appear a lot different. KK: Why don’t you talk about that? RF: Well, I, I guess I could say that, at that time, it was a very affordable place to go, for, for the average middle class person, and [pause] even though it had a history [pause] from, that I had heard about, you know ‘Well Saugatuck is really one of, a place you want to go because [stutters] they, they, they have bars they stay open all night’ and um there’s that kind of atmosphere but, but as a young person, you, you kind of want to be exposed to a little bit of that. KK: Well sure! All: [Laugh] [00:09:54] RF: Just to, just to find out for yourself and uh, but, that’s, that’s probably the most striking thing, and the development, there’s much more development today. You could, you could see the water when you came in off of, of Blue Start and came into town and you could see the water, uh all the way. There were no condos or anything like that, and uh, uh, [pause] so, [pause] I hesitate using the word quaint, but if you, if you were there in the winter you might call it that, but the summer there was a lot of people so it wasn't really, it was more, it was a tourist town, it was strictly a tourist town. But uh, [pause] uh, the Coral Gables was a really popular place at that time, very popular place. People would be lined up waiting to get in, and uh, and [pause] uh, I do remember some scuffles out front just as a bystander watching some people. Probably some unruly people getting thrown out, and those things kind of stick �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 4 in your head. But, uh, [pause] uh [pause] it was an evolution I guess, you know it just evolved from, you know my parents’ generation, they probably would’ve saw something, even more, uh, more quaint I guess you’d say, more slow paced and um,[pause] uh, but things have, thing have evolved to what they are today and uh, it’s it is, but uh I suppose it’s relative in a way, but it is more, more expensive for the average person to just go anywhere and spend some time in a, a restaurant or a bar. EG: Beyond Coral Gables, were there other places that stood out to you? That you spent time, or… RF: Well… EG: Or stayed away from, or? RF: Well the Butler and Coral Gables were always the biggest two, biggest items, and uh, everything else was just really small. Like uh, there was a place called the Boathouse, and that was down at the end of the street, across Wick’s Park, in that area, and uh, and uh, all the other little places were just um, [pause] were lesser, and then, then I, one thing I remembered too in, in it may have been ‘68 or ‘67, you guys might know, the Blue Tempo came in… KK: Yes let’s talk about that RF: Well, you know, as, as a, as a person growing up at that time, I didn’t even, I didn’t even understand what uh, or fully understand what uh, [pause] um, what a gay, the whole concept of gay people was… EG: Sure… RF: So, uh, but I knew this was a unique place, and I knew it had, but, had I known more, in in hindsight, I might of, might of tried to go there because I know they had great music, and uh, I’m a great uh, admirer of that kind of, uh, music, and a great history for music and uh, but uh, [pause] uh because now, as a 70 year uh, and having lived in the area, or known people in the area for a long time, that whole uh, uh, [pause] uh, shall I say the [pause] the gay scene, is is a, it doesn't, it doesn't even leave an impression on me anymore. KK: It’s become part of the culture. RF: It’s part of the culture, and uh, so, but, but it was always know as a unique place. It was the location was unique and uh, everybody knew that this was a gay bar, and uh, and uh, so, I wish I could tell you I’d been there and experienced it but I, I can’t. A friend of mine was there and I only get bits and pieces from him, but uh, [pause] uh [pause] but uh. EG: What were some of the reactions or things that people, other people’s reactions or things that you’ve heard about? RF: About… EG: [Inaudible] RF: About, concerning that? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 5 EG: Yeah! Ray: Ah, [pause] you know, people uh, were not really very activist type people at that time. Most people, you know, they went about their own business and if something new came along, well they talked about it, but as far as being a [pause] being a objectionable thing or a something that really disturbed people. People just kind of...after a while it just blew by. [00:15:14] KK: [Inaudible] RF: Yeah, and uh, so, the reaction, my impression of the reaction wasn’t, wasn’t anything really big. EG: Just another bar, another club that has good music and we’re probably not going there. That kind of… RF: That kind of reaction. EG: That kind of reaction? RF: That kind of a thing yeah, that’s fair to say. Yeah. KK: You know um, a question I have for you, being a Douglas resident myself, uh, what are your memories of the Douglas side? RF: Well, I occasionally, I would go there with my uh, grandparents occasionally. There was, there was a little grocery store down on the end of the street towards the river, uh, where uh, um [pause] well there was a little novelty store there near Naughtons... KK: Yeah. RF: Near Naughtons store there, that at one time there was a grocery store there… KK: Was that Vansicles? RF: Vansicles, yes! And they would go there occasionally, and uh, [pause] and we would also pick uh, they they raised uh, raspberries so we would pick raspberries and we would bring them into town and right where the park is, where the ballpark is there was a man, a vendor there, [pause] and uh, he would take all we had and uh, he would sell them to the tourists and uh, gosh, just trying to remember his name now, he had a son who was blind [pause] um, [long pause] gah! KK: Well it’s alright, it will come to you when you’re not thinking about it. RF: Right. But anyway it was a, so we did that, we would hang out there for a while but at that time, across the street, the uh, there was uh, a Catholic School there too. So we knew the, we knew about that, and at that time the original Catholic Church wasn’t St. Peter's it was just down the street. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 6 KK: Right. RF: And uh, one little side light to that, I have a, uh, my dad [pause] had an uncle and uh, I [pause] and he was the first baby to be baptized there, and I should’ve brought the name, the baptized name was all the little organizations in town gave him a name and when he went back many years later he was embarrassed because they mentioned him, and brought him, and mentioned him and everything but his baptized name was uh, Peter Paul Benedict, uh, Jacob Ivan, [pause] Clark and uh, and they all gave him a name so, it was, it was an embarrassing thing for him as an adult. But uh, he did happen to be the first baby that was baptized there uh, he was a part of a large family that was also in the area. But [pause] but it was a, it was a, it was a incredibly quiet quaint little town. Just down the street there was a place called the Delicatessen and a man named Red Delky owned it and he had a baker working for him that was a refugee from Austria, a World War Two refugee, and an incredibly talented pastry chef and anybody my age can tell you, that lived in the area that they made the best bread and uh, and uh, uh [pause] sweet rolls and that sort of thing uh, that you could find anywhere. And uh, and uh, down a little bit further there was a little drug store so it was a, really a, had everything. KK: [Inaudible} RF: Just a little town! And uh, I uh, I would also go on Friday night, quite often on Friday night with my grandparents, near the corner of uh, Blue Star and uh, Maple Street, uh going to the north. There was a house on the right hand side, at one time it was a resort, owned by my grandfather's uncle, Fred Hines and [pause] they would pick up people, you would pick up people that came in on the boats and then bring them back to the resort and uh, his wife would uh, do the housekeeping and uh, he was just mainly just took them around town to the beach or wherever they wanted to go and uh, but, they had a little resort there. So but, in later years when I went there with my grandparents, the uh, the next generation down lived there, my, would be a cousin to my grandmother, grandparents, er grandfather and uh, so we would just go there, spend some time there with them, they would uh, talk about old times and that sort of thing, and uh, but uh, it was just [pause] a nice quiet little visit. But uh, I don't know, what else can I tell you? [00:20:46] KK: Do you remember the, uh, the rock festival at all? Were you involved in that, or? RF: I did go to the one at uh, near Goshorn Lake… KK: Okay, that’s Potawatomi Beach, right? RF: Potawatomi Beach, yes. Uh, yes, I did go to that in ‘68, I believe KK: I believe that’s what it was…. RF: I think it was in ‘68, and it was hot and dry and sandy roads and people would, uh, it was [inaudible] it was incredibly crowded and uh, you couldn’t get close to the band stand, it was just uh, again there was, there was that large influx of uh, motorcycle people and they kind of dominated an area there, but uh, so you could hear things from a distance unless you, unless you somehow got there real early and �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 7 worked your way in, but it was kind of a phenomenon I guess because the volume of people, yeah I think I, I think I read where cars were lined up all the way from, from that park all the way to the bridge at the river… KK: I have heard that…. RF: It’s hard to imagine… KK: Yeah EG: Right RF: So, and then they decided they’d never do that again, but uh, the history of those types of things are, is, is great. I mean when it goes back to uh, when they had a pavilion and then it’s the uh, got that racetrack… KK: Right… RF: But uh, I do remember, uh, probably the late 50’s when they had a Jazz Festival, the Saugatuck Jazz Festival, uh, at the racetrack there and uh, Duke Ellington and a few other celebrities were there and my grandparents farm was kind of a, like a mile south of there, on 126th and uh, just about half a mile from the corner of Blue Star and 126th, and with the windows open at night, I remember them introducing Duke Ellington and them mentioning his name, that always stuck in my, stuck with me forever after that. I thought, wow what would’ve been so great to be there… KK: And that sound would carry over because it was all farms… RF: Yes. KK: Yeah. RF: Pretty, quite open at that time. EG: So you could hear? You could hear music and…. RF: I could, yes, yeah, not really well but some, yeah. EG: Yeah. RF: And prior to that it was a stock car track, a little dirt stock car track and there was uh, um, uh, auto racing there. It was quite, for many years, it went on but uh, I never experienced that, I wish I had but uh, [pause] um [pause] KK: Any contact, uh at all, or anything you can share about contact with Oxbow or the people from there? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 8 RF: No, I never really knew about Oxbow until later I, I consider myself an art lover but I, I never really knew about it. I wish that I had known more about it at a younger age but it’s a, it’s a great great thing to have in the area. KK: Yeah, it was more a private club… RF: Way back! KK: And it's interesting that you bring that up because you're not the first person who said ‘We really didn't pay attention to it’. RF: No, I never really knew much about it, till later years, and uh, but uh... EG: Do you remember much of seeing many artists around? Seeing people painting in town, in Douglas or Saugatuck, or? RF: No, I always knew it was an art, artsy community but I didn't spend much time, you know, going from shop to shop, I uh, really at that point in my life, I wasn't really that, I was more, uh, driving your car, go to the beach, and uh that sort of thing, uh, and getting together with people, but uh, the art, [pause] I know it existed but I never, I was never exposed to it. [00:25:16] KK: Then, what was the beach like then? RF: Oh, it was great! Uh, there was, there was of course the Oval Beach, but then, the Douglas, Douglas had a beach, and then there was several beach on down, uh, there were then. I never remembered big crowds there like today. I have seen some photographs of big crowds but uh, but uh, it was a they were, they were fairly well kept up and uh, and uh, it was quite a thing to go the Oval Beach was uh, was really quite a special thing. KK: Were you guys aware at all of the nude beach? Or did that come later? RF: You know, I wasn't aware of that, I heard about it, no I heard about it. I did hear about it as a uh, probably in the late 60’s I heard about it. KK: Okay. RF: But uh, that’s really the end of it there, I, I uh, wasn’t curious about that. KK: Yeah, yeah. Had, had you ever been out on that Denison property with all those dunes? RF: Yes! I have! KK: Yeah that’s kind of, well talk about that a little bit, because that I think has to be seen to be believed. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 9 RF: Well, its, its south of the mouth of the river. I, I did walk that and to the, to the uh, old light house, in that area, and that's great. That was great country to explore and to follow it all the way up to the, to bald head and then back down, it was a great, great experience and very natural area and uh, you could see the old pilings in, in the pine and that little, where the channel was… KK: Yeah, the lagoon, yeah. RF: ...and the lagoon yeah and uh, and then uh, well of course there was the pier you could walk out on that, but [pause] uh, [pause] it was a, you I considered it a great area, beautiful area but I never got to the north side there north side of the channel where the Denison’s property was I never really saw that. Uh… KK: Well it was hard to get out there, always had to take that dug road… RF: Yeah, Dugout road, yeah. I, my mother, in later years uh worked for uh Ken Denison and planted, I think, she and another lady cleaned the boats when it was, when it, when they were in business out there at the end and…. KK: You're talking Broward Marine… RF: Broward Marine, yes, and, and they uh, uh, my mother planted a whole row of daffodils along the bank there and was around long enough to see how nice they looked and uh, and uh, she thought the Denison’s were great people, generous people and uh, [pause] uh, [pause] uh, [pause] only knew, she knew the dad some but knew Ken more uh, but uh, never, I, I don’t know if the big house was built at that time but there was a house there along with the uh, the [pause] marina and the business, but uh, [pause] um, [pause]. The uh, [pause] well going back to the farm there uh, back then all the roads were dirt roads pretty much uh, they hadn’t paved a lot of the roads there and uh, so you uh, that was a [pause] a back in time compared to how it is today. KK: Yeah, where did you go to school? RF: I did go to school in Fennville that's where my family actually lived. KK: So was it the old high school there, or? RF: I did go in the old, to the old high school for a couple years, before it was uh, not used anymore but uh, uh… KK: And what about for a grade school was in Fennville also? RF: Yep, that was also in Fennville, yeah, uh… KK: I'm going to ask you a funny question… RF: ...no, no it’s fine. KK: Did, did you have Mrs. Northrup for any… �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 RF: Yes! Yes I did! [Laughs] KK: [Laughs] Oh, that’s, so, she’s a real good close of mine, and um… RF: Oh my gosh, how old is she? KK: She’s about 93, er um, yep. She has dinner at my house every Monday, in fact she’ll be over tonight… [00:30:03] RF: Really? KK: I’ll have to mention you. RF: She was my third grade teacher. KK: But its, its, she, I was just telling, ah, somebody today uh, we go out with her quite often and no matter where we go, she’s had every person… RF: Oh, no doubt. KK: She taught at, yeah, she taught in Fennville. RF: Yes. KK: Oh that’s kind of wonderful. RF: She was a sweet lady, I, I can tell you that. KK: And it was her family that owned, uh Sunny Shore. RF: Oh, really? KK: On [inaudible] the river road. RF: See I thought, I thought they lived more out on the...south. KK: