460 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b1581814a0c99c679db02245dcc9ca78.mp4 0dc8b8725ff44d0986165aa7aec461d2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a99e81c2b1f62fb2092382ec2c024c5b.pdf 7998fe448d55827fbf91968b3247ed95 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview PTSD Awareness and Veteran’s Programs Catherine Kooyers 1:17:05 Introduction (00:20)              Catherine was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She comes from a family of military veterans, with her father and uncles having served in World War II and cousins that were in Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. After she married, she moved to Toledo, Ohio and that is where she learned about the need to help veterans. Her main focus was PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). She remembers when she was sixteen years old the boy across the street was killed in Vietnam. While in Toledo, a woman Catherine met had a son that was a POW/MIA, and she helped with raising awareness. (02:45) Catherine graduated from high school in 1969 at Forest Hills. She attended several different colleges: Stotsenberg University in Toledo and she took courses in writing and business at the University of Toledo. (04:23) She did not go to college right after high school; she worked as a telephone operator at Bell Telephone, and then moved up to the motor vehicle department. Catherine was mentored by Dick DeVos when she was younger. (06:10) She was not paying as much attention to Vietnam as she should have. The 70‟s were a time of partying and having fun. (08:00) People distanced themselves from the veterans when they came home. One group that came home would always wear their uniforms and carry guns and knives. This group was also very vocal and intimidating, which caused most people to fear them. While at a county fair, she met some members from this group and Catherine learned about them and who they were. The person that motivated her the most was a POW who had an injured leg and could not be seen for six months. (10:30) Catherine called the VA clinic and tried to appeal for the veteran. This sparked her interest and caused the situation to snowball and she began to fight for their rights. Working for Veterans (12:00)    Catherine began working with this veterans group and showed them how to set up a rolodex, print out a newsletter and start to get organized. Several veterans groups started at this time, but the Vietnam Veterans of America was the only real survivor of these groups and they took the lead. One veteran, Mike Flowers, was instrumental in the making of VVA. He would travel to Washington D.C. at his own expense to discuss veteran‟s rights and the organization. (14:00) �          PTSD was the main cause they focused on. Between 1978 -1979 the need for PTSD treatment came to light. Catherine‟s group formed a PTSD committee, but she was not allowed to act as chair because she was not a veteran, so she was made an honorary co-chair. They began collecting and distributing information about PTSD treatment and received more calls for help than anything. (16:46) At the time, each veterans outreach center had a specialty such as drugs, suicide and finding jobs. No one was addressing PTSD. They decided to open a veteran‟s outreach center in Toledo that focused on PTSD. Catherine also began to learn more about what PTSD was and how it could be treated. As she reached out to the medical community of psychologists, they simply told them to “send your guys to us”. (18:30) They began to create and distribute PTSD monthly newsletters. The next year at the Lucas County Fair, they had a brochure they handed out that talked about PTSD as they had learned about it and how they perceived it to be. Catherine noted a difference between shell shock and PTSD the former being more combat and battle related while the latter is the result from a traumatic event, not necessarily war or combat related. (20:15) Moving Forward – National Recognition (22:06)         VVA chapter 35 was the original committee that helped boost the PTSD awareness campaign. In 1982, the government decided to expand the program for two years. Once that time had expired in 1984, they were allowed to present testimony to Congress. While there, Catherine was able to meet Sonny Montgomery, the creator of the Montgomery G.I. Bill. When they were presenting to the VA and to Congress, they learned quickly not to disclose their sources because those were often times closed after wards. (24:55) At a meeting at the VA, each veterans group (i.e. VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, etc…) did not get along. It was at this meeting that Mike Flowers stood up and said “If we don‟t start working together as veterans, it is going to be the downfall of all of us.” That day they formed what Catherine calls the first „Veterans Coalition‟. (26:36) They also began promoting job fairs, in order to clean up their image, find a job, have a successful interview and drug counseling. 1984-1985 was the year of the big push for veteran‟s rights, and things really started to take off then. (28:43) With the anniversary of the fall of Saigon, in 1985, public support steadily rose and more awareness also grew. Around that time Catherine helped bring the mother of a soldier killed in Vietnam to the memorial wall in Washington D.C. Everything was donated for her to go including a new dress and the plane tickets. When they arrived, a television camera crew showed up to film and take pictures of her there, but the park rangers told them no shooting was allowed. They did it anyway and the pictures were used to close out the broadcast day. (32:27) �Looking Back Over the Past Forty Years (33:29)            A lot has happened that was good for veterans, but much more is still needed. The veterans outreach center that Catherine had been fighting for since 1984 in Toledo was finally built in 2008. (34:04) One veteran she met at the wall was cracking jokes and was very nervous. She could tell that he didn‟t think it was funny, it was nervous laughter. He was a Vietnam veteran whose wife wanted him to see it. After talking with him, he told her that he wasn‟t prepared for that, and he started to cry. (36:50) He related his story to Catherine, and he lost 38 soldiers in Vietnam and he was the only survivor from his unit. Even though she cares about veterans, the program needs veterans to be involved as well for it to work. (38:20) Today, some veterans either deny they have PTSD or are unaware of the fact that they may have a problem. (43:30) Each case is very different and personal. One thing that Catherine can do for veterans is to help them take care of things like beginning college and doing everyday things that they may need help with. (47:20) There is a difference between World War II vets and others, when asked they will just say they did what they had to do. They also live more frugal lives and save and go without because of their memories from the Depression. (49:20) The Korean Veterans that Catherine encounters feel like they were forgotten; stuck between the heroes of WWII and the vocal veterans from Vietnam. Patriot Guard, which is present at fellow veteran‟s funerals, helps to reach the veterans that seem unreachable because it is something that they can connect too. (51:31) Veterans’ Divisions (55:06)         Vietnam veterans are very diverse: Whites, Blacks, Native Americans and Asians. Each of these groups stayed away from each other for a long time. They don‟t know how they fit together, but Catherine has told them that they each had a similar experience and that they should get along. (57:08) Once at one of these meetings, the group was fighting and she made the mistake to try to stop it. She ended up being shoved against the wall with scissors held to her throat. Education is the key, we need to inform the public and teach our children about veterans and the struggles they went through. (59:50) Most of the people getting involved are the children and grandchildren of veterans who want to learn about their experiences and how they can help them. (1:01:24) A large amount of the veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan listen to older veterans, because they know in their mind something is not right. Some have survivor‟s guilt because they made it home while others did not. (1:04:30) Cross guilt also exists in veterans who did not go into combat because they feel that they didn‟t do as much. Getting veterans to events like Landing Zone Michigan and veterans functions at Grand Valley State University is a huge step in reaching them. (1:06:42) �       Computers have made a big impact on information and being better educated. These resources have helped veterans connect to others and become affiliated with veteran‟s organizations. (1:08:20) One concern that Catherine has is the suicide rate amongst veterans. The rate is not measured by day, but by minute. (1:10:20) She used to work on suicide watches that would rush out to veterans that were thinking about suicide and would talk them out of it. Education is the best way to deal with these issues. Legislation also needs to be pursued to make sure that veterans are represented and spoken for. (1:12:30) Cleaning themselves up and maintaining a healthy, reputable image to make them more respected. Catherine‟s historical timeline of veterans history is the 60‟s when everybody was torn apart, the 70‟s was a time when things were happening but we weren‟t sure what, the 80‟s were the critical turning point, where Congress became involved and the VA starting looking forward. (1:15:37) She thinks that the Vietnam Veterans of America really stand out because they were the ones that really started the movements that Catherine has worked so hard for over these years. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KooyersC1432V Title A name given to the resource Kooyers, Catherine (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kooyers, Catherine Description An account of the resource Catherine Kooyers was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and comes from a family of veterans. After she got married, she was working at a local fair when she first encountered Vietnam veterans. From her experiences, Catherine quickly realized that work needed to be done in veteran organizations and that work needed to be done in the field of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Catherine was part of a PTSD committee that formed and fought for the VA (Veterans Affairs) to provide services to veterans that they had not previously received. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-08-02 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/24ac16db7d36d40da24a319c22046a5e.m4v 7bd82c8340aa9b6ace9b70961af408f2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bc31ab1ce2f1978f298f636aae02e04f.pdf f11522a11291585b4fab1b3e4f32e868 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Harry Kooyman Cold War/Vietnam War 55 minutes 43 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born in the Netherlands in 1944 -Known as the “Starving Times” because of the Second World War -Mother couldn't produce enough milk to feed him -She used milk from a cow with Hoof-and-Mouth Disease -This resulted in Harry getting very sick and nearly dying -Born in a village near Rotterdam -Family moved to the United States when he was four years old -Started out in New Jersey then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the early 1950s -Started on a farm in New Jersey then father became a day laborer in Grand Rapids -Father found work with Reliable Cartage in 1953 -Trucking company that serviced A&P Grocery Stores -Mother's uncle lived in Grand Rapids -One of the relatives that sponsored them when they were working on citizenship -Convinced them to move from New Jersey to Grand Rapids -Attended Mayfield Christian School -Went to Grand Rapids Christian High School -The church provided his family with a scholarship -Church wanted children sent to Christian schools (00:03:57) Enlisting in the Navy -Went to an Air Force recruiter in Grand Rapids and said that he wanted to be a pilot -Told that he did not have the requirements to be a pilot in the Air Force -Went to the Navy recruiter and asked if he could enlist to become a pilot -Recruiter said he could -Enlisted in the Navy in 1962 -He was 17 years old, so he needed his parents' approval -They supported him (00:05:28) Cold War -Kept track of major Cold War events in the 1950s and early 1960s -There was still a lot of positivity and optimism in the country in the early 1960s -Remembers when John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in February 1962 (00:05:49) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Reported for training on June 27, 1962 -Completed his basic training in September 1962 -Basic training lasted about 10 weeks -Went from Grand Rapids, to Detroit, to Chicago -Remembers being greeted by a drill instructor screaming at him and the other recruits -Told his serial number and ordered to never forget it -As of 2016 he can still remember it -The first few days of basic training consisted of getting uniforms and information about the Navy -Took literacy and physical exams at Fort Wayne, Michigan before going to Great Lakes Naval Station �-Took an aptitude test at Great Lakes Naval Station and was asked what he wanted to do -He said he wanted to be a pilot, so he was placed in Naval Aviation -Told he would be an aviation electronics technician -Large part of basic training was learning how to think as a part of a unit -If you made a mistake, then you and your unit were punished -Had to psychologically adjust to life in the Navy -Had personal and barracks inspections almost every day -Trained by career officers -One of the trainers was a World War II veteran -He was a good man -Received a lot of physical training -Went in skinny and came out of basic training with 20 pounds of muscle -Mornings consisted of classroom instruction -Afternoons consisted of physical training -Two thirds of the original recruits were washed out or recycled -One recruit was discharged because his father died -A few men tried to commit suicide and were discharged -Some men couldn't pass the written tests or the physical exams and had to start over (00�:12:02) Electronics Training Pt. 1 -Given two weeks of leave after basic training -Sent to Memphis, Tennessee for advanced training -September 1962 to March 1963 -Eight hours of electronics training every day in Memphis -Started off with the basics of electronics and then worked up to complex electronics -Designated as an Aviation Electronics Technician Airman -From Memphis he was sent to Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia for specialized training (00:13:30) Cuban Missile Crisis -Remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 -Told to be aware of what was going on -Woke up one morning and saw soldiers sleeping on the floor of the barracks -Never saw so many aircraft in his entire life -Convinced that the United States and the Soviet Union were going to war (00:15:15) Electronics Training Pt. 2 -First part of electronics training in Tennessee was learning about electronics in general -One month before leaving Memphis he volunteered for flight duty -Only one of ten men selected -Sent to Naval Air Station Glynco for specialized training -Worked with classified electronics equipment used in radar planes -Part of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) (00:16:30) Civil Rights Movement -There was a lot of Civil Rights activity in the south -He had never had any problem with black people -Saw a segregated bathroom and a segregated water fountain in Tennessee - “Colored” water fountain was filthy and not taken care of by the city -Told to stay out of Civil Rights politics -KKK tried to come onto the base in Memphis -Got up to the guard towers and turned back without incident -Brunswick, Georgia (near NAS Glynco) was very segregated -Befriended a black technician in training �-He couldn't go to movies or restaurants with Harry due to the race laws (00:19:23) Electronics Training Pt. 3 -Completed training in Georgia in June 1963 -Worked in a module on the ground at NAS Glynco -Exact replication of the type of aircraft he would be working in -Could not take study material out of the module -Worked with radar equipment and electronic countermeasures -Learned how to collect radar information from enemy planes and resist electronic attacks (00:20:51) Stationed in Hawaii Pt. 1 -Sent to Naval Station Treasure Island, California -Transfer station to receive orders -Flown to Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii -Near Pearl Harbor -Rural area surrounded by sugar cane fields -There were 2,500 men in his squadron -Largest squadron in the Navy -There were patrol, antisubmarine, utility, and helicopter squadrons at the base -Deployed once a month for two weeks per month to go on patrols over the eastern part of the Pacific -Flew from Midway to the Aleutian Islands and then return to Midway -Flights lasted 14 to 16 hours to fly from Midway to the Aleutians -He worked in the Combat Information Center (CIC) as an Electronic Countermeasure operator -Did everything but fly the plane -Had a lounge area and an eating area on the plane -Flew in a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation -Four engine, turboprop aircraft -Went on to flying in the Boeing 707 -There were 20 to 30 men on the plane -Had two crews, and they switched every four hours -Stationed in Hawaii for two years (00:24:08) Downtime in Hawaii -Had two days off after each deployment -Had three days off before each deployment -Visited Honolulu and Waikiki Beach to meet girls -Played a lot of cards during downtime -Relaxed atmosphere and not too many people in the 1960s -Sometimes the military personnel were seen as intruders by the Hawaiians -Teenagers were the most antagonistic -Former military personnel were positive toward servicemen -Locals wanted the servicemen to spend money (00:26:45) Stationed on Midway -Not much to do at Midway when they weren't flying out of the island -A lot of birds at Midway -Flew into aircraft when they took off or landed -Post-flight and pre-flight took three hours -Spent most time on Midway sleeping -Had a movie theater, bowling alleys, and a basic TV station -There were military families on Midway -There was a high school �-Servicemen played sports games against the students -Housing on Midway was very clustered -He lived in barracks close to the airstrip -Went swimming (00:29:08) Aleutian Islands -If they had engine troubles or deliveries to make they stopped on Adak or Kodiak -Always landed during the winter -Windy, cold, and much more intense than Michigan winters -Had to refuel the plane once on the Aleutian Islands -Even in winter weather gear he felt the wind cutting through his clothing (00:30:15) Stationed in Hawaii Pt. 2 -Arrived at Hawaii in June 1963 and left in March or April 1965 -Squadron was decommissioned (00:30:38) Vietnam War -The Tonkin Gulf Incident happened in the fall of 1964 -Had to stay on the base when it happened -Thought they were going to be sent to Vietnam -Incident deescalated -After a while they were allowed off the base for four hours -And a little while later they were allowed off the base for 24 hours (00:31:40) Assassination of President Kennedy -At Hawaii when President Kennedy got assassinated -Took off at 9 AM Hawaii time on November 22, 1963 -Came back later in the day and nobody greeted them on the runway or answered the radio -He got off the aircraft and brought a ladder up to the aircraft -Walked into the barracks and nobody was there -Went into the TV room and everyone was there -Told that President Kennedy had been assassinated -He was shocked -Traumatized the whole country -Memorial services held at the chapel at NAS Barbers Point -Chapel filled up for every memorial service (00:34:20) Encounters with Soviet Aircraft -Noticed Soviet “Bears” (Tupolev Tu-95, strategic bomber) in American airspace -They were checking American reaction time -If they saw a Soviet plane they relayed their finding to NORAD -NORAD contacted fighter squadrons in Alaska to go and scare off the Soviet bomber -US government didn't want any more surprise attacks after Pearl Harbor -His squadron provided radar coverage of the majority of the Pacific Ocean (00:36:10) Stationed on the USS Bennington (CVS-20) -Asked where he would like to be stationed for the last six months of his service -His preferences were not taken into consideration -Placed on a ship headed for Vietnam -Allowed to visit home in March (or April) 1965 before reporting for duty -Shocked to be back in cold weather -Spent one or two weeks at home -Visited his parents and his future wife (girlfriend at the time) -Knew Vietnam War was escalating -Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were getting more aggressive �-Assigned to the USS Bennington (CVS-20), an aircraft carrier -Antisubmarine squadrons on board -Boarded the ship in June 1965 -Joined the ship at Pearl Harbor -Assigned to VS-38, an antisubmarine squadron -Flew the S2E -Twin-engined and effective aircraft -Went on the WESTPAC Exercise -Sailed to Yokosuka, Japan then to the Philippines then to Bangkok, Thailand -Made very few flights as the plane captain -In charge of the entire aircraft -Had to make sure repairs were made and everything on the plane worked -S2E carried two pilots and two technicians -Had some experience with observation work -Flew night missions that lasted four hours -Flew search and rescue patterns over the Mekong Delta and the Vietnamese coast -Took pictures of boats in the Mekong Delta and off the Vietnamese coast -Viet Cong were using sampans and small boats to offload supplies from trawlers -Flew very low and fast -Did visual observation -Radar didn't work with wood boats like sampans -Had to avoid getting shot at -Never got shot at to his knowledge -Never saw any muzzle flashes (00:43:23) End of Service & Coming Home -Left the USS Bennington in August 1965 -Ship resupplied in Yokosuka, Japan and that's where he left it -Wanted to go to college and was allowed to leave early because of this -Given two hours notice that he could get off the ship and go home -Stopped at Naval Station Treasure Island, California -Not a lot of encouragement to reenlist -Released from service just before Secretary of Defense McNamara extended everyone's service -Worked in an office at Treasure Island before being discharged -Had to find sailors with “bad time” (spent time in the brig) and extend their service -Families were waiting for their servicemen -Watched as they received their extensions and were deployed to Vietnam -Probably the worst day of his life -Discharged so he could attend college at Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) (00:47:09) Life after Service -There was not a lot of antiwar activity in Grand Rapids -Remembers blood drives being held at Grand Rapids Junior College for the troops in Vietnam -Transferred to Western Michigan University -More antiwar activity there -Stayed quiet about being a veteran -Married by the time he got to WMU and lived in married housing -He and his wife befriended another veteran and his wife and spent most time with them -Started with a major in Drafting Technology -GI Bill went into effect, so he decided to go to college for four years instead of two -Changed his major to Industrial Education �-Taught for Grand Rapids Public Schools for 20 years -Taught at Grand Rapids Community College and at Jordan College as an adjunct professor (00:49:15) Progress of Vietnam War -Followed the news on the Vietnam War -Friend from middle school/high school was killed in action in Vietnam -One or two month(s) after Harry got out of the Navy -Brother-in-law enlisted in the military in June 1967 -Watched everything that happened in Vietnam (00:50:07) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -He wasn't a good student in high school -Navy taught him that he had to be a good student -Learned how to study -Got the second highest exam score on his final electronics exam -Lonely time in the Navy -Being in the Navy prompted him to reconnect with his high school girlfriend -Led to them dating and eventually getting married in November 1966 (00:52:49) Contact with Home -Wrote his girlfriend the entire time he was in the Navy -There was a two week delay in getting letters when he was in the Navy -Had to pick up letters at Midway or at Hawaii -Called collect to phone home -Cost $1 per minute to call his family or his girlfriend (00:53:53) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Learned about how different people live -Appreciation for different individuals -Made friends in the Navy that he is still friends with -People he would die for, and he knows they would die for him -Completely different mindset than being a civilian -A lot of civilians, especially now, don't understand the military mindset � 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 KooymanH1897V Title A name given to the resource Kooyman, Harry (Interview outline and video), 2012 Description An account of the resource Harry Kooyman was born in the Netherlands in 1944 and his family moved to the United States when he was four years old. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and after high school he enlisted in the Navy in 1962. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and naval aviation electronics training in Memphis, Tennessee and Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia. He was assigned to a patrol squadron at Naval Air Station Barber Point, Hawaii from June 1963 to March/April 1965 where he flew patrols from Midway to the Aleutian Islands in search of Soviet aircraft. In April 1965 he was assigned to the USS Bennington (CVS-20) and served with VS-38 an antisubmarine patrol squadron. He flew observation missions over the Mekong Delta and along the Vietnamese coast until he was discharged from the Navy in August 1965. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kooyman, Harry Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--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 2012-11-12 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/90a74f02691f68bb9bd4913a02dee321.jpg a57bd15987bd88d7091f6c3371bb5ae5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KopperlSheldon_Photo01 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Kopperl, Sheldon Description An account of the resource Sheldon Kopperl, Health Sciences Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cd79a9f944c36e96deaee370795b2ee0.jpg 537a184367cb78a08b1b26128f977ef0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KopperlSheldon_Photo02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Kopperl, Sheldon Description An account of the resource Sheldon Kopperl, Health Sciences Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9021a04ec1ec2c1bcf81cb8165f71d6c.mp4 eb4057df76ce50dc047b0e323c3a4eb7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f295b995b9051fe61575462a6bd8fa88.pdf 99983daec1f4b19dab3a9407a5f96dd6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Duane Koshork (43:12) (00:08) Background Information • • • • Duane was born in Wisconsin in 1925 His family moved to Chicago, IL when he was a baby Duane’s father was a machinist He enlisted in the Army Air Corps (02:35) Training • • • • • • • Duane did basic training at Jefferson Parish, Missouri in 1943 He signed up to be a cadet but was denied because of high blood pressure Duane was assigned to be a sheet metal worker He went to San Antonio, TX to do fundamental sheet metal training After that he was sent to Akron, OH for supplemental training on fuel cell repair Basic training lasted 3 months; he was in Texas for 6 months and Ohio for 1 month Duane was sent to Riverside, CA for deployment (07:18) Deployment • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • They loaded onto a troopship and crossed the Pacific Ocean in 30 days Along the way they stopped once for a day in Melbourne, Australia The ship landed at Bombay, India There were 10,000 troops on the ship and they sailed alone Duane’s first day on the ship he did kp duty, but was too sea sick to do it the rest of the time At Bombay they boarded a train and went across India for a week He was stationed outside of Calcutta, India so he would go there on his days off The people of Calcutta were nice They stayed outside of Calcutta for about a month They loaded all of the trucks onto a train and headed to Ledo Road, which was connected to the Burma Road Duane was a rider in the truck and had to do kp and guard duty His unit was divided into 3 convoys and they would stop to camps at night to sleep They went through the jungle and didn’t see anything but a tea plantation Their destination was Kunming, China and it took them about a month to travel 1,079 miles The convoys hauled gas for planes �• One night they heard shooting and found out it was American GIs shooting to celebrate VE Day • On the trip they saw the aftermath of an air drop bombing (21:48) Kung Ming and Shanghai • • • • • • • • • • They reached Kunming and were put into barracks Kunming’s population was about 500,000 at the time Duane was put into a radiator repair shop and fixed C-46, C-47, P-40, and P-51 planes The living arrangements were nice There were USO plays and movies He spent almost a year in Kunming Duane visited the Western Hills Temple on leave When they heard about the atom bombs being dropped, they didn’t believe it at first and then they were glad that the war was ending Duane was moved to Shanghai and was assigned to be a MP from December until April, 1946 They could go into Shanghai and go to the race track to play golf or ride horses (31:48) Discharge • • • • • • • • There were less people on the way home and it took less time The ship landed in San Francisco and they unloaded Duane was discharged in May, 1946 He stayed with his parents for a while and then got married Duane went to Northern Illinois State Teachers College for 3 years He then went to Michigan State University for a masters degree in therapeutic recreation In 1989 he retired Now that he is retired he reads, plays golf, travels, and attends WWII reunions (37:25) Old Memories • • • On one of his first nights in India he went on guard duty and saw eyes coming from the jungle, when he yelled halt he found out it was civilians going back to their villages with lights on sticks for seeing snakes A friend of his went to the latrine at night and they heard him yell so they went to check on him, they found him frozen with fear because there was a giant python above him Another night when he was going on guard duty he heard a noise in the kitchen and asked the guard who was getting off duty what it was; the guard said it was a gorilla, so they went to check on it and it was a spider monkey banging pots together �DUANE W. KOSHORK. was born on May 6. 1925 at Pardeeville. WI. His family resided in Chi­ cago. IL where he at­ tended South Shore High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943. received basic training at Jefferson Bar­ racks. MO and ground crew training at Chanute Field. IL and Kelly Field. TX . Koshork was a mem­ ber of the 69th Depot Repair Sqdn, of the 30 Ist Air Depot Group assigned to the China Theater. He was based in Kunming. China after traveling across India and the Ledo-Burma Road . In 1945 he was transferred to Shanghai where he served in the mili­ tary police. Upon discharge in 1946. he attended Northern lllinois University. receiving a &emf} $4pIIl. degree in education. followed by an MA degree from Michi­ gan State University. During this period he married Gloria and they have three children: Barbara. David and Lori. Koshork was employed by the Veterans Admin­ istration as a corrective therapist; was State Director of Day Treatment Centers for the severely mentally handicapped; served as adjunctive therapy director and held administrative and executive positions with the Michigan Dept. of Mental Health. He retired in 1989. and he and Gloria reside in Grand Haven. MI. � 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 KoshorkD Title A name given to the resource Koshork, Duane (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Koshork, Duane Description An account of the resource Duane Koshork was born in Wisconsin in 1925 and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 and did sheet metal training. After about 10 months of training in the US Duane went to Bombay, India on a troopship and then travelled by train across India. They got to Calcutta, India and loaded their trucks on to a train. Then they unloaded their trucks and hauled plane fuel from the Ledo Road to the Burma Road. Duane ended up in Kung Ming, China where he worked at a radiator repair shop on an airbase until the war was over. He was then sent to Shanghai to be a MP and sent home in April, 1946 to be discharged. Newspaper clipping about Koshork is appended to interview outline. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McCauslin, Kelly (Interviewer) Spring Lake District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Air Force World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-11-28 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/9cfbda3aab441a94659ff2a0baba46f4.m4v 64fc47310662c650a85ed6140eb16a01 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ccecabe8fbead858b809e7ab0c69206d.pdf bb90889f957a9a363a63b1e104840ac2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Lawrence Koster Length of interview: (54:58) (00:37) Early Life       Lawrence (Larry) was born on May 13, 1935 in Grand Rapids Michigan His father was an auto mechanic and his mother was a housekeeper o Lawrence had an older brother and a younger sister o Three of his uncles served in World War Two; two served in Europe and one served in the far east He remembers that most goods were rationed during the war. He graduated high school in June 1953 o Though the Korean war was going on, he didn’t think that he would be drafted After graduating, he went to Calvin College for two years and took math and science courses o One of the classes he took was a correspondence course. He learned about radio theory and television Larry couldn’t continue with this type of coursework at Calvin but he saw that he could do similar work in the military o He decided to enlist for three years; eleven months of his enlistment was going to consist of schooling (5:15) Military Life     Larry was able to select his job in the military as long as he could manage the work He reported for duty on April 26, 1956 o He traveled by train to Detroit and from there, they were taken to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri o There they were placed in a coal-heated barracks and issued army cloths. While they were at Leonard Wood, they had to complete tedious tasks such as leveling off large piles of rocks After three to four days, they were sent to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training o Fort Hood was located in a desolate area. Larry was placed in Company C (out of four training companies) (10:10) The training consisted of marching, learning how to follow rules, exercising, and firing weapons o Drill sergeants yelled at them frequently in order to keep the men in line. Some of the instructors were veterans of the Korean War o During the months he was training (May and June), Fort Hood was extremely hot. He had to opportunity to go off base but he wasn’t interested in leaving �        o Though he was assigned to the 4th Armored Division, he didn’t receive any armor training After eight weeks of training, Larry returned to Grand Rapids for a short leave (14:10) When his leave was up, he was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas for Air Defense School o He bunked in a large room with eight other men. The buildings were nice than the ones at Fort Hood The schooling began with basic math o The men taking the classes ranged from high school to college graduates. A lot of them had little knowledge of basic math so the first 12 weeks were spent on core skills o After the basic skills, he went on to complete an additional 30 weeks of schooling. This additional schooling was for learning the computer system of the Nike Ajax Missile o There were a series of tests that determined what sort of problems the system was having. Vacuum tubes caused the most problems. Although there were a lot of dust storms in the area, the equipment stayed relatively clean and secure from the weather The Nike Ajax was an air defense system o It had a radar that showed all aircraft in a particular area. An additional radar allowed the operators to lock on to a particular aircraft and follow its course. When the missile was fired, the radar would lock on to the target, allowing the missile to hit its mark (21:55) The schooling was more relaxed that basic training o Larry attended classes for 40 hours a week and when they transitioned to the Ajax System, his class time decreased o They didn’t go out to the range at all during the schooling. It was comparable to attending civilian college. He wrote a lot of letters to his girlfriend Nancy and exercised at the gym When he was sent home on leave for Christmas, Larry married his girlfriend Nancy o There were no accommodations for married couples on base so he rented a small house located several miles from Fort Bliss o Lawrence’s wife had worked as a secretary at an insurance company in Grand Rapids; this experience allowed he to land a job at Prudential Insurance Company in El Paso People in El Paso treated servicemen well Larry completed his training in June 1957 o A lot of the men were given the opportunity to go to different Ajax sites around the United States. he was given the chance to stay in El Paso, and he accepted o He was assigned to a radar park, which was a large field where a lot of the radar systems were located. There were three large vans (large trailers) where each type of radar was placed o They tracked aircraft flying near the El Paso Airport and Biggs Army Airfield but they weren’t working with live missiles �     (30:40) During this time, the Soviet Union was creating its own missile systems o When Sputnik was launched, Larry and his group was put on alert. There was speculation that the carrier part of the rocket would land in the south western part of the United States. Larry and several other men watched for several hours to see where it would land; however, they never saw it In the radar park, there were five or six men assigned to each radar set o The men worked in shifts. Every day, they went out and checked the equipment to make sure everything was functioning properly for each class that came in o The people he worked with were from various backgrounds and not all of them were college graduates He taught students how to maintain the Ajax system. He showed them how to run diagnostics and pinpoint particular issues On several occasions, he would cause issues to occur so that the students could learn how to fix them o This was often done by installing a bad vacuum tube. He sometimes exited the vans from a window and disconnected a wire outside. It took the students some time to figure out how to solve the problem (39:40) When his time was up, he was encouraged to reenlist but decided to finish college instead o A year after Larry was married, his wife gave birth to a baby girl o In April 1959, his time in the service was up. Three months before that, the army started to offer proficiency pay to those who qualified. Larry took a proficiency test and got the highest score in his battalion. This earned him an additional 30 dollars (42:20) Post-Army Life    After leaving the military, he accepted a job at IBM o He had to go to Kingston, New York for five months of training. The training was done on the Sage Computer, an air defense system built by IBM and operated by the air force. o IBM had a contract with the air force to maintain the system (some of the largest computers ever built). Larry worked for IBM for 36 years full-time o He worked in Syracuse for a year and worked on a large system that consisted of two computers working together for air defense o He eventually got into software programming and was able to code his own programs. o After his son was born, he transferred to Poughkeepsie, New York and worked in a lab. He also finished his degree in mathematics While he was working in the lab, he helped research new computer chip technologies In 1984, the software organization he was with moved to North Carolina o Larry worked in computer design and programming. In the late 1980s, several overseas companies started to make products with similar codes as IBM. He was involved in litigations work until his retirement from IBM in 1995 �o   In 1996, he continued to work three days a week at IBM In 2010, he and his wife moved to Michigan to be closer to their children Larry is grateful for his time in the military because he met a lot of good people and it allowed him to have a career at IBM � 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_KosterL1763V Title A name given to the resource Koster, Lawrence R (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-14 Description An account of the resource Lawrence Koster was born on May 13, 1935 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After attending Calvin College for two year, he enlisted in the army with the idea that he would be allowed to finish his degree. Since his test scores were high, he was given special training to maintain the Nike Ajax Missile system. Once he completed his training, he was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas where he trained recruits in the maintenance of the Ajax Missile System. He discusses the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during this time. When he left the military, Lawrence took advantage of his electronics experience and went to work for IBM. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Koster, Lawrence R. 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 Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> 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/a498043ee4b6ef6f075ca9075f19afb3.mp4 3115c2663e480a6c5b9c877a3ae4475b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/97b26097aa6649c22a20c9b0897c1f8f.pdf ad8441662756e52ad81a9aff83e866af PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Nickoli Kotchka (00: 29:25) (0:45) The early years (West Virginia) • Born July 26, 1915 • Lived in East Gulf, West Virginia which was a coal mining town o Father was a coal miner • Attended school in a two-story building that had a total of 8 classrooms • Moved from West Virginia to a farm in Michigan o Attended 7th grade in Michigan (3:35) The Michigan farm • 40 acre farm • 2-3 cows and some chickens, pigs, horses o Sold the cream and eggs in town o Horses were used to pull the plows—there were no tractors back then! (5:30) Life in Michigan • Mom had cancer so Nick dropped out of school to help his dad take care of the farm and his mom • Used to go to the 7th Street Drug Store in Grand Rapids for medicine for his mom o A Polish family ran the store which is why Nick’s family went there (since they were Polish too) o The adults would often talk in Polish ƒ Nick spoke both English and Polish (7:15) The Depression • Lived off the farm and vegetable gardens (8:35) Jobs • Worked at Grand Rapids Brass for 2 years and then went to war (9:05) Pearl Harbor • Heard about it on the news and heard FDR’s speech o Nick always listened to the news (9:45) Draft • Drafted into the Army in 1942 • Went to Africa and then on to Sicily • Basic Training took place at Camp Horner, Texas (11:15) Italy • Germans were staked out in the mountains • Nick’s division went around behind the Germans • Nick’s division did not suffer too many casualties • From Italy went to France and then on to Austria (15:35) The end of the war (Austria) • Stopped in Austria because the war was over �• • In Austria, Kotchka saw lots of German soldiers marching and surrendering Did not see any fighting in Austria since the war was over but did see fighting in Italy and France o Did not see any fighting while in Africa either • Kotchka never was injured, “never got a scratch” (18:37) After the war • Stayed in Europe all summer • Did not have to do anything o Did a little bit of sight seeing but mostly slept (19:40) The ship ride home • Traveled home by ship o Kotchka never got sea sick but he was one of the lucky few. He saw practically everyone else on his ship get sick. (20:20) Home • Worked at Sparta Foundry for 30 years o Making piston rings, etc. (21:25) Marriage • Got married in 1947 o Kotchka knew her family growing up however they did not start dating or taking interest in one another until after Kotchka returned from war • Had 3 sons – Bill, Tom, and Joe o One set of twins and then another boy • Plane Crash involving Joe o Joe was going to Florida for a bowling tournament with a friend o Left Sparta Airport at 8 am but while flying over Tennessee, they encounter a terrible storm o While flying at 200 feet, the storm flipped the plane over and the plane crashed o Both Joe and the friend lost their lives in the crash (24:50) Grandchildren • Has 7 grandchildren o 6 girls and 1 boy (25:40) How the Army Impacted his Life • Kotchka felt the service was like a vacation since he never got a scratch while serving (although there were a few close calls). (26:28) Food in the Army • Food was pretty good o Lots of spam (27:50) Letters from home • Received quite a few letters from home during the war • Still has some of the letters � 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 KotchkaN Title A name given to the resource Kotchka, Nickoli (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kotchka, Nickoli Description An account of the resource Nickoli Kotchka is a World War II Veteran who served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945 in Africa, Italy, France, and Austria as a member of the 15th Infantry 3rd Division. Soon after Pearl Harbor, Kotchka was drafted into the Army and sent to Europe. Kotchka discusses his time in Europe and some of the fighting in Italy, as well as his life after the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-25 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/314dc6ffa182580f244e2a1ffabbb485.jpg b881c145ee0f9b5e1f4258a4316a018c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KovachRichard Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Kovach, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Kovach, Seidman College of Business Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2cebbbecd0e33dc9012788e37e7f8af6.jpg dc9b489e763942ab95e7232e8770c980 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KovatsDaniel Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Kovats, Daniel Description An account of the resource Daniel Kovats, Music Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c00297a8894e22ee3797fd79a10e8b11.m4v 37f497b1e1baff90b3bf89692fa82645 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aa8dbabb714f1ee4a3ff44991bc32709.pdf ff1dfb7492b70e9e162e6aeaa508fa3f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Alfred Kowalewski World War II 1 hour 8 minutes 9 seconds (00:01:13) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Memorial Day, 1925 -Father had lived in Poland and Russia before moving to America when he was 18, or 19 -Mother was born and raised in Grand Rapids -Older brother was killed in action in World War One just before the Armistice -Family was paid $300 by the government -Father worked at a furniture factory -He was a meticulous worker -Had three sisters and one brother -Brother died in 1972 from a heart attack -Older sister died in a car accident -Husband and her children survived the crash -Other sister is still living -Other sister has since passed away from cancer -Went to St. Isidore's Catholic Elementary School -Went to Catholic Central High School -Graduated from there in 1942 (00:08:07) Enlisting in the Navy -He studied at a National Youth Administration school in Grand Rapids -After graduating from high school in 1942 -Welding and machine school -Decided to go into the Navy as opposed to getting drafted -Enlisted in July 1943 -Given a basic physical exam to make sure he was healthy enough to serve (00:10:23) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Enjoyed basic training -Did a lot of marching -Did gas training with tear gas -Learned how to put on a gas mask in a gassed environment -Received survival training -How to use pants or a sheet as a floatation device -Discipline didn't bother him -Tried to volunteer to be a tailgunner on a torpedo plane at the end of basic training -Not old enough (00:12:11) Diesel School -Sent to Chicago for Diesel Mechanic School -Stayed there for six weeks -Visited his aunt a lot and went to Mass �-One time sat through three Masses waiting for his aunt to pick him up (00:13:30) Amphibious Training -Sent to Little Creek, Virginia for amphibious training -Got up in the morning and started the landing craft -Went out on Chesapeake Bay for maneuvres -Half of the landing craft wouldn't start -Did that for six to eight weeks -Sent to Fort Pierce, Florida for advanced amphibious training (00:14:29) Deployment to the European Theatre -Went to Panama City, Florida to wait for a ship -Got redirected to New Orleans to pick up a ship there -Received more training there -Boarded a ship and sailed up the East Coast -Went to Nova Scotia then sailed to Iceland -On April 6, 1944 at 2:30 in the morning he was in the engine room of his ship -Part of a 40 ship convoy -Heard explosions -General quarters were sounded and he went to his gun position -Germans had torpedoed the ships on each side of his ship -Couldn't stop to help any of the men in the water (00:17:00) Training in England to Prepare for D-Day -Went to Falmouth, England -Operated out of Weymouth, Portland, Southampton, and Plymouth -Training how to move supplies between England and France -Heard reports of Landing Ship, Tanks being sunk off of Slapton Sands, England -Happened on April 28, 1944 during Operation Tiger; preparation for D-Day -The ships were attacked by German E-Boats (similar to PT Boats) -Over 700 men were killed in the attack -Note: 946 killed, 200 wounded -The attack during Operation Tiger was kept secret for years (00:19:37) D-Day Invasion Pt. 1 -Started loading troops and supplies for D-Day -England was a massive staging area on the eve of the invasion -Ships, guns, and supplies spread out all over England -Saw British Spitfires flying out to intercept German bombers -Started moving across the English Channel, but had to turn around due to bad weather -Orders changed and they received word to launch the attack on June 6, 1944 -Unreal to see 5,000 ships sailing toward France -His ship was carrying 25 tanks as well as jeeps and soldiers -Had breakfast on the morning of June 6 and a priest held Mass for everyone -Boarded a landing craft along with 30 infantrymen and they were lowered to the water -Rendezvoused with the other landing craft waiting for the order to attack -Received the order to invade; they formed a line and charged toward the beach -Water was deeper than expected -Men stepped off the landing craft with 70 pound backpacks -Half of them drowned before they got to shore �-German machine guns opened up on them immediately -Soldiers were ripped apart before they got to shore, body parts flying everywhere (00:23:22) Stationed on Omaha Beach Pt. 1 -After the beachhead was secured his crew stayed on Omaha Beach for about one month -Unloading supplies from ships to sustain the advance into France -Remembers a massive storm on June 19, 1944 that sank more ships than the Germans on D-Day (00:24:30) USS Cheboygan County (LST-533) -He was stationed on the USS Cheboygan County (LST-533) -Landing Ship, Tank (nicknamed Large, Slow, Target by the men) -Carried 25 tanks -Carried two Higgins boats (landing craft for infantry) -Could carry 32 infantrymen and 4 sailors -Had a plywood body and a steel ramp -Very little armor and no protection from machine guns or mines -Underwater Demolitions Teams tried to clear out the mines -Unable to get all of them though -Saw a Higgins boat vaporized by a mine on D-Day (00:26:33) D-Day Invasion Pt. 2 -The sector he landed at on Omaha Beach was the place where 2,000 men were killed -Most likely Easy Red -His position was the engineer tending to the motor on the Higgins boat -Not allowed to try and rescue the wounded, or recover the dead during the invasion -Had battleships bombarding the German positions -Could feel the concussions from the artillery -Tried to get tanks ashore using a large inflatable skirt -Called Duplex Drive tanks (nicknamed Donald Duck tanks) -Dropped off too far from shore and only two made it to shore -Communications were limited to walkie talkies and hand signals -Remembers that it was chaotic and there were bodies everywhere -Explored Omaha Beach after the invasion -Saw bodies and personal possessions scattered everywhere -Saw family photos, realized the men had been husbands and fathers -Got no sleep, and just had to keep going -General Eisenhower prepared two letters -One saying the invasion failed and he took full responsibility -The other saying the invasion was successful and a new front had been opened (00:33:00) Stationed on Omaha Beach Pt. 2 -Stayed with the Army on Omaha Beach as Allied forces advanced inland -Slept in a pup tent and ate canned soup -Also had K Rations and C Rations to eat -Liked C Rations better because they had more substantial food items -K Rations were basic and meant for survival �-Ate better when he was on a ship -Spam, fruit cocktail, and bread (00:35:17) Prisoners of War -Brought 700 German prisoners of war to England -Mix of German regulars and Polish conscripts -Some of them spoke English -Brought 300 liberated Polish prisoners of war and 18 Polish nurses -He could talk to them because he was raised speaking Polish -They were surprised that an American spoke fluent Polish -They thought he was in the Polish Navy -Remembers a Polish prisoner talking to an American soldier -Pole asked if the American was a German -American said yes and the Pole started choking him -Didn't understand that the American's heritage was German -The Poles had tattoos on their arms from when they were in a German prison camp (00:38:08) Stationed in England -After a month on Omaha Beach he returned to England aboard a Liberty Ship -Upon returning to England he boarded the USS Cheboygan County -Sailed between England and France delivering supplies -Got to visit London twice -Saw Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Coronation Chair -Germans started to use V1 and V2 missiles against England -Targeted London most of the time -The British people took all of it in stride -Learned they were good people that would do anything to help their allies -Got to know some British civilians