They lived in Allegan, but it was her husband’s family that went there as kids. RF: Okay, and she did have a son, that's true. Is that true? Yes? KK: Ah, yep, yeah uh [inaudible] Jeff! RF: Okay. 10 �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 11 KK: Her son Jeff, he’s still around. RF: Alright, alright. KK: Yeah. RF: Yeah. KK: It’s a small world! RF: Oh! It’s a lot smaller than you realize if you, if we really, I mean it, when I look at this, or even a newer one I, I know so many of the people on these placards or I’m familiar with them. KK: Well, it’s a small area, really. RF: Yeah, well, for example uh, uh, this farm here this Ed Work farm… KK: Mhm RF: Mrs. Work, Mary Work, she was a teacher in the Saugatuck Douglas area for many years but then she taught in Fennville. She, she uh, her family, her dads family were, were involved in the uh, basket factory. KK: Okay. RF: The name, you probably have seen it. KK: Yep! RF: In concern, in relation to the basket factory, and uh, so and she she donated a ton of really great photos of uh, the history of the area, I’m sure they’re in the archives. KK: I’m sure they’re in the, I’m sure they’re in the collection. EG: [Inaudible] RF: Yeah they’re great. KK: Well that's, that great, um, let’s see. Uh, well you brought a couple of other photos here so, why don't we take a look, why don't you tell us, I see uh… RF: Well, I have, I have to show you this photo here. This photo, and Mrs. Northrup would remember this… KK: I should’ve brought her! �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 12 RF: Well, anyway, this house is no longer there but if you're on the river road there, you go past where sunny side... KK: Sunny Shore, yeah. RF: and you keep going East to, there’s a curve, where 62nd… KK: Yep! RF: ...Where... KK: I know exactly where it is. RF: This house used to be right on that, on the right hand side of that property. That property went way back to a family named Purdy… KK: Okay… RF: Uh, Erastus Purdy he was a civil war veteran and he, he owned that property and they had a landing down below, on the river uh, and a man named uh, one of his sons [inaudible] Purdy they had a boat named after him, and uh he he was kind of a, well I don't know if it was just a tourist, tourist boat or if it was a working boat, but anyway they had a landing there and uh, were I think way back there was actually a trading post there, on that location right down below…. KK: Could be, yeah, because that's, you know, Mac’s Landing is down from there… RF: Yes! Yeah, right it has, there's an association between that and Mac’s Landing… KK: Okay… RF: But uh… KK: Yeah, that's very interesting. RF: Yeah. KK: That already looks like it had fallen on hard time there… RF: Oh yes! Yes. KK: Is that sand or is that snow in front? Is that a little bit of snow? RF: It is snow. EG: It looks like snow, yeah. KK: Yeah it looks like it because I don't see uh, leaves on the tree there. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 13 RF: But I’m sure it was a beautiful house at one time. KK: Yeah! EG: Yeah, lots of great shingle work in the gables and on the octagonal bay. Queen Anne revival… RF: The uh, one of the daughters her, think it was her granddaughter of the original owner, her name was Purdy and she had a friend of uh, she had somebody drive her to Saugatuck or wherever she wanted to go, and the car was a Pierce-Arrow. KK: Oh! RF: Was a beautiful old Pierce-Arrow and uh my mother always remembered that because it, nobody had a Pierce-Arrow. KK: You know what, gosh, Joan Northrup told me a story about that car. RF: I’ll bet. KK: Yeah, and I, bet you she, she knew who the people were. RF: Oh she would know that, yes! I know who the, uh, driver was the driver man’s name was uh, Cleo Art and he lived just down, down 62nd, er 66th street there he had a farm down there and uh, he was the driver and whenever she wanted to go somewhere, he would take her. But uh… [00:35:04] KK: That's great! RF: Yeah. KK: Tell us about your family, do you have children, er? RF: I have two sons, yes! KK: Okay. RF: and uh, they don't live in the area, one’s in Rhode Island and ones in Grand Rapids, but uh, and they they visit, or we visit them but uh, uh, but my family my mother uh, married a man from Fennville and they started a little uh, my my dad and my uncle in the, actually before World War Two in the late 30’s they started a little Mom and Pop grocery store meat market right on the main street where the Salt of the Earth is… KK: Oh! Okay! �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 14 RF: Yeah that was a, and then there’s a stairway going upstairs and then just to the, to the left of that was a little clothing store which was operated by by um my dad and my uncles father, and he had that since the uh early 20’s and uh then it was inherited by the next son and he ran it until the uh, late 60’s and then my uh my dad and my uncle uh, when they were drafted in World War Two they, let the people, the uh, there was a, there was a two brothers that uh, they purchased it, purchased it from they took it back over again and ran it until they got back from the service and they took it back again. KK: Oh that's interesting. RF: Yeah, and uh but they they had a little grocery store there and so so myself and my brothers we worked for them, worked in the store there and that sort of thing and uh… KK: In Fennville, you know obviously where the downtown is and then you know, as you come west, there’s, now it’s a parking lot but there’s a big empty area there, that’s you know, did that burn down? What was there? RF: No. Uh, well, at one time there was a bank on the uh, on the corner just uh, well it would be the south, uh, south, uh, southeast corner. KK: Yeah. RF: …and then, and then no there was a hardware store quite a large hardware store, farm implements on that corner and then next to that was a lumberyard… KK: Oh! RF: Yeah, going west and then next to that was the Fennville Herald newspaper house and it was real small little newspaper office with, and they had to set the type by hand, it was quite a thing, and uh, uh [pause] and then there was the business on the corner, Fennville tire but uh, yeah that was all businesses in there and there were houses behind there was a row of houses. KK: So what happened? Did it burn? RF: No, no... KK: They just tore it down? RF: There were no fires, uh yeah, it just [pause] it they, they were very old and I’m not sure how, where there was a [pause] in bad repair or the city bought it, I really don't know. I know the City now owns that, a large chunk of that land and uh, the uh Salt of the Earth uses part of it for a parking lot or other businesses but uh, yeah, there was a… KK: I’m glad to know that, I always wondered… RF: ...In the 60’s, in the 60’s it was a uh, it had had, a real upturn in economy, the canning factory was going great guns, three shifts, and uh, and uh, employment was high and uh a lot of migrant workers �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 15 were there in the summer and on weekends streets were full of people and uh, and then it kind of went down in the 70’s and 80’s and then that's just starting to come back again, yeah. KK: That’s very, very interesting. You have over here, that you said that you have a boat picture here? RF: Yeah this, this photo here [pause] this little sail boat was owned by a man named uh, Leo Tucker, and he was a fruit farmer uh, down by, on Hutchins lake and, and the name of the boat was the Kit Kat but it, it has a nice shot of the pavilion… KK: ...Oh, it looks wonderful! RF: ...and uh, and the uh, Coral Gables, and uh and uh this photo is my grandmother, uh, Otto Hines’ wife, Edith and it’s on top of Mount Bald Head and I’m going to say it’s not long after the pavilion was built, she was born in the 1870’s, late 1870’s so, she was a young woman but uh, you can see one of the large posts there, and uh, but you can see the pavilion and, and the two uh, [pause], parks…. [00:40:11] KK: ...and I love that you can see the old bridge… RF: Yes! The old bridge, yes... KK: The old bridge is still there… RF: Yeah, and so, and I did get this blown up and I’ve got a beautiful framed picture at home, those are my grandparents there, and uh, they were farmers their whole lives, and uh, when this, when their farm was built it was the first farm on that street 126th from 66th to Blue Star and that road was known as Hines Road. KK: Oh, really? RF: Yeah. KK: Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, so you're lucky to have such nice photos… RF: ...Yeah I am very lucky, these are, this is uh, uh a later picture with some vineyards in the front and they moved the windmill to the back of the house, and er the well and uh, but uh, it was still horse and buggy days, you can see buggy tracks here and uh, uh yeah that's pretty much… KK: ...Really really wonderful, thank you for bringing those. RF: Well… KK: ...Do you have any more questions, that you have Eric, that were on the list that we were supposed to ask? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 16 EG: No, we moved through a good list of things. Lots of really great things some things we haven't heard before… RF: ...Well thanks… EG: ...or that compliment things… KK: Yeah no, it's fun and I’m, I’m going to get you together with Joan Northrup… RF: Okay! I’d like that. KK: Yeah. EG: Anything else you’d like to say? RF: Well, here's one thing I’d like to add. You know the pavilion was, was such a highlight of the, uh, my parents and my, my grandfather Otto, he knew one of the uh, one of the uh, managers or something so he could always get in, and he had four daughters so, I’m assuming they all got in, that would be six people but at that time in history, and I don't know if you folks have ever heard this before, but and I, I don’t bring it up to sound like I’m uh, anti-Semite or anything like that but, the seats were, were marked ‘Gentiles’ for Gentiles and for Jews and one time, I don't know if it was a little crowded or what but my grandfather sat in a place where it said ‘For Jews’ and my mother will never forget this, she says a woman came by and just sat right on his lap until he got up. KK: No, there are, there are a lot of stories, it was very anti-Semitic, uh in Saugatuck and uh… RF: ...Well, yeah, I don’t, I’m not aware of the uh, I know it was, there was a separation there… KK: Yeah… RF: But… KK: They were not allowed, the Jews were not allowed to stay in a lot of the hotels… RF: Oh, really? KK: Yeah RF: Okay KK: Yeah, there’s some, there's some interesting, uh records of that and um, but uh that’s one story I have not heard. RF: Yeah KK: I guess, I guess a lot would’ve come over on those boats, you know what I mean? �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 17 RF: From Chicago. KK: From Chicago, yes, so you’d have to accommodate it. RF: There were a few that uh, a few that were, that lived here. There were a few Jews that stayed here, that were, almost like natives and uh, of course South Haven had a… KK: Yes… RF: ...had a larger population of that and uh, [pause] uh, the, the old Glen Shores Golf Club, I know this because my Dad was best man with one of the sons of the owner who, who started the business just before the depression and uh, he had big plans for it and everything and some of the print outs of uh, advertising and everything he advertised it as a Christian place and he, he had a very subtle way of saying, the, the Jews weren't necessarily welcome. KK: It’s hard to imagine… RF: ...It’s a novelty, it’s uh, it’s uh, it was a different world back then, and it was long before World War Two. EG: Do you remember much, and thinking along those same lines, do you remember much uh, African American, People of Color in Saugatuck Douglas area? RF: No, I don't. In, in school when I was growing up uh, we had two or three families and that was it and uh, [pause] uh, [pause] um, [pause] I really don’t, I really don’t no. EG: Not much, not much reaction… [00:45:01] RF: ...Oh no, no, uh, no not at all, uh, there was uh, there was a Jamaican man who worked for one of the farmers there and I knew him a little bit. He used to come into town every, every uh every Saturday to buy his groceries and he, his skin was almost purple you know he, he was very dark, and but he was Jamaican and he uh, a good natured person and uh, hard working person and uh, he about the only uh, man of color that we would see. The uh, Spanish, er uh, I shouldn't say Spanish I should say the Mexican population, we always called them Spanish [pause] for some reason but Mexican is what they were, but Mexican didn't sound right so people said Spanish for some reason... KK: ...Well probably because that’s what they spoke… RF: ...I suppose that’s it, and so, they started uh, their numbers have rapidly increased uh, in uh, in recent years, and there were always Spanish people in school with us. Saugatuck was a little different, that was a little more unique, it was a little more [pause] all [pause] Anglo, all uh, all white. Even to this day it’s more that way, but uh… KK: ...Well that’s really interesting. �Raymond Foster - Interviewed by Eric Gollannek and Ken Kutzel July 23 2018 18 EG: One other question that I’ve asked people as we’ve done these recordings. So we’re saving these, with the idea that these will be around 50 plus years from now, so uh, thinking ahead, imagining someone listening to this in uh, 2068 uh, are there, is there anything you’d like them to know about your life or the community here, as it is today? RF: I can just say that, that I can’t complain about anything, I learned a good work ethic, working for my grandparents and uh, and my parents taught me a good work ethic and uh, I think that was a big benefit for me growing into adulthood but on the other side, I got to see, I got to see a great community kind of evolve into a more modern day, uh, [pause] uh, [pause] place and, and those are great memories, but I also have the memories that my parents and grandparents uh, told me about how it was back then in the horse and buggy days and uh, but uh, [pause] I guess I’d just like to say that it was a great place to grow up, uh, a great place to experience. The summers were uh, the winters were kind of brutal but the summers were, summers were great, and uh, Lake Michigan, to have Lake Michigan and uh, the sand dunes and uh, [pause] the river and everything it was a great experience and uh, no regrets. KK: Good! RF: I guess that I would regret that I didn't ask more questions uh, to my grandparents, uh, to try to absorb a little more information but uh, uh, but uh, other than that I have no regrets. It was great, and I love being able to talk to someone that experienced the same things I did, and uh, relate to the same things, those are always fun, but uh, this historical society is doing everything it can to preserve these things and, I, I salute them for that, that's a great thing. KK: Well thank you very much! RF: Thank you. EG: You're more than welcome. Alright, well with that, that will conclude this interview. Thanks again. RF: Thank you. [00:49:24] � 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-FosterR-20180723 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Foster, Raymond Edward Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-23 Title A name given to the resource Raymond Foster (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Ray Foster grew up on a family farm near Douglas, Michigan. In this interivew, Foster remembers the motorcycle gangs driving through town during summer holiday weekends, the rock music festival in 1968, and the Saugatuck Jazz Festival. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gollannek, Eric (Interviewer) Kutzel, Ken (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Holland (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Beaches Music festivals Motorcycle gangs Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Stories of Summer project, Kutsche Office of Local History. Grand Valley State University Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) 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/cd4551ecf2e1d3f97cf4abda82170a26.pdf d34474063d926bb830fe00848a6df02d PDF Text Text ��� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/236dbef3ce4ddb6e2202372120d45a6c.pdf 83d4a1d75f0b8780db749478604cae75 PDF Text Text Baltimore, March 27, 1861 Dear uncle, I suppose you are anxiously waiting to hear who is to be the Collector of the Port of Baltimore. I can say that is hard to tell. There[?] was a large delegation composed of men of all parties, “merchants” who went down on Monday to intercede for Mr. Corkraw, Mr. Magnum and myself went down in the 4:15 A.M. train, and made all the arrangements, and met the delegation at the Depot at 10 o’ck. We then went to Hon Montgomery Blair’s office, and had quite a satisfactory interview with him. We then called out Mr. Chare[?], but did not see him, The chairman of the delegation Mr. Geo. Rodgers, a man of great influence in the City, spoke to Mr. Lincoln and the resolutions as were adopted by the meeting were read by Mr. Redgrave, also a merchant and an influential man, the resolutions were very good, they were not very long but to the point and very impressive[?], I was somewhat astonished to see such an earnest desire on the part of those who differed so widely in politics, to have Mr. C the collector, He is endorsed by merchants who do business, Through the Custom House to the amount of five millions of dollars a year, Mr. Lincoln said in reply to the Chairman, that he received several communications and delegations from Balto. [Baltimore], but none such as were present. He said it was the most formal and imposing of any he had received, they all returned home highly gratified, and from the interview he had from Mr. Blair I have not doubt that Mr. C �will get the Hall, I came home with the Delegation in the evening. I saw a good many old Republicans and they say the Republicans will be taken care of in Maryland. Mr. Jarrett has given me a letter, stating my character & qualifications, &c., it is one of the most strong and impressive letters I have seen for a long time. [?] Jarrett, had a talk with me today in regard to this matter, without any solicitation on my part, He said that anything he could do for me, he would at any time do so, and if I should fail in getting the place I want, I should always have a situation with him. He said he would be sorry to part with me, but at the same time, if I could make so much more by going, for me to do so (If I fail I still hold my preset place in his store) I thanked him kindly for the interest he felt in my behalf, and should I fail in the situation I want I know he will give me more than he now does, yet I may be thankful that I am getting what I do these hard times. I still recmmend[?] Mr. C. of your application, also Hon. Blair and he tells me to wait until the proper time and he will act in time. I have no fear that you will come in for something, & I do not like to humble him on the office question, because I do not know when he will get it, but when he does I will let him hear from me in good earnest, I saw him today and he is in high spirits. He says that he has no doubt but what he will get the appointment, yet it remains to be seen. �He asked me yesterday if I knew Mr. Isaac Twinning[?] of Hartford, I told him that I did not know much of him, I knew there was such a man in Hartford. He said he Mr. Twinning[?] had called on him for an Inspectorship, I told him I did not know anything about his [?], qualifications, but did not think him suitable for a position of that kind. He said he felt like givin him some advice, but not knowing him he did not, He has no good feelings for [?] I think the appointments will be made in a few days, and you will hear from me on Saturday in if nothing happens, My wife is not very well, all the rest folks are Hoping this may find you well I remain yours, E.G. Fowler C.H. West Esq. � 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 Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</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 1804-1897 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; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. 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-45_CW1-8255 Title A name given to the resource C.H. West from E.C. Fowler Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1861-03-27 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fowler, E.C. Subject The topic of the resource Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Blair, Montgomery, 1813-1883 Republican Party (U.S. 1854- ) United States--Politics and government--19th century United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Baltimore (Md.) Maryland Description An account of the resource Letter from Fowler to his uncle discussing political appointments in Baltimore. Letter mentions Fowler's meeting with Abraham Lincoln shortly after his inauguration with a delegation from Baltimore. 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> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 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/193a6b6b1c57bbb46bc30f6dcb6b7f53.mp4 0544a3347439f320de03b273d36324d4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8b87d1892dbe81161105be1b731a2ccc.pdf 346f8d02ce7200829ab1513474c037ef PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project John Fowler Vietnam War 52 minutes 9 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1947 -Lived there for a few years -He and his family moved around the country as he grew up -Father was in sales management -Spent three or four years in each city -He worked for Continental Can -Mother was a stay at home mom -He has an older brother and a younger sister -Went to high school for two years in Mt. Prospect, Illinois -Moved back to Kansas City and completed high school there -Graduated in 1965 (00:02:12) College -Attended the University of Kansas -Liberal arts education -Went to college for three years -In 1968 he dropped out for six months -Rejoined school in spring 1968 -Didn’t do well upon returning in 1968 -He knew that he’d be drafted sooner than later (00:03:03) Getting Drafted and Basic Training -Volunteered for the draft in the fall of 1968 -Entered basic training in November 1968 -Reported to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri -Training was tough -Cold weather -Flu -Affected his physical performance -Basic training was about two months -Given leave for Christmas -Finished basic training in January -His drill sergeant had been a Vietnam veteran (00:04:41) Awareness of the Vietnam War -Confused about what the war was really about -Saw Catholics and Buddhists fighting in South Vietnam -Heard about the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and knew that war was coming �(00:05:48) Advanced Infantry Training -Went directly to advanced infantry training (AIT) at Fort Lewis, Washington -Cold and snowy -Told that they would all be sent to Vietnam -His AIT specialization was infantry -About 70% of his training company had infantry as their job designation -Training lasted two months (00:07:20) Noncommissioned Officer School (NCO School) -Approached about NCO School three weeks before graduating from AIT -He signed up for NCO School to further prepare himself for Vietnam -This is in February 1969 -His unit wound up getting sent to South Korea -He was given two weeks leave and he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia -NCO School was the same training as Officer Candidate School -Focused more on fieldwork though, and less on classroom work -Training lasted three months -Became a platoon sergeant at an AIT unit at Fort Gordon, Georgia -Led troops through training -Given his sergeant stripes and orders for Vietnam at the end of training (00:09:55) Details about NCO School -He was glad that he was going to Vietnam with leadership experience -Still didn’t prepare you for the reality of Vietnam -He was tolerated by the other NCO’s at Fort Gordon -They didn’t have to work as hard with new NCO’s around -There was tension between older NCO’s (“lifers”) and newer NCO’s (“shake-n-bakes”) -The older NCO’s had a lack of respect for the newer ones -Adjusting to being in a position of leadership was difficult (00:14:06) Deployment to Vietnam -He was given thirty days of leave after Fort Gordon -He had to report to Fort Dix, New Jersey -Once there he was given jungle fatigues and specific deployment orders -Family was expecting him to be sent to Vietnam -He didn’t know what unit he was going to be in, or where he was going -Stayed at Fort Dix for three days -While there he was given more gear and basic advice (00:15:51) Arriving in Vietnam -Arrived in October 1969 in Long Binh, near Saigon -Given more gear and pulled basic duties waiting for his assignment -Assigned to 101st Airborne Division -Surprised because he always associated the 101st with paratroopers -Flown up to Da Nang then from there Camp Eagle -Given basic introductory training at Camp Eagle -Protocol and procedure in Vietnam -How to watch for enemy sappers -How to set up land mines and flares -Training lasted a week and made him realize how unprepared he was �(00:18:43) Camp Evans -Assigned to Charlie Company 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division -They were stationed at Camp Evans -Drove up there by truck -His company was still on the demilitarized zone covering the 3rd Marines who were leaving -They returned to base four days later -His company had seen fighting in the A Shau Valley, at Hamburger Hill, and the DMZ -Intimidating to try and relate to them and to assert his leadership -He wanted to prove that he was knowledgeable (00:20:42) In the Field-Overview -Went into the field shortly after his company returned to base -They patrolled the firebases in the area -Spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in the field -They had very little to no enemy contact -Stayed in the foothills and the mountains (00:22:17) In the Field-Details -Each soldier carried an eighty pound backpack that contained: -Weapons and ammunition -Fresh, clean water -Food to last their time in the field -They got close to running out of food a few times -Clothing -An empty M16 ammo can to keep important material dry -Claymore mines and grenades -They covered one kilometer to two kilometers a day in the mountain -They covered three kilometers to four kilometers a day if they were on easier terrain (00:25:52) In the Field-Conditions and Relations -If they went on hunter-killer operations they left their packs behind -Rain and mud made travel even more difficult than it already was -He always had a disconnect with the battle hardened soldiers -Bonded better with “greener” soldiers -He was able to gain their respect after a few months of proving his credibility -He focused on finding good positions -Focused on making sure they established secure perimeters at night -They ultimately spent three months in and out of the field during monsoon season (00:28:27) Beginning of Firebase Ripcord -He didn’t realize how close they were to the enemy when Ripcord was being established -He remembers seeing the bombardment and storming of Ripcord from a distance -Knew something big was happening -They were spared the details -When the establishment of Firebase Ripcord began they lost a soldier early on -Drove home the fact that the situation had changed -Accounts part of his survivability to Captain Vasquez (the company commander) -Former special forces -Knew how to lead troops �(00:32:48) Establishing Firebase Ripcord -His company moved up the hill and established Firebase Ripcord -Under Vasquez they made Ripcord a heavily fortified firebase -Moving up the hill was oddly easy -Once at the top they established security and started building -They had the high ground which made it easily defendable -All positions at Ripcord were underground -No above ground structures -First experience on Ripcord lasted three weeks (00:37:11) Conditions At and Around Firebase Ripcord -Patrolled the area around the firebase afterwards -His company was operating at two thirds strength -Casualties made them even weaker -And a lack of replacements didn’t help -Returned to Ripcord for about one week -Treated it like a base camp -Going back to Camp Evans felt like they were Stateside -Spent a lot of time looking for enemy supply caches and bunkers -Enemy contact was increasing at the time -Enemy was beginning to appropriate American weaponry -He was wounded by an enemy mine (00:42:01) Camp Evans and USS Sanctuary -He was sent back to Camp Evans for treatment -Sent to the USS Sanctuary (hospital ship) for one week -They determined that he was okay -Returned to Camp Evans and received word that his company had been “wiped out” -Wanted to go out immediately to help them -His company had lost eight soldiers and taken multiple wounded -His company was moved from Hill 902 to another one to provide security (00:46:09) Leaving the Army and Coming Home -He took R&R at Saigon and was advised to return to his company -Stayed with his unit until the second week of August 1970 -Returned home and was able to leave the Army -He had applied for an early out to return to college -The University of Kansas accepted him back in -Advised that there could be confrontations with the protestors -Never ran into problems with protestors at the airports (00:47:27) Life after the Army -Went from Vietnam back to school within nine days -He was underweight and nervous -Experiencing culture shock being home -Got an apartment and a car -Did well in school this time -Majored in English and business -Never graduated due to trauma from Vietnam -Got married �-Found a job in sales and marketing -Had a daughter -Later entered therapy to deal with his trauma -Wife recognized it early on -Glad that he was able to make peace with it -Glad that he is now able to reconnect with soldiers from Ripcord -Appreciates the interactions he can have at the reunions � 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 FowlerJ1533V Title A name given to the resource Fowler, John (Interview outline and video), 2013 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fowler, John Description An account of the resource John Fowler was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1947. He attended college at the University of Kansas and eventually dropped out. In the fall of 1968 he volunteered for the draft and was sent to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and later AIT at Fort Lewis, Washington. After AIT he signed up for NCO school and in May he was promoted to the level of sergeant. In October he was deployed to Vietnam and was assigned to Charlie Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Evans. He and his unit participated in the establishment and operations around Firebase Ripcord until he was wounded in June, 1970. He left Vietnam in the second week of August 1970 and was discharged. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-10-10 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/81503eb5eb2a7ad29930757892652f00.m4v 259fe7a8027648c2db48387137f042b5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cbfaa7a706a235061b3e57f8537bd2eb.pdf e2564deb0af1664fd46809a2556c0c4a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Gerald France World War II 1 hour 18 minutes 46 seconds (00:00:42) Early Life -Born in 1925 in New York City -When he was only a baby his father left the family -For a year and a half his mother struggled working as a waiter at a restaurant -They were invited to Governor’s Island by one Master Sergeant Kehoe -Wound up living there for sixteen years -Military Police guarded the island -Military prisoners swept the street and were constantly under guard -Nonviolent prisoners, mostly soldiers who were AWOL -Home of the 16th Infantry Regiment -His stepfather, Master Sergeant Kehoe, had fought in the Spanish-American War -Also fought in Mexico against Pancho Villa and in World War I -Part of the 1st Infantry Division by World War I -On Governor’s Island there was a golf course and tennis court -There was a New York state public school that went up to the eighth grade -There was a Boy Scout troop on Governor’s Island -Only mounted (able to ride horses) troop in the country -They had polo matches on Sundays -Got to see the Statue of Liberty -There was a small Boy Scout post on Liberty Island -When he graduated from the eighth grade there were only ten students in the graduating class -Went to Curtis High School on Staten Island -Had to take a ferry from Governor’s Island to Staten Island -Gave him enough time to do his homework (00:07:05) Start of the War and Awareness of the War -The boys on Governor’s Island had a clubhouse in the basement of the chapel -His brother’s eighteenth birthday happened to fall on December 7, 1941 -They were holding a party for him in the clubhouse and had a radio on -Heard the news that Pearl Harbor had been bombed by Japan -Immediately after the attack all the boys that were old enough went and enlisted -At the time of the attack he was only sixteen and a half at the time, so he was left behind -His brother enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an air cadet -He had already spent his summers working in the PX (general store) for the 16th Infantry -Knew that there was a war on in Europe and in Asia -Partied with the 16th Infantry Regiment soldiers, so he was aware of certain issues -Everyone expected the war to finally reach the United States -Initially thought that it would be because of the Soviet Union -The Boy Scouts had received training that would prepare them for war -Learned how to shoot rifles, and learned about how to maintain machine guns �(00:10:48) Enlisting in the Army Air Corps -When he was seventeen and a half years old he enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadets -He could have enlisted in the Navy or Marines at seventeen -This required parents’ permission, and his parents wouldn’t grant the permission -When he enlisted in the Army Air Corps he took the necessary exams and was sworn in (00:11:46) Overview of Training -Began basic training when he was eighteen -He was sent to college training in St. Cloud, Minnesota -Took courses on astronomy and navigation -College training lasted ten weeks -Sent to classification process in Santa Ana, California to see where recruits would go -He was given coordination tests among other exams -Given the choice to become a bombardier, or a pilot -He choose to become a bombardier -He was sent to pre-flight training at Santa Ana, California -In the meantime his Uncle Bill died and he was allowed to return to Governor’s Island -After that returned to Hemet Field, California for primary training -He trained with the PT-22 low wing, monoplane, sporty training aircraft -While in primary training kept up with the progress of the war -While he was in training the pilot program was accelerated because so many pilots were lost -When the P-51 Mustangs were introduce the training decelerated and training changed -The P-51 allowed for long range escort of bombers -As a result fewer pilots were being lost which meant fewer pilots were needed -This resulted in major cuts to the pilot training program (up to 80% cuts) (00:17:42) Transfer to Armament School -He was offered three transfer choices: armament school, engineer school, or radio school -He requested a transfer to the 16th Infantry Regiment, but was denied -Army felt that too much time and money had been invested in him to go into the infantry -He decided to go into the armament school -There were eight weeks of armament training followed by eight weeks of gunner training -Trained in Kingman, Arizona and then in Plant Park, Florida -At Plant Park met his crew for the B-17 that he would be serving on -He and his crew were sent to Drew Field, Florida for overseas training -Learning how to be a crewmember on the B-17 bomber -Getting acquainted with the other crewmembers (00:21:44) Training Details -He had gotten to fly the PT-22 solo before he was cut from the Aviation Cadet program -The original place he had been sent for armament training was Lowry Field, Colorado -Learned how to dismantle and put back together the .50 caliber machine gun -Learned how to maintain a .50 caliber machine gun mid-flight -Learned how to get a ball-turret gunner into the ball-turret of a bomber -Learned about the various positions of turrets on bombers -During training he was issued a .45 caliber pistol -During gunnery training he was trained on how to fire the .50 caliber machine gun -First part of training was riding around on a pickup shooting at clay pigeons -Later phases involved being on a B-17 and firing at targets towed by another plane �-Spent 6-8 weeks training in armament and gunnery (00:26:15) Deployment to Europe -He and his crew picked up a B-17G bomber and flew it around Georgia -From Georgia flew up to Bradley Field, Connecticut -From Connecticut flew to Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada -Spent a night there while an engine was changed out -From Goose Bay flew to Iceland -It was a long flight that heavily relied on the navigator’s abilities -Over the course of the war 1000 planes were lost flying to Europe due to bad navigation -Before landing in Iceland they had to fly around Greenland to search for U-Boats -Spent a few nights in Iceland waiting for an engine to be replaced -Arrived in Iceland during the winter of 1944 -Remembers having guard shifts on the plane and having to sleep on it -Luckily for him they had plenty of blankets, so it wasn’t too awful -They were at Keflavik Air Station -Remembers seeing little kids unfazed by the cold walking around in summer clothes -From Iceland flew to Valley, Wales -Got to have a hot bath and hot food (00:34:01) Assignment to the 490th Bombardment Group -After Wales flew down to Royal Air Force Eye air station to join the 490th Bomb Group -They lived in a Quonset hut that housed two other crews -Slept on bunk beds and the mattresses were grain bags stuffed with hay -No insulation whatsoever and relied on a single pot-bellied stove -Had to feed it compressed paper rings that had been used for shipping bombs -Had the option to collect coal from passing trains, but chose not to -Civilians in the area needed the coal more than they did -Arrived at RAF Eye in April 1945 -At the time of their arrival not many missions were being flown into Germany -All major targets had been destroyed already (00:38:12) Flying Missions -During WWII he and his crew flew only a handful of missions into Germany -Towards the end of the war bomber crew positions were being eliminated and shifted -For instance, the radioman also was going to be a gunner -His gunner position was eliminated and he was shifted to a new position on the bomber -The major threat to them was the flak from German antiaircraft guns -The way to combat flak was with a substance called chaff (aluminum, glass, and plastic) -His job was to throw chaff out of the bomber to interfere with German radar -Without their radar the Germans couldn’t pinpoint the bombers and fire on them -Towards the end of the war the Air Corps adopted the strategy of blanket (or carpet) bombing -During missions bombers had to fly at different altitudes in their formation to create a box -This allowed for greater defense, but also avoided the threat of prop wash -Heavy turbulence created behind the propellers -On his first mission he saw a German fighter jet -Didn’t quite know how to handle it -They didn’t have tracer rounds which would have helped to shoot down the jet -On missions P-51 Mustangs were everywhere around the bombers �-For the missions that he did fly during wartime they always flew deep into Germany -There were still some targets left on the coast of France though -Fortresses and a few minor German airfields -They flew at 25,000 feet and the jets could only stay up long enough for one pass -When the jets retreated the P-51s followed them down to their base -Gave the P-51s the chance to destroy them on the runway -During the missions they didn’t lose any aircraft, or any airmen (00:51:22) Post-German Surrender Service -After Germany surrendered he and his crew were kept in England [recalled after interview session that he flew relief missions over the Netherlands to supply food] -One of their missions was to fly into Orly Air Base, France to collect freed political prisoners -Before they could allow them on the bomber they had to be disinfected -Had to spray them down with a sprayer full of the pesticide DDT -During one of their post-war missions their tail-gunner had an epileptic episode -He was never allowed to fly again -Made him realize that none of them had any formal medical training from the Army (00:54:16) Downtime -In the Quonset hut there was always a poker game being played -During downtime they would play softball, or go into town for a beer -He got to visit London once while he was in England and stayed at the Red Cross Club (00:56:20) End of Service -Final bit of overseas service was to help close down the 490th Bomb Group in England -Returned home for ninety days of leave -During those ninety days the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered -Reported to MacDill Field, Florida to wrap up his service and be discharged -Temporarily joined their football team as a running guard -Played alongside three All-American players -Practicing in full gear in Florida heat was hellish -Went to play his first game and the coach passively kicked him off the team -Coach told him to drive his car back to base -He was discharged in December 1945 before Christmas -He was offered the chance to reenlist and be promoted and given a pay raise -The trade-off was that he would have had to go to Germany as part of the occupation -He declined because he wanted to be able to go home for Christmas (01:02:49) Life after the War -Hitchhiked back to Governor’s Island, New York -Remembers on Governor’s Island there was a group of Italian prisoners of war -During the war they had grown food, cooked, and built furniture to sell it -Still has some of that Italian furniture today -None of them ever tried to escape the camp, and some even became U.S. citizens -During the war his mother had moved to Brooklyn -He wound up marrying the daughter of the new commander of Governor’s Island -Stayed married for sixty six years until her death -His father-in-law personally knew Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower -He and his wife were able to attend his father-in-law’s retirement ceremony -Remembers that when he became a father he was working three jobs at one time �-Went back to high school and graduated so that he could get into college -He went to college at Pace Institute (now Pace University) in Manhattan, New York City -Majored in accounting and graduated from there -Went to the American Bridge Company and became an industrial engineering apprentice -Trained as an apprentice for three years -From there joined Avon Products in New York -Became the manager of the industrial engineering department -He got placed in charge of making better packaging for shipping their products -Products were getting damaged en route to their destinations -From Avon became the director of packaging for Elizabeth Arden, Inc. -From Elizabeth Arden he was recruited by a new Michigan-based company called Amway (01:13:14) Reflections on Service -He never really planned on looking back on his service after leaving the Army -Partially regrets the decision to have gone into armament school instead of engineering, or radio -Realized that the only application his training had was in the military -His service instilled in him the idea of having good group morale, or esprit de corps -Always tried to carry that idea, and mindset through life -Over the years he kept in close contact with the other members of the crew -He is now the sole surviving member of his bomber crew -He attended a few reunions, but he was the only one of his crew to go -He just didn’t feel as close with the other airmen as he did with his crew 01:16:36 Interview Ends � 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_FranceG1696V Title A name given to the resource France, Gerald (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-09-11 Description An account of the resource Gerald France was born in 1925 in New York City. He grew up on Governor's Island, New York City, the home of the 16th Infantry Regiment. He left high school in 1944 to join the Army Air Corps. He qualified for flight training and went through the early stages of it, but was reassigned to armament school due to a lack of need for pilots. He trained at different bases and joined a B-17 crew that flew to England in April, 1945, joining the 490th Bomb Group at Eye Air Station. They flew several missions over Germany and against isolated German forts in France. When the war ended, they flew relief missions, including ferrying political prisoners. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource France, Gerald 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 Air Corps 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/498f660d80806e45b3d4bc8b20dfe96b.jpg dbd531f85bd9e4257703e6f8f45417ea 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 Believing and Belonging on Campus Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Interfaith Photovoice Description An account of the resource During the 2024 Winter semester at GVSU, the Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Interfaith Photovoice hosted nine students from different religious, spiritual, and secular backgrounds for a semester-long cohort centered on storytelling. By using predominantly mobile-phone photography, these students explored what it meant to believe and belong on campus and in the greater West Michigan community. This project was designed to help capture their experiences and stories, to enable them to find their voice through photography. The cohort culminated in an exhibition displayed on multiple GVSU campuses and curated by the students around three self-selected themes: Religious & Spiritual Practices, Barriers to Belonging, and Creating Welcoming Spaces. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource College students Belonging Hinduism Islam Judaism Students, Foreign LGBTQ+ people Orthodox Eastern Church Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Relation A related resource Believing and Belonging on Campus: An Interfaith Photovoice Project (project) 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 2024-Kaufman-Exhibit-28 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Franklin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Title A name given to the resource Creating Welcoming Spaces 10 Description An account of the resource I love Judaism and practicing its core values, even if my traditional spiritual practice is lacking. I love the community and services. Being at GVSU, I am mostly removed from that community nowadays, mostly by my own choice. Photovoice made me realize how I miss that community, and, fortunately, it has offered me a space to exercise this identity despite removing myself from the past ways I practiced. I am proud to be a part of their team, and explore my Judaism further in the future after reflecting on photovoice conversations. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute (exhibitor) Subject The topic of the resource Judaism College students Belonging Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Kaufman Interfaith Institute Relation A related resource Believing and Belonging on Campus: An Interfaith Photovoice Project (project) 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/jpg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a33b2b9b8f51967b4fbf7db67adae913.jpg e26b070a11bb72bd3da23d0105fbc4c1 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 Believing and Belonging on Campus Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Interfaith Photovoice Description An account of the resource During the 2024 Winter semester at GVSU, the Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Interfaith Photovoice hosted nine students from different religious, spiritual, and secular backgrounds for a semester-long cohort centered on storytelling. By using predominantly mobile-phone photography, these students explored what it meant to believe and belong on campus and in the greater West Michigan community. This project was designed to help capture their experiences and stories, to enable them to find their voice through photography. The cohort culminated in an exhibition displayed on multiple GVSU campuses and curated by the students around three self-selected themes: Religious & Spiritual Practices, Barriers to Belonging, and Creating Welcoming Spaces. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource College students Belonging Hinduism Islam Judaism Students, Foreign LGBTQ+ people Orthodox Eastern Church Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Relation A related resource Believing and Belonging on Campus: An Interfaith Photovoice Project (project) 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 2024-Kaufman-Exhibit-12 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Franklin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Title A name given to the resource Barriers to Belonging 3 Description An account of the resource This photo sums up, most artistically, my thoughts over the course of our Interfaith Photovoice. Coming out of high school, I felt accomplished but as if I missed out on knowing my class as well as I could have. If future Franklin pointed out all the ways I went wrong to my past self right after graduation, that is probably the look I would be giving them as I thought over the circumstances. Despite the challenges I face, I’m in a good place and am always moving forward confidently. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute (exhibitor) Subject The topic of the resource College students Belonging Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Kaufman Interfaith Institute Relation A related resource Believing and Belonging on Campus: An Interfaith Photovoice Project (project) 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/jpg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/eaa3603700a260b10a836133b13ad68d.mp4 9875f4b1f0e5491930911f593cd0f91e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c487bcb5dd19f0e67f0581818d5f396e.pdf 08aba0b48310ad956ac4098dc0cffb3b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Alvena Franzen World War II 45 minutes 58 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born on February 2, 1919 in Salamanca, New York and grew up there -Father was the superintendent of Public Works and also worked for BRP Railway -During the Great Depression she learned how to live with less -After graduating from high school she wanted to attend college and become a doctor -Her family didn’t have enough money to send her to college -She decided to become a registered nurse and went to Bradford, Pennsylvania for nursing -It was a two year program -It was an integrated program (classroom work and hands on training) -Her parents were able to pay for nursing school -She graduated from that in 1941 -She returned to Salamanca six months after completing nursing school (00:03:37) Start of the War & Entering the Army -While she was a student she got off work and went to listen to the radio -She heard the news that Pearl Harbor had been bombed -She was told that patriotic nurses joined the American Red Cross Nursing Service -Decided to join that and she enjoyed it for a while -She eventually received a letter that was essentially a draft notice -She had the option to go into the Army or into the Navy -Decided to go into the Army Nurse Corps (00:04:53) Basic Training -She reported to Fort Niagara, New York to be sworn in and processed -Reported for duty on May 1, 1943 -She was sent to Pine Camp (now Fort Drum), New York for basic training -She was subjected to the same type of training that regular enlistees and draftees faced -Crawling under wire while a machine gun was fire over the wire -Climbing up and down rope ladders -Learning how to fire carbines and pistols -Map reading -She trained alongside other nurses -They were all roughly in their early twenties -There was still an emphasis on military discipline, following orders, and following regulations -To her it felt similar to nursing school -She also did well with the physical aspect of training -Some nurses had problems adjusting to the training -Especially crawling under the wire and being fired over (00:07:50) Deployment to the European Theatre -After completing basic training she was sent to Fort Devens, Massachusetts -Didn’t spend a long time there �-In March 1944 she and the other nurses were deployed -Left out of New York City aboard the Aquitania (sister ship of the Lusitania) -They sailed alone without a convoy -Remembers everyone getting seasick during the voyage, including herself -They were fed two meals a day, and most of the time she didn’t have an appetite -Sailed over with men and women -They were kept separate from each other though -It took seven days to cross the Atlantic Ocean -It was frightening to be out there on their own, defenseless against a U-Boat attack (00:10:37) Stationed in England -They arrived in Glasgow, Scotland -Only stayed overnight there before moving again -From Glasgow they travelled to Wales by train -While in Wales they stayed in Welsh houses -While stationed in England her unit did not have a hospital set up yet -She was assigned to the 62nd General Hospital -Served alongside sixty other nurses -Same function as a general hospital in the United States -Just dealing with different kinds of injuries -They were taking in medically evacuated personnel at the time and treating them -They had a ninety percent turnover rate in forty eight hours -From Wales they moved down to a town in England -Gathering clothing, equipment, and preparing to cross the English Channel to France (00:14:00) Downtime in England -While stationed in England she got a chance to visit nearby towns -The English were happy to see Americans -Viewed Americans as saviors of their nation -She was invited to dinner at people’s houses while stationed in England (00:15:04) Crossing to France -They didn’t stay in England for too long (roughly three months) before crossing the Channel -She remembers on D-Day seeing planes flying over to France in formation -Most likely the pre-dawn airborne assault on Normandy -Remembers seeing those planes come back one by one, not in formation -Upsetting because it showed how intense and serious the invasion was -When they finally crossed over to Normandy there was still fighting near the coast -Particularly between Carentan and St. Lo -She remembers landing at Utah Beach on a landing craft -They were loaded onto trucks and travelled inland that way -Passed through Carentan and St. Lo after the towns had been liberated -Both places had been levelled by the intense fighting -Roughly ninety five percent of St. Lo was destroyed during the war -They arrived in France about one month after D-Day (placing them there sometime in July) (00:17:50) Stationed near Paris -They boarded a train and travelled deeper into France -Remembers seeing craters and burned out tanks dotting the French countryside -Whenever they stopped at a town they were greeted by civilians �-Usually waving American flags and offering gifts to them -Eventually stopped in a chateau that had been used by the Germans -They had to clean out the chateau and make sure to avoid landmines in the area -Arrived there on Labor Day, 1944 after the liberation of Paris in August 1944 -Prior to getting to that place they lived in tents in fields -The chateau was their first established hospital in France -It was in the country and fairly close to Paris -They did not receive regular casualties even after getting established -While stationed at the chateau she got the chance to visit Paris multiple times -She would ride into Paris in a jeep to the American military sector -Remembers that the Red Cross had an outpost set up there -First time she got to have a donut since leaving the United States -She never got to spend too much time in Paris whenever she visited (00:23:14) Stationed near the Belgian Border -After leaving the chateau they moved into a regular county hospital -Once they moved to the new hospital they started to receive far more casualties -There were German prisoners of war working for them as litter bearers -They always had to be prepared in the event of an air raid -Made sure to keep their clothes organized so they could dress quickly if necessary -They were stationed near the Belgian border at this time -The job there was to stabilize the wounded and treat them until they moved again -Recalls seeing disturbing and grotesque combat injuries -Remembers some of the men not even being old enough to be out of high school yet (00:26:26) Battle of the Bulge -When the Battle of the Bulge began in December 1944 she was near the fighting -They started to receive a high number of casualties from the fighting -During the battle they were prepared in the event that they would have to retreat -The wounded would go first followed closely by the personnel -In January 1945 they still received a high number of casualties -Due to American forces pressing a counter-offensive against the Germans -During the battle they worked in conjunction with company aid stations -The more severely wounded were sent to their hospital for further treatment -Once the wounded were stabilized they were sent back to the front, or further back to the rear -Depended entirely on the severity of the wound and time it would take to heal (00:28:47) End of the War & End of Service -She was back in the United States when Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 -She had been sent back to the U.S. due, in part, to having pleurisy effusion -A sickness that causes a buildup of fluid in tissues between the lungs and the chest -She was receiving Novocain shots between her ribs to treat the illness -The doctor managed to puncture one of her lungs in the process -She was stabilized and sent back to the United States in early spring 1945 -She went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC for further treatment -During one operation she suffered nerve damage to her right arm -After she was mostly healed she was discharged from the Army in fall 1945 (00:31:08) Interactions with the Europeans -She doesn’t remember anything too memorable happening in England �-Other than the people being gracious to see Americans -Recalls how ecstatic the French were to see the Americans advancing -She pitied them and appreciated their gratitude -The German prisoners of war were very young and some had been part of the infamous SS -She learned some German from them -Remembers that they were guarded and watched by Military Police -Most of them were contemptuous of having been captured and put to work -Believes it has something to do with being so indoctrinated into Nazism (00:34:24) Life after the War -After the war she wasn’t able to immediately go back to being a nurse -She decided to go to Spring Arbor University in Michigan -From Spring Arbor she went to a college in Illinois and got her bachelor’s degree -After that she went to Michigan State University to pursue her master’s degree -Only attended for two terms -Her old nursing director offered her a job as an instructor in Bradford, Pennsylvania -She accepted the offer -Enjoyed the work until the administration changed -She moved back to Michigan and found work at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids -She set up a course to teach aids and orderlies -She was offered a position with the State Nursing Association in Lansing, Michigan -She would become an assistant executive director if she took the job -She took the job, but did not enjoy being behind a desk doing paperwork -She missed working with students and with patients -She returned to Blodgett Hospital and became a pediatric instructor there -She enrolled in the University of Michigan extension program in Grand Rapids -Got her master’s degree from there in 1963 -Became a coordinator for the nursing program at two local colleges in Grand Rapids -Calvin College and Grand Rapids Community College -She eventually went on to teach anatomy at Grand Rapids Community College -Did that for thirteen years until 1980 -In 1980 she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and underwent intense surgery for it -She attempted to return to teaching, but after the operation was unable to do it -It was difficult for her to adjust to that -She eventually moved in to help a friend suffering from Alzheimer’s in 2007 -Stayed with her until her death in 2011 (00:43:51) Reflections on Service -Her service taught her to appreciate life more -It also taught her to appreciate living in the United States -Remembers being overjoyed when she arrived in New York City from Europe -She can now empathize with the men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan -It also showed her the real ugliness of war firsthand � 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_FranzenA1714V Title A name given to the resource Franzen, Alvena (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-12-11 Description An account of the resource Alvena Franzen was born in Salamanca, New York, in 1919 and grew up there. Prior to the war she attended nursing school in Bradford, Pennsylvania and graduated from that in 1941. She enrolled in the American Red Cross Nursing Service and was subsequently drafted into the Army Nurse Corps. She reported for duty on May 1, 1943 and received training at Pine Camp (now Fort Drum), New York. She was deployed to the European Theatre in March 1944 and was stationed there with the 62nd General Hospital until crossing over to mainland Europe after D-Day. She was stationed in the French Countryside near Paris, on the Belgian border, and saw the results of the Battle of the Bulge. After suffering a lung injury while receiving treatment for pleurisy, she was sent back to the United States in spring 1945 and was discharged later that year. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Franzen, Alvena Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2878bf468a4f82d1388e86c4aeddd926.m4v 50212b83daa406758530f9787946e177 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ea8c3c03e78bf7769ee2efb86b4c084f.pdf dadd8e7156fec898f6f5e4eb367c96ca PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Gerald Frazine World War II 35 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life -Born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1925 -Grew up in Muskegon and attended St. Joseph Catholic School -Played basketball in high school -Stayed in school through the 11th grade -Received his draft notice after the 11th grade -Grew up during the Great Depression -Father was laid-off a few times during the Depression -Helped his father deliver coal as a job -Went to the surplus store to get necessities -Father eventually got steady employment -During the summers, he helped install wells with the Civilian Conservation Corps -Travelled to camps all over Michigan (00:03:21) Start of the War & Getting Drafted -Heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio -If he hadn’t heard it on the radio he would’ve heard it from another person -News travelled quickly by word-of-mouth -Planned on enlisting after graduating from high school -Wound up getting drafted and decided to enlist in the Navy a year early (00:03:59) Boot Camp -Shortly after getting drafted he reported to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, for boot camp -Boot camp lasted six weeks -Consisted of physical training and some classroom work (00:04:53) Radio School -He wanted to be a submariner, but he was placed in amphibious communications -Sent to the Radio School at Great Lakes Naval Station for two months -Branch of the University of Michigan -Did well in Radio School, so he wound up in Flotilla Flagship Command for amphibious ships -Able to go home every weekend during Radio School -Took a “milk train” back to Michigan -Occasionally got leaves to downtown Chicago (00:07:43) Deployment to Pacific Theater -After Radio School, he and his class went to Seneca, Illinois, to board a Landing Ship Transport -Formed an LST convoy and gathered crews for each ship -Sailed down the Mississippi River -The helmsman of his ship was not good at his job �-Managed to hit a river barge, and a bridge -Entered the Gulf of Mexico at the same time a hurricane hit the gulf -He never got so sick in his life -LST didn’t handle heavy seas well -Had waves that were 30 feet higher than the ship -After the hurricane, they sailed through the Panama Canal, up the West Coast, to San Diego -Stayed in San Diego