and soldiers -Went to pubs with them -Remembers that the English had superb ale (00:41:13) Battle of the Bulge -On Christmas 1944 he sailed with the LST-533 to Le Havre, France -Sailed up the Seine River to Rouen -Armed and ready to fight if necessary -Mission was to bring supplies to Allied troops fighting in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge -Belgians and Allied troops were desperate (00:43:44) Contact with Family -Able to write his family a lot -The day after D-Day he wrote home and told his parents about the invasion (00:44:17) Reflections Pt. 1 -Enjoyed England and the English people -Never felt terrified during his time in the Navy because he always had a love of adventure -Felt that joining the Navy afforded him more safety -Felt natural being in the Navy since he grew up fishing and being on the water �-Had a lot of good men in his crew -Mix of Minnesotans, New Yorkers, and Michiganders; everybody got along -Had a good captain (00:46:04) Downtime -A lot of men gambled to pass the time -Played cards and threw dice -Heard about one soldier that made $2000 before D-Day -Spent it all because he didn't think he would survive the invasion -Got to go home on leave before being deployed -While waiting to go overseas he was in New York -Boarded a train and learned it was going to Canada -Eventually got off the train at Buffalo, New York -Shared a bottle of whiskey with a Canadian soldier (00:48:37) End of Service, End of the War, & Post-War Duty -Got disharged in March 1946 -Came back to the United States in late May 1945 -War was still being fought in Japan -In December 1945 the crew of LST-533 received orders to take supplies to Florida -Crew was angry that Christmas leave was cancelled -Sailing out of Providence, Rhode Island -Ran into a bad storm off the coast of New York -Had to turn back because the ship was taking on water -Ship was put in dry dock and the men got to have Christmas leave -In July 1945 he got 30 days of leave -Preparing to go to the Pacific Theatre for the invasion of Japan -At the end of his leave the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered in August -People were running around in Grand Rapids celebrating the end of the war -When the war ended all of the men expected to be discharged immediately -Learned that they needed 85 points to be discharged -Points given for length of service, combat, rank, and dependents -In March 1946 he went from New Jersey to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Got discharged there (00:52:48) Coming Home -Took a train from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana with his friend -Friend decided to drive him back to Grand Rapids from South Bend -Ran out of gas around 3AM and they pushed the car to a gas station -Friend had to turn back and Alfred hitchhiked back to Grand Rapids -Parents were happy to see him and celebrated his homecoming (00:54:46) Reflections Pt. 2 -People were willing to sacrifice for the war effort -Men enlisted without hesitation -Civilians donated scrap metal, grease (to make explosives), and live on rations -Father and sister worked at a B-24 factory -Relatives and and men from his neighborhood were in the service �-A classmate was was overboard in the Atlantic Ocean -A cousin was killed in action -A neighborhood friend was killed in action when the USS Houston sank -People gave up a lot to help out during the war -After the war, things improved and jobs came back -Believes that the Great Depression prepared people to help each other and live with less -Working on farms with his brother and brothers-in-law prepared him for work in the Navy -People helped each other, and he feels that we have lost that -He was able to talk about his experiences without problems, but most men didn't -Feels that the war traumatized other men more -Initially tried to get into the Army Air Force as a pilot -Took the test and passed, but there weren't any open slots -Enlisted in the Navy after that -In retrospect, he's glad that he didn't become a pilot since so many died in the war (01:02:36) Monkey Story -While working on Omaha Beach he spent some time sleeping on a ship -The man in the bunk above his had a pet monkey -The man was away on duty and the monkey was screeching -Al grabbed the monkey and covered it up like a baby, and it fell asleep with him (01:04:34) Life after the War -He didn't use the GI Bill after the war -Went to work after getting out of the Navy -Worked in an automotive factory for a while and various other jobs -Met his wife, Helen, and started a family -He was part of the American Legion for a while, but got busy with raising his children -He is now part of a new veterans' organization -Still busy around the house though and babysitting his great-granddaughters � 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_KowalewskiA1779V Title A name given to the resource Kowalewski, Alfred Eugene (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-06-05 Description An account of the resource Alfred Kowalewski was born on Memorial Day, 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In July 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training. He went into Chicago for Diesel School then on to Little Creek, Virginia to receive amphibious training. In March 1944 he boarded the USS Cheboygan County (LST-533) and sailed to England. En route he witnessed the sinking of multiple ships in their convoy. He trained in England preparing for the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 and on D-Day took part in the invasion. He served aboard a Higgins boat as an engineer and helped land troops at Easy Red Sector at Omaha Beach. He helped with supplies on Omaha Beach after the beachhead was secured and then operated out of England helping transport supplies and troops to mainland Europe and also bringing German prisoners of war, and freed Allied prisoners of war back to England. During the Battle of the Bulge he transported supplies to Allied forces in Belgium. In late May 1945 he returned to the U.S. and prepared for the invasion of Japan. After Japan surrendered in August 1945 he was stationed on the East Coast until he returned to Great Lakes Naval Station in March 1946 and got discharged there. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kowalewski, Alfred Eugene Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/acd038172e18bcd1123cb0a3c648fbac.mp4 257387d169c3b9900616c49f4e25307f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7202d58e1f1676eabcbf4fe062f83b61.pdf 78e9be9ee2cda2a54f2bdc968fb1b282 PDF Text Text Bernard Kraai United States Army World War II – European Theatre 1:17:00 00:07 Introduction: - Born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1919. - Graduated from high school in 1936. - His father worked at a piano factory. - During the depression, his father lost his job, so his mother assisted financially by baking bread and taking in the wash. - He worked for Western Union while in high school. - He also worked in a shipping department of a factory right out of high school until 1942. - He worked at Keller Tool Company making pneumatic tools for the war efforts. - There was a major gender shift in the workforce during the war, including in the factory at Keller Tool. - He felt pressure to enlist in the military before he was drafted. - He does not remember any of the women having any problems while working in the factory. - Single and married women worked in the factory. - Received his draft notice in March 1944. - Had to go to Detroit, Michigan for his physical. - There were many men who did not pass the physical. 06:10 Basic Training: - Received his notice to report in June 1944. - Went to Fort Sheridan, Illinois to receive clothing and equipment. - He remained at Fort Sheridan for 4-5 days. - He was then sent to Camp Croft, South Carolina by train. - The train ride took 2 days. - The drill instructors were good to the men. - Half of the training period was sent in one battalion, and then sent to another to finish the training. - Basic training consisted of a lot of exercise as well as weapons training. - He was trained on an M-1 Rifle. - He had no problem with the training, he felt the food was good and the officers were polite. - Spent 17 weeks in South Carolina. 10:30 Voyage Overseas: - After basic, he had a 10-day furlough. - He was then sent to Fort Meade, Maryland, for processing. - He was then sent to New York to load the Queen Elizabeth to go overseas. - The ship did not need an escort across the ocean. There was an air escort for one day out of New York and one day before England. �- The voyage took four days. He landed in Scotland. They could only have two meals a day because there were so many troops aboard. He crossed the ocean in November. Once they arrived, they took a train to Glasgow, and then to Southampton England. They remained in Southampton in four days. 14:50 Moving to the 80th Division: - Was part of a replacement unit in France. - Took a train to the 80th division. - The 80th division was in the south of France and was supposed to go to the East to Germany. - The replacements trained for a few days with the troops before heading out. - The division had taken many losses at the battle at the Moselle River. - The company had been replaced over six times, since they made their way into France, until the end of the war. - He joined a mortar unit. - He was the gunner in his unit, with a 60 millimeter mortar that weighed 42 lbs. He had to carry the entire mortar through France. 18:45 Battle of the Bulge: - Did not know exactly what was about to happen. - The weather was not bad when they began to move towards the battle. - The men traveled to a small town in Luxembourg and stayed in the homes of residents. - They walked from Luxembourg onward. - Made first contact with the enemy a day or two before Christmas. - The Germans fired one shell in the troops’ direction; this is when he realized this was really war. - On Christmas Eve, the men could hear Silent Night being played over a loudspeaker. - On Christmas, they started to move into position. - The day after Christmas, they began their move towards Bastogne. - They began taking mortar fire from the Germans. - At one point, he got down into a depression from a tank. - He was hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel, it missed his helmet and went into the side of his head, and it did not penetrate his skull. - He was unconscious, and had a concussion. - A medic came to him, bandaged his head and he was sent to the aid station a couple of miles away. - The field hospital was set up in tents. - He was laid up for 8 or 9 days due to his wounds. - He went straight to his unit after being released from the hospital. - On the way back to the front, he received a 1903 rifle, which was more accurate than the M-1. �- More replacements had joined his division while he was in the hospital, due to heavy losses during the attacks. 30:00 Movement through France and Second Injury: - While moving through France, Luxembourg and Belgium, the towns were basically deserted. - The men spent many nights outside in the snow. - To keep warm, the men would wear two pair of long underwear, two sweaters, field jackets, and overcoats to sleep. - There were very few times that the men could bathe or wash their clothes. - The food was scarce while moving, they would live on K rations and C rations. - The men would eat the chickens left in the towns to eat. - While the men were beginning their push toward the Rhine, the men traveled through pitch-black conditions. The men began crossing a swamp and came to a fence. Once the men cut the fence, a parachute flare erupted. - Nothing happened after the flare erupted. - They came across a group of German troops, who didn’t fire at the men at all. The Germans were then taken prisoner. - They came into contact with more Germans, who shot large mortars at the allies. He took a piece of shrapnel in the arm after a mortar exploded after hitting a tree. - His injury required surgery due to the amount of debris in the wound. - He took a plane to Paris and remained in the hospital for seven weeks, until the end of the war. - Recalls the hospital being very modern at the time. - Toward the end of his hospitalization, he took part in physical exercises to maintain his fitness. - The mobile injured would sneak out of the hospital to go to downtown Paris. - There were also organized trips for the troops, including a trip to the Notre Dame Cathedral. - The relationship between the Parisians and soldiers; many of the soldiers did not speak French. - The soldiers were told not to mix with the civilians. - He was in uptown Paris on the day the war ended in Europe. - There were many people walking around with a bottle of wine on V-E day, but not a large celebration that he saw. 47:00 Germany and Yugoslavia: - Returned to his division soon after the end of the war. - His division was on the Italian border in Austria. - They were ready to move into Yugoslavia in case of attack by Tito. - The German Fourth Army came up from Italy and surrendered their equipment to the 80th division. - Many of the men in the 80th division took many weapons from a large pile of equipment in a field. - The German military was still in full uniform, and were of regular military age. �- - There were rumors of German SS troops in the mountains surrounding the 80th division ready to shoot the allied troops. They moved into Germany after Austria. They were supposed to guard the Radio City Rockettes for two days while they were in Germany entertaining the troops. They were stationed in middle Germany for about two weeks, and then moved into Bavaria for occupation duty. He was placed into a civilian home with another soldier that could speak German. The son of the homeowners came home from the Russian front and was given the job of town policeman. The people he stayed with were very nice, and they would do favors for them in return for their kindness. They found out about the atom bomb from the German civilians. At first, the soldiers didn’t fully believe it until they heard the news from military men. He tried out for a choir with a chaplain, and moved daily from town to town to perform. Once the chaplain left, the chorus disbanded, but division headquarters wanted entertainment for the troops so they got back together again. They then lived in hotels while they traveled and performed. At one point, they performed for Generals Eisenhower and Patton. While traveling, he was able to tour castles in Bavaria and traveled into Czechoslovakia. 1:00:30 Czechoslovakia: - There were no fears of Soviet occupation while he was in Czechoslovakia. - He lived very well in the area, they lived in a hotel, and had a barber cut their hair once a week and shave them every day. - He found out that he had word be sent home on a emergency return. He had no idea why he was being sent home at the time. - Once he went to the division headquarters, he was told to head home. - He wanted to go to Munich to the 3rd army headquarters to find out why he was being sent home. They had no more information than anyone else. - He took a train to Paris, contacted the Air Corps to see if he could take a plane home, however it would have taken over a week. - He met with another soldier who was trying to get home, they went to the coast and got aboard a ship to head home. - Once he arrived in the states, he found that his father was dying of cancer. - Because his father was not going to die imminently, he waited for a week to be discharged. - Once he was discharged, he received a travel ticket that was supposed to pay his way home, but once they arrived in Indianapolis, they found Greyhound was on strike. - They took a small bus to South Bend, Indiana, and another to Benton Harbor, Michigan. - The five guys heading for Michigan started hitchhiking. - They flagged down a taxi that brought the men north to Muskegon. �1:08:00 Returning Home and other memories: - He returned to work at Keller Tool Company. - He divorced his first wife, and married his second, who he is still with. - He became a supervisor at Keller and remained there until he retired. - Many of the German soldiers would wear American uniforms during combat. - The company that he worked for gave all of the men who served a large book to record their military memories in. - He has served on the honor guard for 25 years. ����������������������������������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KraaiB Title A name given to the resource Kraai, Bernard (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kraai, Bernard Description An account of the resource Bernard Kraai was drafted into the US Army in 1944, and served in Europe with the 80th Division in late 1944 and 1945. His unit participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the advance into Germany. He was wounded twice, but rejoined his unit each time, and at the end of the war his unit marched into Austria, to the Yugoslav frontier, and eventually into Czechoslovakia. After the war ended, he joined a choir recruited from his unit and toured the region with them until he was discharged. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Kentwood, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American 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 2008-06-30 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/48ed9f34ecba0b4a59e11378075fe3f0.mp4 9c96273a015882a5176fc713315f4191 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a591bf0598f2d7315772b73cf7a5c3e1.pdf 30a71efc570c8440576a846907b965f4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Al Kraker World War II 1 hour 46 minutes (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Allendale, Michigan on June 26, 1924 -Grew up in Allendale -Hadn't travelled further than fifty miles from home before he was in the Army -Came from a farming family -Family had a farm before the Great Depression -Lost the farm during the Great Depression -Retained a small piece of property -During the Great Depression he worked for other local farmers -Did manual labor and worked with heavy machinery -Weeded by hand for 10¢ an hour -Helped clear swampland with a Caterpillar -Learned about vehicle repair at an automotive garage that was between home and school -Frequently stopped there after school to learn more about cars -Had a radio in their home, but rarely used it -Due to his mechanical knowledge he was able to help with repairs in the home -Went on to be useful knowledge in the Army -Eventually led to him doing wiring on neighbor's houses after the war -Graduated from high school in 1942 -Went to work at Keeler Brass -After that worked for a boat company in Holland, Michigan -Building wooden, thirty six foot, diesel powered landing crafts -Worked there for four months until the defense contract expired -Went to Muskegon for a job interview with two of his friends -He got the job, but they didn't -He had to decline the job because he relied on car pooling due to gas rationing -Went to Grand Rapids, Michigan to get a job with Rapistan -It was a new company that needed employees -He got a job, but his friends didn't -Had to refuse again because he relied on car pooling -Founder of the company reevaluated the hiring decision -Hired his friends as well -Wound up returning to work there for forty four years after the war (00:07:26) Getting Drafted -He received his draft notice in December 1942 -His friends had gotten their draft notices at the same time -He was called up for service in February 1943 -Reported for basic training in March 1943 �(00:08:07) Basic Training -He was sent to Camp Crowder, Missouri for Signal School -He was initially placed in an automotive mechanic's school -The officer teaching the course had no idea what he was doing -He brought this to his commander's attention and was assigned different duty -Rather than train with the rest of the men he was able to work on trucks for three months -He was still allowed to take part in the graduation ceremony at the end of basic training (00:10:06) Applying for Pilot Training -At the end of training he decided that he wanted to try and be a pilot -Signed up for that and took a lot of tests -Training company commander pulled him aside -Told him that he should wait until he was a little older to become a pilot (00:10:54) Downtime at Camp Crowder -Could get a pass every two weeks to go into Joplin, Missouri -A river ran through the city and there were parks that lined the river -Enjoyed going to those parks (00:11:55) Deployment to the European Theatre -He then applied for officers' training and was accepted after the Army Air Force rejection -He was then told to go wait for a train that was scheduled to arrive at 1 AM -Train never came -Went back to base and waited around for three days -Got another notice to go to the train station -Finally got on a train that was bound for New York City -In New York he boarded the USS Monticello -Bound for North Africa -It was an Italian cruise ship before the war and had been converted into a troopship -There were 7,000 men on board -It was incredibly hot and cramped -Fed twice a day at 4AM and 4PM -Only given a cup of oatmeal and an apple for each meal -Could go on deck just once a day -Monitored by Marines to make sure no one tried to hide on deck -Left the United States in July 1943 -Part of a 200 ship convoy -Protected by ships that were looking for U-Boats -It was a slow convoy because they were travelling with fuel ships -Had a problem with their propulsion system -A steam engine exploded killing a few sailors -Lost power as a result and were left behind by the convoy -Engines were repaired and a day later they caught up with the convoy -Got to see the Straits of Gibraltar after they passed into the Mediterranean Sea �(00:18:10) Arrival in North Africa -Arrived in Oran, Algeria -It was a beautiful, natural port city -A friend of his had landed there six months earlier and had his ship torpedoed -By the time that he arrived in July 1943 the Axis forces had been pushed out of Africa -The first week he was there he got a fever -Turned out that he had contracted malaria -Spent two weeks in a hospital (00:19:45) Joining the 591st Signal Depot Company -He joined his company and there was a repair section that worked on generators -He was selected to repair generators and assumed they were smaller generators -Turned out they were larger generators used to power buildings -He was ordered to repair one of those larger generators -Managed to do it without any formal training -He was assigned to the 591st Signal Depot Company -Attached to the 34th Infantry Division -They had lost a lot of men at the Kasserine Pass -He was not received well by the older men in the unit -They believed that 'kids' shouldn't be fighting a 'man's' war -He also had a run in with the company commander -Al had not been introduced to military etiquette and discipline in basic training -He answered casually to the company commander who took exception to that -He stayed with the 591st for one year (00:24:09) Working with the 591st -There was a period for a few months where he worked eighteen hour days, seven days a week -Used 100 octane gas to get grease stains out of clothes -Company commander wouldn't allow anyone to go into the mess hall with dirty clothes -He was able to work fairly independently on projects -Had 100 Italian prisoners of war -He was given six prisoners to help him with basic maintenance tasks -All of the prisoners were farmers that had no experience with machines -None of them spoke English and he didn't have an interpreter that spoke Italian -They stayed behind when the 34th Infantry Division moved into Italy in September 1943 -Airplanes would come in in the morning to deliver damaged machines -At the end of the day they would fly out with the repairs done -A lot of machines were damaged due to negligence and stupidity -For example: running a motor until it ran out of oil (00:29:09) Living Conditions and Discipline Problems in North Africa -They lived in tents a few miles outside of Oran -There were six or seven other companies in the same area -Each dealing with specialized tasks �-Had a portable radio that had been salvaged from a jeep -When they went into town with the radio the children would follow them -Fascinated with what they were hearing on the radio -The relationship between U.S. troops and the civilians was not good -A lot of U.S. troops would scam civilians out of money -The civilians would sneak onto the base to steal equipment -Sometimes he and the other men would have to work until 1 AM -Then they would have to deal with the company commander -He would randomly wake them up at 2:30 or 3 AM to pick up cigarette butts -Three men couldn't handle it and wound up committing suicide -This went on until a congresswoman inspected the base and interviewed GIs -After that things improved -He applied to become a paratrooper shortly after the congress woman visited -Just as a way to get out of that unit -Company commander also stole vehicles and equipment -Used it to pick up local girls and have sex with them (00:37:12) Airborne Training -He went for an all day physical exam to become a paratrooper -Had bad vision in his right eye which should've barred him from Airborne service -The medical examiner was an old friend from high school -Approved him for Airborne training -Went to southern Italy for Airborne training -The first day there he had to jog five miles without stopping -The second day he had to jog ten miles without stopping -The third day, and every day after that, he had to jog twenty miles without stopping -Started with 650 applicants -If you fell over and lost consciousness you were allowed to continue training -If you just quit you were washed out and sent to the infantry -Received training with different rifles and the bazooka -On their way to their first training jump they saw British paratroopers doing a training jump -One of those men had a faulty parachute and fell to his death -On his fourth training jump he was carrying a forty five pound machine gun -It was a windy day and he had a hard landing -Resulted in a few crushed vertebrae which led to a month in the hospital (00:44:01) Assignment to the 10th Mountain Division -He was sent to a replacement camp after recovering -Went on five mile marches every day and set up mortars for live fire exercises -At 3PM they packed up the mortars and went back to base -There were 7,000 men at the replacement camp -The goal was to keep them occupied so that nothing bad happened -He was there for about one month �-Received orders to join the 10th Mountain Division -Got some more training with them -They were scheduled to go into northern Italy to push out the Germans there (00:46:14) Appendicitis -On the day that they were supposed to go he went to the hospital -Had been complaining of abdominal problems -Turned out that he had appendicitis and needed to have it removed -He was at that hospital for one week -Treated by an older doctor that believed bed rest really meant not leaving the bed -The patients were transferred to a hospital in Naples -Had to wait an hour to get a bed -Asked a nurse if she could get him something to eat -Told him that after so many days he would have to do it himself -Problem was, he couldn't walk, so a friend of his went and got him some food -Had to get used to walking again -After he recovered he was sent to another replacement camp -While at the hospital in Naples he saw some of the paratroopers that he had trained with -They had done a combat jump and were severely wounded in the resulting fighting -Made him thankful that he had gotten hurt on the training jump (00:51:32) Traveling Italy -While at the second replacement camp the 10th Mountain Division had their last battle -This would have been in late April 1945 -Every morning he would go to the bulletin board to see if he was getting reassigned -Spent a lot of time doing more weapons training -Finally got orders to join a unit -The unit he had orders for was the 591st Signal Depot Company -Decided that he would rather not rejoin that unit -Hopped a freight train in hopes of traveling to Germany -Brother was in the 3rd Armored Division and he wanted to visit him -While recovering from the vertebrae injury he wrote a letter to his old company commander -Told him what he really thought of him -Hadn't seen his brother in four years -Couldn't get on an airplane in Rome because he had the wrong kind of uniform -Hopped another train and went to Naples -Boarded a plane that he thought was bound for Germany -Stowed away in the cargo hold -Co-pilot went to check the cargo and found him -Told Al their destination was Burma, not Germany -Al got off the plane and went to Caserta thirty miles north of Naples -It was serving as the headquarters for the Supreme Allied Commander -Went there and said that he was lost and showed them his orders -Spent a whole day in a colonel's office �-Made contact with the 591st and sent for a jeep -Wound up sleeping in the colonel's office -When the colonel came back he was angry that Al slept in the office -Until he realized that a jeep had never been sent -Prior to going to boarding the plane in Naples Al knew where the 591st was -He had no money, and no food -Hitchhiked to the camp and got there around 2AM -Started looking for the cook that he had been friends with in Africa -Found him and woke him up successfully -Got some food then went back to Naples -After that is when he reported to Caserta to go to the 591st (01:05:00) Rejoining the 591st -Eventually rejoined the 591st -Expected to be berated by the company commander -Didn't see him for three days -On the third day the company commander asked Al to see him in his office -Told Al that he didn't want him in the 591st, but they needed him -They were going to the Philippines, but the other men didn't know -Started to receive additional training from a lieutenant from the infantry -The man had zero experience and Al didn't feel like getting killed by incompetence -Told the company commander that he wouldn't train under that lieutenant -The company commander agreed (01:09:06) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -The men were deeply depressed when they were told that they weren't going home -Sailed on an APA across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Panama Canal -Crossed the Pacific Ocean without any escorts -Ship was crowded -Got a job with the crew so he didn't have to just sit around doing nothing -Placed on the garbage detail -Sorting trash and dumping it overboard -Kept him busy for a few days -Got sent a frying pan, a carton of eggs, bread, and a crate of oranges -Gifts from the cook that got Al the job -Stopped in Hollandia, New Guinea to refuel (01:15:02) Stationed in the Philippines -Arrived in Manila -Set up tents -Waited there for a couple days for a ship to take them to Cebu, Philippines -During that time the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered -He contracted dysentery and was sent to the hospital -Ten days of treatment and seventeen shots -He got eight shots in his left arm and two in his right arm �-Arms swelled up and he couldn't feed himself -Had to spend an extra week in the hospital recovering -Eventually rejoined the 591st -Not allowed to do any heavy work for a month -Spent a lot of time going into Cebu (01:18:39) Returning to the United States -He went back to the station hospital and still had dysentery -In worse condition than he thought he was -Got the shots again, but they didn't help -Started getting sores due to the heat -Head surgeon decided that he needed to be in a colder climate to recover -Boarded a hospital ship and set sail -On the third day they hit a typhoon and the ship lost power -Ran into a man that he went to high school with -Had to eat standing up -The waves were fifty feet high -Had to cover the smoke stack so water wouldn't get into the engine -Had to tie themselves to the bed so the waves didn't throw them out -Eventually got power back to the ship -Only pulling five knots though (roughly 5.7 miles per hour) -After the ship's power was returned the captain decided to take the northern route -Sailed up to Alaska -Had ice all over the ship that was a foot thick -Able bodied patients had to chip the ice -Sailed down the West Coast and pulled into San Francisco on January 10, 1946 -Spent a week in a hospital in San Francisco (01:27:17) End of Service and Coming Home -Boarded a train and went to Mayo General Hospital in Galesburg, Illinois -Spent a couple months there -After six weeks he was given a pass to go home -Wasn't able to hitch a ride home -Most people were reluctant to help a soldier -Only ever got as far north as Benton Harbor, Michigan -At the end of his stay at the hospital he had four days of dentist work done -After that he was discharged from the Army -Took a train to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Got to his sister's house at 1 or 2 AM (01:30:47) Life after the War -He went back to work at Rapistan -Had waited eighty days because he was hoping to start his own automotive garage -Decided that he didn't have the finances to do that -Worked on an assembly conveyor -Got transferred to a position on a steel shearer -He decided to get into home building so he quit Rapistan -Didn't have the money for that either so he went back to work for Rapistan �-One day he was out driving by Allendale -Saw a hitchhiker and decided to give him a ride -Hitchhiker shot Al and then pulled a knife on Al -Al managed to disarm him and got control of the pistol -Hitchhiker fled the car and Al tried to shoot him -Pistol's firing pin was broken -Another driver found Al and took him to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids -He was treated by a a surgeon that had treated men in World War One -Had surgery without anesthesia -Passed out and regained consciousness five days later -Took a year to fully recover -Went back to work at Rapistan as a purchasing agent -Eventually got promoted and ran the department for twenty five years until he retired (01:44:15) Reflections on Service -Helped him grow up -Learned to keep his mouth shut -In a way, it led to him returning to work at Rapistan after the war and he enjoyed his career � 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_KrakerA1742V Title A name given to the resource Kraker, Alvin (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-09 Description An account of the resource Al Kraker was born in Allendale, Michigan on June 26, 1924. He grew up there and when he was older learned about engines at a local automotive garage. After graduating from high school in 1942 he was drafted in December of that year and reported for basic training in March 1943. He was sent to Camp Crowder, Missouri where he spent three months working on trucks. In July 1943 he was sent to North Africa and arrived in Oran, Algeria. He was assigned to the 591st Signal Depot Company in a repair section working on generators. He was stationed there for a year until he applied for Airborne Training. He trained in Italy until he suffered a severe back injury on a training jump. After recovering he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, but was unable to see action with them due to a case of appendicitis. He was eventually reassigned to the 591st and went to the Pacific Theatre with them in the summer of 1945. He was briefly stationed in the Philippines, but contracted dysentery and had to be sent back to the United States after Japan surrendered. He was sent to a hospital in Galesburg, Illinois to recover and was discharged from the Army in early spring 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kraker, Alvin 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. 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/0c31e8e4c946c8a472c235c424edd893.jpg 631479cfc96029c87332e3dd95546b2c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_001452 Title A name given to the resource Krakow streetcars Description An account of the resource In August 1975, Grand Valley, in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Polish Heritage Society and the Grand Rapids School System, sponsored a study tour to the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State College Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Students International students Poland Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1975-08 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives color photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/407328b809fd82cd774a0fb78e934e11.jpg e5158ee4ccb405ed702ac4f69af8cdd0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_001464 Title A name given to the resource Krakow, Poland city map Description An account of the resource In August 1975, Grand Valley, in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Polish Heritage Society and the Grand Rapids School System, sponsored a study tour to the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State College Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Students International students Poland Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1975-08 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives color photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a91995e6e343477dafadd9b53504e086.jpg e7fe58d05aeeb760da8a4a887261619e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_001463 Title A name given to the resource Krakow, Poland street Description An account of the resource In August 1975, Grand Valley, in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Polish Heritage Society and the Grand Rapids School System, sponsored a study tour to the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State College Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Students International students Poland Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1975-08 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives color photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e30dfb72a4f3a44e609dc4a2a9883066.mp4 fa83d1fa836d1eb7d9e3609bae0ecfee https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/116397846dbf3885556398fe62f737a3.pdf 86cfbf6c352f4009bcb850395eec8950 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Name of Interviewee: Donald M. Kramer Name of War: Vietnam War Interview Length Disc #1: (01:06:30) Interview Length Disc#2: (01:51:40) Interview Length Disc #3: (00:40:35) Interview Length Disc #4: (01:28:40) Disc One (01:11:41) (00:00:25) Background Information        Don was born in Gary, Indiana on April 3, 1943 His family was very close when he was young and he has many good memories They were a lower-middle class family and his parents had to work a lot His father worked in Gary Steel Mills and his mother worked for Amco Window Washing (02:55) He went to a Catholic elementary school that was very hard for him and he got in many fights. Further discusses the good times of his childhood—dancing & family. Don got his first real job when he was 9 years old at a grocery store When he was 12 he got a paper route and had to deliver 110 papers every day before school (13:12) (00:14:30) High School  There were many race issues at Don’s high school  Don could not afford to take a bus to school and had to walk every day  He started playing basketball and made many new friends, yet he still did not like school and got bad grades  Don joined the Navy before his senior year and got his GED when he was 17 (16:58)  His dad was in the Army during World War Two and had told him that the Navy would be a better choice than the Army (00:19:25) Joining the Navy 1960  (019:45) Was recruited out of Gary, Indiana.  Don went through basic training at Great Lakes Naval Academy in Illinois  There was no draft at the time because so many people were volunteering for the service  The drill sergeant was a giant and told them that they were going to be miserable  Don stated that the “service is the biggest individual change you could make in your whole life.”  Don had to get all of his hair cut off and the men had to wash their clothes on their hands and knees in the shower (25:03)  The men had lots of pressure about completing their class work (00:29:34) Norfolk, Virginia �      Don was sent on an Attack Transport ship with 1000 marines to Virginia There were many giant ships in the area and Don had never seen anything like it His MOS was radar school, but he found it very boring (31:08) He began working on ships instead and really liked being able to work outside Don also enjoyed being out on the ocean when everything was calm They saw many sharks and shot all of them; they even ate some of them (00:40:44) The Deck Department  Don was working on maintaining the ship, which was a luxury liner that had been converted in World War Two  Many dolphins would jump through the engine parts and get hurt, also damaging the ship.  