for three days taking on ammunition and other supplies -Sailed to Pearl Harbor from San Diego -Didn’t see the United States for 2 ½ years -There was still some damage at Pearl Harbor from the attack in 1941 -Stayed at Pearl Harbor for four, or five, days (00:10:48) Sailing around the South Pacific Pt. 1 -Crossed the Equator en route to their first island -Had a King Neptune Ceremony for sailors that had never crossed the Equator -Traditional hazing ceremony -Ultimately crossed the Equator 13 times during the war -He kept a log of the islands they sailed to and the days they got to each island -Went to Guadalcanal after the battle to load and unload supplies (00:13:40) Invasion of Leyte & Battle of Leyte Gulf -Participated in the invasion of Leyte on October 20, 1944 -That was the third or fourth amphibious assault he witnessed -His LST was in the first or second wave of the invasion -Encountered suicide boats -One managed to break through and damage the ship’s fantail -Had to drop anchor for three days while divers repaired the fantail -Aware of the Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 23, 1944 – October 26, 1944) -He was on the flotilla flagship and heard the radio traffic during the naval battle -Concerning battle, because the Americans were outgunned -Japanese had battleships, and Americans had smaller ships -Americans won the battle, and crippled Japanese naval capabilities (00:15:45) Pacific Theater Invasions Pt. 1 & Noncombat Missions -Participated in the Mariana Islands Campaign -Liberation of Guam, Saipan, and Tinian -Went to liberated islands to load and unload supplies and troops (00:16:19) Enemy Aircraft & Submarines -Got strafed a few times, but never got attacked by dive bombers -Had 20mm and 40mm antiaircraft guns on the LST -Saw three kamikazes during the war -His LST shot down one or two of them -Kamikazes never hit his ship -Had two separate incidents when Japanese submarines shadowed his convoy -Waiting for a moment to attack the convoy, but they never did -Most of the men in the convoy didn’t know about the presence of Japanese submarines �-He only knew because of his radio position -Didn’t lose any ships to the submarines (00:18:27) Sailing around the South Pacific Pt. 2 -Went ashore a couple times at some of the secured islands -Doesn’t remember which islands he went ashore at -Never stayed long at the islands (00:19:10) Duties on the Landing Ship Transport -Did a little quartermaster work (supply handling) on top of his regular radio work -His typical days consisted of four-hour radio watches -If they went to general quarters, he stayed at his duty-station until the end of general quarters -Placed on full-alert at duty-station during general quarters -Trained on the 20mm antiaircraft gun -He was competent with the 20mm -Sometimes had tow-target planes while they travelled between islands -Planes carrying targets for target practice with antiaircraft guns (00:21:37) Officers & Crew -He got to know most of the men in his ship’s crew -During his time on the LST they switched captains once or twice -Traded junior officers (lower-ranking commissioned officers) a couple times -Had one sailor that was 39-years old, and he was considered an “old man” -Most of the crewmen were 19 – 22 years old -Didn’t have any black sailors on his ship (00:23:54) Sailing around the South Pacific Pt. 3 -LSTs could go ashore to load and unload supplies, because they were amphibious -He helped with loading/unloading supplies a few times -Never spent more than a few days at any one island -During one trip they were at sea for about three weeks -Mostly sailed north and south in the South Pacific -Didn’t go back to Pearl Harbor during the war (00:25:38) Pacific Theater Invasions Pt. 2 -He was on radio watch during invasions -For most invasions, they either carried combat vehicles, or supplies pertaining to the invasion -Remembers taking enemy fire a couple times -Japanese used artillery, then transitioned to small-arms fire, when the ships got close -Took only one casualty during an invasion (00:27:25) Progress of the War -He didn’t pay much attention to the progress of the war -Focused more on the ship’s next destination (00:27:40) Battle of Okinawa, End of War & End of Service -Present for the invasion and liberation of Okinawa from April through June 1945 -After Okinawa, they waited for their next mission, probably the invasion of Japan -The use of the atomic bombs negated the invasion of Japan -Understood what the atomic bombs were, because of the high number of casualties �-With the war over, his LST was decommissioned and given to the Chinese -Boarded a ship bound for Pearl Harbor, and from Pearl Harbor went back to San Diego -Took a train to Great Lakes Naval Station, and was discharged there -Spent a lot of time after the war just waiting to be discharged -Out-processed and discharged at Great Lakes Naval Station -Didn’t take too long -Most likely discharged from the Navy in late 1945 (or possibly early 1946) (00:32:18) Life after the War -Returned to Muskegon, and got engaged to the girl he’d been dating in high school -Got a job with a company that installed wells and wires, and started building a home -Got married on June 7, 1947 -Adopted two sons -Worked at the company for 46 years, travelling around Michigan and the Great Lakes states (00:34:07) Reflections on Service -Prepared him for adulthood -Taught him discipline, orderliness, and an appreciation for being in good shape -Believes that you’ll take something positive with you if you serve � 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 FrazineG1967V Title A name given to the resource Frazine, Gerald (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Gerald Frazine was born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1925. He enlisted in the Navy in 1943, and went to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, for his boot camp and Radio School. Upon completing training, he boarded a Landing Ship Transport (LST) and sailed to San Diego (via the Mississippi River and the Panama Canal) before going to the Pacific Theater. He served as the radio operator on the flotilla flagship, but also handled supplies and knew how to operate a 20mm antiaircraft gun. Gerald participated in the invasion of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan during the Mariana Islands Campaign; the invasion of Leyte during the Philippines Campaign; and the final battle of the Pacific Theater, Okinawa. After the war, he sailed back to San Diego then returned to Great Lakes Naval Station to be discharged from the Navy in late 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frazine, Gerald 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 United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> 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 2016-10-18 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/4b28eae706290307f2a0f89d3154a065.jpg f8b33f1b208dc1e6062c265e1e4ce253 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 Decorated Publishers' Bindings Subject The topic of the resource Book covers Covers (Illustration) Graphic arts Publishers and publishing Pictorial bindings Description An account of the resource From the early 1870s to roughly 1930, many publishers issued their commercial book covers with a remarkable variety of graphic designs and illustrations. This sixty-year period saw many artists and designers contributing to this art form. While some can be identified from their style or initials, others remain unknown. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seidman Rare Books Collection Michigan Novels Collection Regional Historical Collection Lincoln and the Civil War Collection 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 2017-08-30 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>, <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 DC-01 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 Seidman Rare Books. TX715.S567 1893 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-01_Bindings0326 Title A name given to the resource Favorite Dishes Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frederick W. Gookin (Designer) Description An account of the resource Binding of Favorite Dishes, by Carrie V. Shuman, published by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., 1893. Subject The topic of the resource Book covers Covers (Illustration) Graphic arts Publishers and publishing Pictorial bindings 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 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1893 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/8808661ec001378f932a07d052adbb21.mp4 054da75fd6db626cb769ee60fab4dfae https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1391a78efdbb8876e7c45e085672046d.pdf a91bf352548178e17ee2b05b9be44377 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: Vietnam War Interviewee’s Name: James Frederick Length of Interview: 20 minutes Pre-Enlistment (00:11)  Childhood (00:13) o Born in Plainwell, MI although he grew up in Allegan. (00:34)  Education (00:41) o Attended Allegan High School and then graduated from Michigan State University earning a Bachelor of Arts in Forestry. Later he would earn a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. (00:56) Enlistment/Basic Training (01:06)  Background (01:10) o Completed advanced ROTC training while attending Michigan State University in 1965. (01:15) o Was sworn in as a 1st Lieutenant in January 1966 and then called into active duty in March, 1966. (01:20) o Was commissioned into the armed forces as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. (01:36)  Why he joined (01:59) o Joined the U.S. Air Force out of a patriotic duty to serve his country during a time of war. (02:03)  Where he went (02:15) o Attended ROTC summer camp in 1964 at Bunker Hill Air Force Base near Kokomo, IN. Was here for a period of 4 weeks. (02:36) o Bunker Hill Air Force Base Training (02:40)  Briefly describes what sorts of exercises and training he underwent while in basic training. (02:55) � While stationed here, he details what classes were like and that they were specifically preparing him for his deployment to Vietnam eventually. At the time he was attached to the 820th Red Horse Squadron which basically was a heavy engineering construction squadron which was part of the Air Force’s Heavy Construction Squadron. (03:18) Active Duty ((04:03)  Vietnam (04:10) o His squadron was stationed at Thuy Hoa Air Force Base, Vietnam for 10 days. He and another engineer out of five in the unit were sent to Dà Nang, Vietnam. (04:39) o But because he was an augmentee he did not fly planes but flew with other soldiers. Backs up and mentions what bases he stationed at in the states before being deployed to Vietnam. (04:59) o Briefly describes his journey to Vietnam and then moves into discussing what his job assignment entailed as an assistant commissioned officer at Dà Nang. (05:53) o For the first six months he was there, he was a cantonments officer in charge of vertical construction of buildings, parachute towers, dormitories, and other building projects. (06:05) o Later on, serving as a field officer he was responsible for the building of aircraft revetments and shelters and did runway maintenance. (06:33)  Dà Nang,Vietnam (07:05) o Spent a total of 12 months in Vietnam of which he arrived three days before the start of the Tet Offensive. During Tet, he remembers bullets flying every which way with many rocket attacks as well. (07:17)  In one instance, a rocket exploded just 100 yards away from him. (07:50) o Over the course of his 27 years of military career he mentions receiving various campaign awards and citations. Contact with his family was done by letter, recorder, or signal-side band radio. (09:16) o Frederick describes how with the U.S. Navy’s access to the city they brought in a regular supply of men and supplies to the city. In general, the food was excellent from where he was standing. On a daily basis, Frederick worked 12 hours a day/ 7 days a week. (10:01) o Living conditions (10:08) � When not on duty on weekends, Frederick liked to relax, sleep, and listen to music. (10:47)  Briefly discusses what sorts of pranks he pulled while in the service. (10:58) o Describes what he thought of various officers and soldiers. And also mentions the deep sense of brotherhood felt by all. (11:38) After the Service (12:24)  Going Home (12:30) o Came in through Cam Ranh Bay but left from Dà Nang, Vietnam for home. Spent his last day with officer friends. (13:13) o Briefly describes his flight journey home, of which ended at Norton Air Force Base, CA near San Bernardino, CA. (13:40) o Soon afterwards, his brother picked up him up and he spent 3 weeks in Michigan before taking off again. (13:59 o A few weeks later he was stationed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (14:22)  Adjusting to Home (14:38) o For the next couple of years, Frederick went back to school and got his Master’s degree. (14:38) o Briefly mentions that he kept in close contact with a few military friends. (14:45) o Career-wise, he continued to serve in the armed forces until December, 1993 upon which time he pursued other career endeavors. (15:20)  Reflection (16:26) o Looking back at it, Frederick describes how his military experience influenced him personally. (16:48) o Upon further reflection, he mentions that he was 20 when he had joined up with the Air Force and then he relates his impressions of the men and women he knew and how they shaped him. (17:55) o Wraps up by challenging others to appreciate the sacrifices that our men and women in the U.S. Armed Services do to keep us free. (19:05) o Interview completed (20:27) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FrederickJ Title A name given to the resource Frederick, James (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frederick, James Description An account of the resource James Frederick is a Vietnam War veteran who served initially in the ROTC and then the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1993. In this account, Frederick discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment, and basic training in the U.S. Serving his active duty in Vietnam, Frederick gives one a brief but detailed perspective of what fighting in Vietnam, specifically during the Tet Offensive, was like and his part in it. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sabri, Hannah (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-06-03 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ddc8eb117c857c7aa2fbe059f4b1c04.mp4 9028e140a839023a255c5e70465163d1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/96ab856cf833e20ccef37d9f93027115.pdf 3cf90677ab04769f3e2918fad1eb0395 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Patrick Frederick (14:21) Background Information (00:23)   Joined the service due to a family history of enlisting in the military. (00:25) Patrick enlisted in the U.S. Army due to his desire to become a Military Police Officer. (00:40) Training (00:56)   After enlisting, Patrick was sent by bus to Detroit, Michigan, where he was sent by plane to Atlanta Georgia. He was then sent by bus to Fort McClellan, Alabama were he did his basic training. (1:00) Patrick’s first day of training was his 18th birthday. He was scared. (1:24) Overview of Service (1:45)         He was given Basic training and Advanced Infantry Training. (1:50) He was first stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. (2:11) Patrick was also stationed in Korea, Honduras, and Panama. (2:30) While in Honduras, Patrick’s unit was fired upon. While in Panama his platoon also came under fire just before Operation Just Cause (December 1989). (2:37) While at Fort Carson, Colorado, Patrick pulled over a man who had a warrant out for his arrest for murder. The alleged criminal tried to fight Patrick. Though wounded, Patrick fought the man off until backup arrived. (3:43) While in Panama, two men in Patrick’s company were kidnapped by enemy forces. They were later released alive. (5:31) He was fearful while in a fight in Honduras. He felt ill equipped and caught off guard. (6:06) In Honduras Patrick’s unit was assigned to Black Hawk Helicopters. This was a common form of transpiration for Patrick. (7:19) Life in the Military (7:50)    While stateside, food was good. While in the field, the men almost always had field rations. (7:51) While in the field Patrick encountered many animals including lizards, snakes, spiders, jungle cats, and fire ants. (8:35) In Patrick’s off time he would often write home. (9:34) End of Service (9:50)    His service did prepare him for a career in law enforcement. (9:54) His last day in service was surreal to him. Patrick had been in the military since the age of 18, when he got out he felt like he didn’t belong. (10:28) After returning home, Patrick enrolled in a police academy. (11:10) �   Patrick did make several close friends in the service. He is still in contact with them in 2011. (11:45) He has respect for service members serving. (12:28) Patrick is not a member of any veteran’s organizations. (12:58) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FrederickP1359V Title A name given to the resource Frederick, Patrick (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frederick, Patrick Description An account of the resource Fred was born in Wyoming Park, Michigan in 1920. Most of his family was also born and raised in the Wyoming area. He was drafted into the United States Army during World War II. He served overseas in the Philippines as a truck driver. Fred delivered needed supplies to the troops such as food, water and other essentials. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Frederick, Tanner (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-11-17 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/af65dec0f2170b0580a9b4f3ab654045.mp4 f7f6b227c26d580f73493f0e983d8f77 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d1a442c504e296ea637103a93952cd63.pdf d87ee49ae7890ef1e88a050805e63a0f PDF Text Text Interview Notes (Length: 0:51:29) Raymond Frederick World War II Veteran: Pacific Theater United States Navy: 05/44 – 02/46 (00:00) Early Years: ™ Born in Kansas during the height of “Oil Boom” ™ Father was an oil field worker, came from a ranch in west Kansas near Greensboro ™ Father lost job in 1939 in the oil fields and went back to the area with his family to farm ™ Worked on the farm at 14 years old (1:02)Pre-Enlistment Information: ™ Finished high school in Kansas ™ Married his wife in 1944 just prior his departure into the military. ™ After high school, it was very important to young men to join the military. ™ Hired by friend of his father for farming ™ Joined military in late spring of 1944 ™ Went from a small town in Kansas to the Chicago area ™ There for 10 weeks for Navy training (2:47) Enlistment/Training: ™ Boot camp type of training ™ Mainly conditioning for city people with little physical background ™ Needed to learn how to swim ™ Abandon ship exercises using generic boats ™ Rifle training ™ Lots of marching ™ Learning how to live away from Mom, Dad and/or wife (4:05) Discipline ™ He did not go on report ™ He did not like it that the group would get punished for what one or two people did ™ Night marching used for punishment ™ “Grinder” was the name given to the training ground ™ Some people had problems showering and with punctuality in his barracks ™ He did not have a problem with discipline �(05:27) Basic Training ™ He got a chance to come home for late October (Christmas time) ™ He was sent to Mississippi ™ Gunnery school was a big part of his training there ™ Selected because he had no background education in specialty areas ™ He was put in the Armed Guard, group of individuals to operate the gunnery protection for the individual shifts. ™ Had to be trained to use a five-inch 38, five-inch 51, three-inch 50, 20mm, and small arms weapons. ™ Was at Gunnery School at Louisiana for about seven to ten weeks ™ Fired ammunition over the Gulf of Mexico (07:23) Shipping Out: ™ Caught an LST out of “Treasure Island”, New Orleans to Panama Canal ™ Housed at Cristóbal Naval Base for less a week ™ Caught S.S. “Beruie” going west through canal on December 25, 1944 ™ Assignment to that ship for the next nine months (08:25) Experiences to New Guinea: ™ Hauled gasoline to New Guinea and went back to San Francisco ™ Got seasick, not used to large ships ™ Thought LSG was the worst vessel because it rocked a lot, was on one for about seven days around Cristóbal ™ Likes the ocean, but the vastness of it is overwhelming ™ Thought most beautiful water was the Coral Sea near Australia ™ The ship he traveled on was a solo vessel because the Japanese did not have a lot of submarines to be used as a wolfpack ™ A sister ship ahead of them was hit but they did not answer the SOS because it was often used as a trap for other vessels ™ Didn’t meet any enemy forces directly during voyage to New Guinea (13:09) Merchant Marine and the Armed Guard: ™ Merchant Marine had about 31 to 33 people on board ™ About 24 Navy Armed Guards in charge of protecting the ship ™ The Armed Guard consisted of a full lieutenant (the commanding officer), a Third-Class Petty Officer (Gunner classification), and rest were mostly Seamen. ™ Went from Seaman Second to Seaman First aboard the vessel ™ Jealousy between the two because the Navy was in charge of the protection of the ship and the difference in pay of government and civilian �™ Main mode of operations of the Armed Guard was to prevent enemy submarine crews from boarding and destroying their vessels ™ Merchant Marines did see the Navy as helpful for the most part. ™ The two forces did eat together in a common mess hall (17:22) Experiences at New Guinea: ™ Did not stop on the way to New Guinea, never saw land during voyage ™ He saw some mountains at the coast and surprised at the lack of sand ™ He saw plenty of sand in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean areas though ™ The supplies the ship unloaded were to be used for the push north to Guadalcanal ™ Had to wait two days for an opportunity to unload the cargo because of the traffic ™ While in New Guinea, there was an air raid over the mountains ™ He comments on the fact that if the bombing occurred at the harbor where the 200 ships were docked full of cargo, they would have hit the jackpot ™ Saw a squadron or two of big bombers (dubbed “Bettys”) (21:21) After New Guinea: ™ First went to San Francisco for new load of oil, then to the Admiralty Islands ™ At the Admiralty Islands, his captain got in trouble in the bay area of a small island for smashing things up because he was drinking ™ Damage consisted of a few ships ™ As punishment, the captain was sent to Iran – through the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf ™ Had to drop anchor in the Persian Gulf for a dust-off ™ Collected engine oil that was used for steam-operated ships at Abadan, Iran and transported it to Sri Lanka and New Guinea then to the States ™ Had to stop for food because a Merchant Marine on board took money for the food they were supposed to have, thinking they were going back to the States for more, when the captain of the vessel got in trouble and they were sent to Abadan ™ It was tough dealing with the food shortage ™ The officers in the Merchant Marines were sometimes unreliable ™ The Merchant Marine dealing in the food was in danger from the other Merchant Marines (25:17) Merchant Marines: ™ Most of the Merchant Marines were people were from around bodies of water ™ Two of them were from the Great Lakes area ™ The sea-going Merchant Marine and lake-going Merchant Marine are different because the lake–faring Merchant Marines thought the squalls on the lakes were worse than the ocean ™ Had good communication back then about weather conditions ™ Did not have radar, had to depend on eyewitness reports ™ Merchant Marines came from areas like New Jersey ™ Ship that they were on was built in Pennsylvania �™ Most were heavy drinkers, played poker all night ™ Most did not hold with a “long-range view” of the world (27:57) Second Mate: ™ Job of the Second Mate was to navigate the ship ™ Their Second Mate was very good at navigation ™ He also drank a lot and was temperamental ™ When they pulled into California, they had burned up the furnaces that heated the boilers ™ The equipment had to be replaced, so the boat was placed in a temporary dry-dock ™ After that was replaced, they went to the Admiralty Islands and then back to the States (about a 40 day trip) ™ On the return trip the Second Mate said that he was leaving the boat when they got back ™ He got extremely drunk right when he left the vessel at California ™ The crew shanghaied him and brought him back aboard the vessel ™ After the Second Mate slept it off, he was enraged about being brought back to the ship (30:07) Transferring Ships: ™ “Beruie” went back to Panama Canal and they disembarked and waited five days to catch a new vessel at Panama City ™ “Richard F. John” – Liberty vessel loaded with building supplies, some tanks, and military supplies ™ It headed to the Philippines at a very slow rate ™ Top speed of the vessel could not have been over 12 knots ™ Did not board vessel with the same group of Armed Guards, had two other people that he was with on the other ship ™ Different approach to life, different personality on board the new vessel ™ Merchant Marines did not like the skipper because he was too much like the Navy ™ Less congeniality aboard the new ship ™ Traveled from Philippines to southern part of Texas west of Houston (took about 65 days) (33:09) Off-Duty Time: ™ Drank Cokes and played Pinochle ™ Typically worked for four hours and off-duty for four hours ™ Not a lot of time for sleep ™ Had to stay on watch for renegade submarines ™ Given a rifle and had to watch for sharks in the Philippines ™ He finds it interesting that they were able to get Cokes by the case ™ Liked to play Pinochle because he did not gamble ™ They would also read, but no radio, had to maintain radio silence �(33:55) End of the War: ™ When the war ended their vessel was halfway between the Philippines and Panama ™ Received word over the wireless ™ Continued the same mode of operations even though the war was over ™ Nobody believed that the Japanese believed that the war was over ™ Some ships still got hit by the Japanese military even after the war was over ™ After he got back from that trip he left the ship and took a leave of absence for a month to go back home to Kansas ™ He was discharged from the service after he went back in February ™ He thought a little about staying the Navy because he did not have a job ™ His wife would have hated it if he stayed in the Navy ™ He decided to go back home to “Farm Country” ™ He did not have a lot of success at farming ™ He joined in a partnership with his father to run their farm, which required some business knowledge ™ After calling it quits with farming, he got a job in the oil fields with an oil pipeline company ™ He worked for them for five years, then after downsizing, he went to work for another oil pipeline company that was building a pipeline from Texas to Michigan ™ He then became a safety engineer and was shipped to Detroit where he lived for thirty years before moving to Grand Rapids (38:58) Reflection on Time in the Service and the Middle-Eastern World: ™ Gave him a broader view of the world ™ Did not go to a lot of big cities except New Orleans and a little bit of the West Coast of the United States ™ The Iranians he met were stony-faced, unsmiling and seemed hostile and found the same attitude from the Middle-Eastern population in Dearborn, Michigan ™ They seemed to have an attitude that they would not adjust to the world around us ™ He noticed while on the Euphrates River that on both sides there were people living in shacks and all they did was grow dates and they had no interest in learning about Americans ™ He also noticed that a lot of the Middle-Eastern people still grew dates in Dearborn even though they worked for Ford ™ He agrees that sometimes it takes a generation to become “Americanized” but it seems strange to him that the next generation did not show more interest in it ™ Observed that the Middle-Eastern population in Michigan made no apologies for 9-11-01. ™ Finds the culture very different from his own (45:39) Stories during the Voyages: ™ On the Indian Ocean, they had severe cyclones ™ They got caught in a 100mph wind cyclone and they were sitting high due to an empty hold �™ The captain ordered that the starboard tanks filled with saltwater and that saved the ship from capsizing ™ When they were tipped, the fires in the furnace went out and took about four hours to get the furnaces fired up again ™ He was really afraid and thought the ship was done for during this episode ™ The powerful energy of the storm would cause the ship to bow ™ The noise of the catwalk buckling was loud but it actually stayed together ™ There was a guy drafted called “Pops” because he was the oldest guy around ™ “Pops” got off the ship at Hawaii and got very drunk and could not even get himself on the ship so they had to sway a cargo net over the side and pick him up to bring him on board � 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 FrederickR Title A name given to the resource Frederick, Raymond (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frederick, Raymond Description An account of the resource Raymond Frederick served in the U.S. Navy between 1944 and 1946 in the Armed Guard. He worked with the Merchant Marines in the transport of supplies throughout the Pacific Theater. He discusses what he was doing before the war, his experiences in working with the Merchant Marines, the various places he visited in the Navy and what happened after the war. He also expresses his views on Middle-Eastern culture, both from his exploits to Iran and in the United States. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Merchant mariner Merchant marine--United States Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-01-22 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/d1874c1ee8baadb841d6b34d4c7c679c.mp4 ab94336b4b49478ffde2430e740aa1b2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4e0c6cf12d36ddd15aac5d9ade653d38.pdf 641992afeee644d10103864e0dcf5775 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Frederiksen World War II 41 minutes 50 seconds (00:00:45) Early Life -Born on October 29, 1925 in West Point, New York -Father was in the West Point Band -Sister was also born at West Point -Father had a stroke when he was 29 years old and was discharged -Family moved to Michigan -Had a wonderful childhood -Grew up in Newaygo, Michigan (00:02:20) Start of World War II -He was a teenager when the United States entered the war -Heard the radio broadcast on December 7, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Everyone was shocked -Men from Newaygo enlisted in the armed forces after Pearl Harbor (00:03:16) Enlisting in the Army Air Force -Graduated from high school in 1944 -Enlisted in the Army Air Force on February 3, 1944 -Wanted to be a pilot -Didn't want to live in the elements as an infantryman (00:03:43) Transfer to Radio School Pt. 1 -Originally signed up as an Aviation Cadet, but the Army canceled the program -Offered his choice of Technical School -He selected Radio School (00:04:22) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Took basic training at Miami Beach, Florida -Stayed in a hotel that was taken over by the Army to serve as a temporary barracks -After drills he would go to the beach (00:05:18) Radio Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for Radio School after he completed basic training (00:05:25) Progress of the War -Kept track of the progress of the war via radio -Confident that the Allies would win -Knew they had to win (00:05:54) Radio Training Pt. 2 -Learned about Morse code -Taught about radio maintenance (00:06:09) Gunnery School -Sent to Yuma, Arizona for Gunnery School Note: Most likely Yuma Army Air Field -Had to know how to fire the guns on the bombers -He trained mostly on the left and right waist gun positions (00:06:40) Overseas Training -At the completion of Gunnery School he knew he would be deployed �-Excited to go to war -Sent to Lincoln, Nebraska and was assigned to Overseas Training -Assigned to a bomber crew -Did Air to Ground Gunnery Training during Overseas Training -Shot at targets on the