Don learned about nautical knots, different types of ships, and worked on painting and repairs (00:45:10) Don’s Wife  Don was married and had one daughter when he joined the Navy  He met his wife in Gary and did not get along well with her parents  They got married when they were only 17 and they had his daughter when he was 18  They were living in Navy housing  Don was gone on average of 6 months a year and worked on the port for about 3 months a year  They had 4 children together and they were all born premature (59:52) (01:01:25) The Caribbean  They took a ship through the Caribbean for six months, but had stopped in Charleston, North Carolina to pick up about 1,000 Marines to be transported there. Went around the Caribean—West Indies & other places to show the U.S. was there to help and not solely a war monger.  Don worked on shore helping to build infrastructure  He was always excited to get back home and see his family Disc Two (1:51:40) (01:06:31) Attack Transport Ships  Don served on 3 different ships while in the Navy  Each ship carried up to 1,000 Marines and cargo; the ship maintained a fleet that was ready to go to war at any time (01:09:03) The Bay of Pigs  They were on a ship and moved up along the Cuban coast while the US was trying to overthrow Castro  Don had been working on the USS Rockbridge and was then transferred on to the Fremont for 5 years (1:09:58) (01:13:15) Europe �      Don headed to Europe on the Fremont They traveled through the Mediterranean and he went on many tours of Europe Don traveled to Italy, Spain, France, the Dutch West Indies, and Africa (1:14:25) He got involved in boxing matches while on the Fremont Don got into 21 fights and only lost 1 to a Marine He also worked on the USS Monrovia, which was the smallest attack transport ship (01:19:15) (01:22:53) Italy  The Italians had once been nice to the US because of the help received during and after World War Two  Yet when men from the Navy went there on leave, they were attacked by Italians and there were also many Russians there influencing them (01:27:09) Back to the US  Don had 10 days on leave to spend with his family and then he had to go back to working on the ship  His wife was always very sad when he had to leave again  They always left for the Caribbean or Europe to make sure that the areas were always ready for war (1:27:31)  (01:28:54) His admiral diverted his squadron and steamed back to the Mediterranean to replace another squadron.. Tried to come to the aid of the Puebla’s crew however circumstances prevented them from rescuing them from torture. As a result of this instance, many officers lost their commands.  (01:32:01) The Cuban Missile Crisis o  Don was on board the Command ship for 7 days  They prevented a Russian sub from entering Cuban waters  Castro had cut off the power and water supply to Guantanamo Bay  The Navy Seabees went in to build a water distilling plant and a power plant (01:32:14) The USS Intrepid  Don was working on safety operations on the ship while plains were landing on the carrier  There were many accidents that happened during peace-time (01:35:00) Assassination of JFK  Don had been on board a ship headed to Europe when he heard the news  Every US military installation in the world was on red alert because they thought the Russians had killed the president (01:36:16) Shore Duty in Meridian, Mississippi  Don had to escort someone from the ship that was court marshaled for grand larceny (01:37:41)  His whole family went with him to Mississippi �   There was a very large air station and Don was put in an office working with a disaster control team (01:39:23) He was in charge of restructuring the entire program from 1400 to 1600 employees because a lot of positions were repetitive Don was then working with the military police and the state police in a variety of capacities. (01:41:19) (01:43:22) Training for Vietnam  Don volunteered to be part of a Naval Advisory Group  It was an elite group that went through difficult training called Sierra training for survival, resistance, and escape (1:44:30)  1/3 of the men could not make it through the training  They went through the types of torture that was used on POWs in Vietnam  It was very rough and his jaw almost broke (1:49:25)  The training was to see who would be able to survive if captured  They had to eat blind-folded; it was like they were in a concentration camp Disk 3 (00:40:25) (00:05:04) Vietnam The First Day in Vietnam  The plane landed at an air base and they were already under attack when getting off the plane  The advisors were shown maps of areas of the country and told where not to go Don worked in the Southern tip blocking supplies and transportation  Don was ordered to stop transportation of supplies through the water ways  He worked with many Vietnamese on this project and was always worried that some of them would turn on him  He took language classes to learn the dialect, but also worked with interpreters (00:07:06)  Fire-fights occurred along rivers often and unexpectedly (00:09:55) Fire Fights  There were many times when they had to beach their boats and chase the enemy into the jungle  They sometimes ran into farming areas, but usually the enemy would hide in underground tunnels and they would throw grenades in them (00:17:18) Water Taxis  Transportation along rivers was often stopped and searched  He once had to interrogate some people and had to shoot a young pregnant woman because he thought she was reaching for a weapon. (00:18:34)  They found two grenades strapped to her legs  He cut open her stomach and delivered the baby, whom he gave to a local villager �(00:22:41) The Base is Attacked  Don was near the water when their base was attacked by heavy fire  There were many men around him that were shot and died  It was hard working with the Vietnamese because they were always changing sides  Don got a 15-caliber machine gun and killed everyone swimming away in the water (00:26:58) Ambush  Don was going to prepare an ambush, but did not have enough men  He got some help from the Army, but one of the men was high  Don told his sergeant that they could not work with the man, but the sergeant did not do anything  The man on drugs kept following them around trying to go on the operation with them  Don told the man that he could not go and the man pointed an M-16 in Don’s face  Don pulled out his 45 and shot the man in the leg, shattering his femur bone (00:30:12) Army SOS in the Forest  The Army called for help and because it was under heavy attack  They took a boat upriver to assist and the Vietnamese did not hear or see them coming  Some of the boats had twin engines and could go up to 70 mph  They ran their boats alongside the Army boats and attacked the Vietnamese, surprising them while the others escaped  They got about 60 bullet holes in their boat and one of his gunners was wounded (00:37:11) The New Doctor  They had been under attack and the new doctor was not properly trained  Seeing all the bodies devastated him  Don had to help the doctor work with all the bodies from the attack (00:40:25) Shows Items obtained from Vietnam Disc Four (1:28:40) (00:40:58) Operations in Thailand and Laos  Don was hand-picked for a special operation in the area  He was presented with a jade cigarette case in 1972 for being an instructor of guerilla war tactics from the Royal Navy Force  He also received gifts from the Laotian government for his help (00:43:00) Another Attack in Vietnam  A little Vietnamese boy had lost a leg in an attack  The bleeding would not stop, so Don put gun powder on the wound and cauterized it  Don was older than most of the men he worked with and was viewed as a father figure (00:48:25) A Call from Saigon  Don thought he was being sent home, but he was asked to take part in a special operation �   He worked with 6 other Naval Advisors They were all brought into a room full of maps and pictures and told to memorize everything They were sent to Thailand and Laos when the war had started slowing down (00:50:11) Bangkok  Don met the other Naval Advisors in Bangkok  They needed to help build a Navy for Laos because they had no protection along their coast  Don worked secretly at night and bought many things off the black market  They worked with the elite from the Laotian Army  This area was much less dangerous than in Vietnam and he could actually sleep at night (1:01:03) The Trip to Vietnam  Don had to leave half way through his mission in Laos and go back to Vietnam  A mortar round had come in and hit a wood structure near him and he was wounded  He now has 4 pins in his lower spine from his injuries and he had broken both his wrists  Don has braces on both his legs and has extensive nerve and muscle damage (1:05:01) Back to the US  After the war veterans were treated bad; they were spit on, yelled at, and beaten  Don spent about 2 years in military hospitals for therapy on his spine and legs (1:08:50)  In 1974 Don moved to Michigan, but there were no jobs  Don said that fathers were competing with their sons for jobs pumping gas  He began working for a brass polishing shop  Don was denied retirement and pushed out of the Navy on medical leave 6 months before he was supposed to retire (01:15:20) The Post Office  Don got a job at the Post Office and for the first couple of years there, many people would not associate with him because they thought he was a crazy veteran  They all got along better after a few years (01:17:03) Retirement  Don got associated with the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and Military Order of the Purple Heart  In February of 2005 he retired to spend more time at the Veterans Home  Don speaks in a lot of schools about Vietnam and Veterans affairs  Don has 4 children and 10 grandchildren � 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 KramerD Title A name given to the resource Kramer, Donald M. (Interview outline and video, 1 of 2), 2006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kramer, Donald M. Description An account of the resource Don Kramer was born in Gary, Indiana on April 3, 1943. Don got his GED when he was 17, got married, and also joined the Navy. Don worked in the Caribbean, Europe, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Don was involved in many fire fights while in Vietnam and was often under heavy attack. After being badly wounded in a mortar attack in 1972, Don was discharged from the Navy 6 months short of retirement and spent 2 years in military hospitals receiving physical therapy. He retired from his job in 2005 and now spends most of his time at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr, Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-12-04 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/40ea23c8ac1c1a1dcf538dce6e6d6093.mp4 cf2e91fb7071a73f5badb4608b2d63b3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7619aebb282c6095414385dd22280a45.pdf a1aa785ea3fa23c5d56893a831842179 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Name of Interviewee: Donald M. Kramer Name of War: Vietnam War 2 of 2 Interview Length Disc #3: (00:40:35) Interview Length Disc #4: (01:28:40) Disk 3 (00:40:25) (00:05:04) Vietnam The First Day in Vietnam  The plane landed at an air base and they were already under attack when getting off the plane  The advisors were shown maps of areas of the country and told where not to go Don worked in the Southern tip blocking supplies and transportation  Don was ordered to stop transportation of supplies through the water ways  He worked with many Vietnamese on this project and was always worried that some of them would turn on him  He took language classes to learn the dialect, but also worked with interpreters (00:07:06)  Fire-fights occurred along rivers often and unexpectedly (00:09:55) Fire Fights  There were many times when they had to beach their boats and chase the enemy into the jungle  They sometimes ran into farming areas, but usually the enemy would hide in underground tunnels and they would throw grenades in them (00:17:18) Water Taxis  Transportation along rivers was often stopped and searched  He once had to interrogate some people and had to shoot a young pregnant woman because he thought she was reaching for a weapon. (00:18:34)  They found two grenades strapped to her legs  He cut open her stomach and delivered the baby, whom he gave to a local villager (00:22:41) The Base is Attacked  Don was near the water when their base was attacked by heavy fire  There were many men around him that were shot and died  It was hard working with the Vietnamese because they were always changing sides  Don got a 15-caliber machine gun and killed everyone swimming away in the water (00:26:58) Ambush �      Don was going to prepare an ambush, but did not have enough men He got some help from the Army, but one of the men was high Don told his sergeant that they could not work with the man, but the sergeant did not do anything The man on drugs kept following them around trying to go on the operation with them Don told the man that he could not go and the man pointed an M-16 in Don’s face Don pulled out his 45 and shot the man in the leg, shattering his femur bone (00:30:12) Army SOS in the Forest  The Army called for help and because it was under heavy attack  They took a boat upriver to assist and the Vietnamese did not hear or see them coming  Some of the boats had twin engines and could go up to 70 mph  They ran their boats alongside the Army boats and attacked the Vietnamese, surprising them while the others escaped  They got about 60 bullet holes in their boat and one of his gunners was wounded (00:37:11) The New Doctor  They had been under attack and the new doctor was not properly trained  Seeing all the bodies devastated him  Don had to help the doctor work with all the bodies from the attack (00:40:25) Shows Items obtained from Vietnam Disc Four (1:28:40) (00:40:58) Operations in Thailand and Laos  Don was hand-picked for a special operation in the area  He was presented with a jade cigarette case in 1972 for being an instructor of guerilla war tactics from the Royal Navy Force  He also received gifts from the Laotian government for his help (00:43:00) Another Attack