ground from the bomber -Also did Air to Air Gunnery Training -Shot at tow targets (targets towed by fighter planes) -First time meeting the bomber crew was during Overseas Training -Men from all over the United States -Got along with them right away -Like a family (00:08:38) Deployment to Pacific Theater -Sent to Salinas, California and boarded a troopship in California -Sailed to the island of Biak -Joined the 372nd Bombardment Squadron of the 307th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force -Note: Means he would have flown in a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber (00:09:15) Flying Missions Pt. 1 -Started flying missions out of Biak -First mission was against Japanese installations on Celebes (now Sulawesi, island of Indonesia) -Bombed Japanese structures and strafed enemy ships -No fighter escort -There were 12 to 36 bombers per mission -Successful first mission -Took a little antiaircraft fire on his first mission, but no fighter resistance -Remembers on one mission a 37mm shell went through the bottom of the plane -Grazed his back, passed through the top of the bomber and exploded -Had he been any closer it would have killed him -Flew missions almost every day -After missions they unwound by drinking beer and sleeping -As a radio operator he field a “strike report” after the bombers hit (or didn't hit) their targets -Letting command know if they hit the targets, and if so, how much damage they caused -He was the head radio operator for each flight which is why he filed the “strike report” -Never really thought about things in terms of the “big picture” -Just flew the missions until they didn't have to anymore -Got debriefed at the end of each mission -Each crewman was interviewed separately and then those reports were compared -Continued to hit targets in the South Pacific through the rest of 1944 and into 1945 -Advanced to Morotai in November 1944 -Moved to Leyte from Morotai then to Clark Field, Philippines in September 1945 (end of war) -Remembers seeing a lot of Japanese planes abandoned at Clark Field -Bombed Japanese installations in Borneo, Indonesia -Supporting the Australians as they liberated the island from Japanese occupation -On one mission they used up their entire fuel supply as soon as they got back to base -Had to be towed off the runway (00:15:53) Aftermath of Battles -Stopped in Guadalcanal -Saw the damage from the battle in 1942 and 1943 -Stopped in Tarawa -Saw the damage from the battle there in 1943 �(00:16:48) Flying Missions Pt. 2 -In November 1944 he took part in the largest bombing mission in the Pacific Theater -Carried out a saturation bombing mission -Destroyed everything on the ground with no preselected targets -It was cold in the bomber at 30,000 feet -Wore heavy flight jackets and gloves -Sat behind the copilot when he was acting as the radio operator -Fired the waist guns whenever Japanese fighter planes attacked them -Had to be fearless on missions -Had a window next to him in the radio position -Had an on-plane intercom system so the crewmen could communicate with each other -Communicated with the pilot and copilot about nonmilitary topics most of the time -Trying to keep the mood light before they did the bombing run -As they advanced across the Pacific he knew the Allies would win (00:21:28) End of the War -No one knew for sure about the atomic bombs -When he was at Yuma, Arizona there were rumors about the atomic bombs -Japanese peace emissaries stopped at Clark Field -Remembers tall Australian soldiers were lined up on the runway to greet them -Meant to be imposing and reminder that the Japanese had lost -At Clark Field he remembers Japanese stragglers coming out of the hills to eat and surrender -Tattered clothes, visibly starving, and they stunk -Told about the use of the atomic bombs after the bombs had been dropped -Knew that the war was over and they wouldn't have to invade Japan -Meant that the use of the bombs most likely saved his life (00:25:28) Staying in the Army Air Force Reserves Pt. 1 -Decided to stay in the Army Air Force Reserves -Felt a war would start between the US and the USSR -Wanted to maintain his position as radio operator and rank of tech sergeant (00:26:03) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Went to college at Michigan State University -Studied forestry -Left MSU and got a job in Newaygo -Went to college at Ferris Institute (now Ferris State University) -Studied business and accounting -Got a job in business administration and accounting after graduating from college (00:26:33) Staying in the Army Air Force Reserves Pt. 2 -Stayed in the Reserves for a few years after the war -In the Army Air Force for a total of six years -Two years of active duty service and four years of service in the Reserves -Trained airmen as radio operators -Every six weeks he had to spend a weekend doing training (00:28:10) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Married his high school sweetheart after he returned to Michigan -Life settled into a routine after the war and college (00:28:26) Reunions Pt. 1 -Bomber crew got together once in a while after the war -Attended reunions a few time -At least four or five of the crewmen from his bomber are still alive as of 2016 �(00:29:22) Flying Missions Pt. 3 -Remembers when they dropped bombs the plane would jump due to the sudden release of weight -Heard the concussions in the bomber when the bombs hit the ground -Japanese fighters did attack the plane on some missions -Never caused any damage other than a few holes in the fuselage (00:30:37) Reunions Pt. 2 -Met up with some of the men from his unit who lived in the area -One man from Detroit, one from Flint, one from Chicago, and one from Toledo (00:32:00) Transfer to Radio School Pt. 2 -Disappointed when the Army Air Force cut him from the Aviation Cadets -Felt betrayed -Always interested in amateur radio which prompted him to select Radio School (00:32:35) Radio Communications -All radio communications were official -Used a form of Morse code and secret code to communicate with the base -Communicated with the base as little as possible -Only allowed to radio the base after the bombing run -Maintained radio silence en route to the target -Japanese could figure out where the bombers were and send fighters after them (00:34:05) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Eventually became the CEO and executive vice president of Great Lakes Energy (00:34:42) Reflections on Service -Experiences in the Army Air Force and in the war helped guide him as a person -Grew up a lot -Didn't take long to become a man (00:35:34) Visiting Denmark -Visited Denmark in the 1930s when he was a child -Mother wanted him and his sister to meet their maternal grandparents -Sailed to Denmark on the SS Frederik VIII off the Scandinavian American Line -Took two weeks to get to Denmark and two weeks to get back -Grandparents were named Julius and Sofia -Lived in Denmark for nine months in 1935 -Didn't pay much attention to the politics in Europe at the time -He was only 10 years old -Mother paid attention to the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany -When Jewish people were being rounded up she decided it was time to leave Europe (00:37:50) California -When he was in California he remembers sitting in a cable car with two Danish girls -They asked him if he was a Boy Scout and he responded in Danish that he was a soldier -They were so embarrassed that they bought him lunch (00:39:05) Basic Training Pt. 2 -Remembers one drill sergeant named Sergeant Harris -He was a good natured man that laughed when the recruits joked with him -Marched in Miami while civilians watched -Glad he didn't have to train at a base -Ate in a mess hall separate from the hotel -Still had to eat Army food even though he wasn't on a base � 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 FrederiksenR1894V Title A name given to the resource Frederiksen, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Robert Frederiksen was born on October 29, 1925 in West Point, New York but grew up in Newaygo, Michigan. On February 3, 1944 he enlisted in the Army Air Force with the intention of becoming a pilot. He received basic training at Miami Beach, Florida and after the Aviation Cadets program ended he selected Radio School. He received radio training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and then went to Yuma, Arizona for Gunnery School. He joined a bomber crew in Lincoln, Nebraska and did Overseas Training with them before deploying to the South Pacific. He and his crew were assigned to a B-24 Liberator bomber in the 372nd Bombardment Squadron of the 307th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force based on the island of Biak. He flew on bombing missions hitting targets on islands in the South Pacific. Over the course of 1944 and 1945 they moved to Morotai, then to Leyte, and were at Clark Field in the Philippines after Japan's formal surrender on September 2, 1945. He stayed in the Reserves for four years after the war. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frederiksen, Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-30 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) 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/6460928b1157a190169094b16edb9701.jpg 8d234e564e947220603acfa30ef2fe1c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/671ff91bf2dbce0bf4f8ffec9c7582d8.jpg 67addc84f438d4885dc2192a1d661e56 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 Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 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-07_SD-DouglasDunes_0003 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Freeman Studios Title A name given to the resource Twin Gables Hotel Postcard Description An account of the resource Postcard featuring the dining room within the Twin Gables Hotel in Saugatuck, Michigan. The tables shown are white and there is a small wooden bar located behind the tables. The back of the postcard is blank aside from the small typed description in the upper left hand corner which reads: "Twin Gables Hotel. Trophy Bar, 'Homelike Hospitality,' Saugatuck's Most Complete Resort. Located on Lake Kalamazoo, Michigan." Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dexter Press Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Postcards Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by the Saugatuck Douglas History Center as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (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 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/7d086047da9c1749375a75224c015956.mp4 1564900017cdee3b7fd3649838b0e9b7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/16ce4ace3ecda7cc1b5fabe6620551db.pdf 9bd33bb56c025378b3f0bf532f2f2ac9 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam Earl Freeman Total Time – (31:31) Enlistment/Training · Enlisted because he had five other brothers that were in the military o He knew that he could get the G.I. Bill afterwards and go to school · He chose the Navy because he wanted to do as little of walking as possible and because they had technical, civilian related jobs (01:26) · He was living in Phillips, Maine when he enlisted (01:36) · When he got out of boot camp, he had to wait for more training (01:56) o Was in San Diego waiting for a ship to come back from Vietnam with repairs done to it · Stopped in Guam to train with Marines (2:27) · Served in the UVT Active Duty – (02:45) · When he got to Vietnam, he was transferred around on river boats (02:54) · Went by Tiger Island, Vietnam (Ong Ho) o It was an area with a lot of heavy gunfire · Get shrapnel in the sides of their boats o Were able to eventually weld the holes up (03:27) · His mailing address was the USS John S. McCain · Was sent with a reconnaissance unit to re-cover fighter pilot, John McCain o The Vietnamese captured McCain before his unit got there and he became a POW · Wore POW bracelets during the war in honor of John McCain · Went on a mission to recover a space capsule (05:25) · All higher ranking officers were on an aircraft carrier – where all of the astronauts were sent · All parts of his unit worked together in all of their jobs o Sometimes he would serve as gunner, sometimes he would drive the boat (06:27) · Orders were given all day long and he just had to obey them · He spent the majority of his time on the Cua Viet River and River Way (Mekong Delta) (07:45) · You did your orders no matter what o If you were told to shoot something, you had to shoot it (08:13) �· The rivers were very bushy and visibility was extremely low o The Vietnamese had holes in the ground with lids over them o When boats would guy by, the Vietnamese would come out and “light the sky up” (09:00) o He remembers that it was very scary · He never knew when he was going to get shot at · Saw a gun mount blow up that had someone in it o He heard the man moaning afterwards (09:47) · Was involved in earning the Meritorious Unit Citation (10:18) o He earned it by facing combat when transporting 2 Marine advisors, a South Vietnamese general, and Admirals o As they picked up these officials, they sustained heavy gunfire (11:10) o He was driving the boat – drove out as fast as he could § Nobody was hurt and they made it safely to their destination · In order to earn the unit citation, it cannot be just one individual (11:51) · He received the Combat Action Ribbon and the Vietnamese Service Medal – 4 stars for 4 years (12:17) · His mother wrote the captain a letter saying that she was upset that her son had not yet written her (13:32) o The captain then forced him to write letters home and he had to prove that he was sending them · Went to Japan for a couple of weeks for R&R (14:19) · Men entertained themselves at stations along the river o They had make-shift bars, pool tables, etc (15:35) · Traveled to Japan, Philippines, Hawaii, Thailand and Australia (16:24) · He got along with all of his fellow soldiers (17:02) o Never had problems with officers or enlisted men · Feels closer to his fellow soldiers than his own brothers o Always had to trust them – you would always watch each others back (17:48) · Has not seen any of his comrades in over 30 years · He was questioned for an entire day before he was discharged (20:05) · Had to go to see a career counselor that tried to get him to re-enlist (20:21) o Was offered a nice re-enlistment package, bonus, and higher rank of pay After the Service – (21:11) · · · · After he was discharged, he graduated from Wyoming Park High School (21:25) He eventually went to college Became a meat cutter for 14 years He went back to college to become a pipe fitter (21:58) o He has installed fire sprinklers for 15 years (22:10) · Enjoyed the trade school more than college �· After coming back, life seemed normal, everyday life (23:15) o Did not want unemployment because he did not think he deserved it · He is a member of The American Legion (24:34) o He chose The American Legion over other organizations because he felt they do more for veterans · He would like to see a President for the United States that has been in war, that has military experience (26:54) · The military helped discipline him (27:58) · He thinks young people should consider the military for the experience and the ability to travel (29:26) · He would like to return to Thailand (29:59) � 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 FreemanE1120V Title A name given to the resource Freeman, Earl (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Freeman, Earl Description An account of the resource Earl Freeman was living in Phillips, Maine when he enlisted into the Navy. He was greatly influenced by the military experience of all five of his brothers. After waiting for his ship in San Diego, Earl was sent to Guam for more training. From Guam, he was sent to Vietnam to serve in many capacities on the riverboats. The majority of his time was spent in the Mekong Delta. He saw a good deal of combat, and his unit received multiple citations. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hirdes, Scott (Interviewer) Anderson, Melissa (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-05-15 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives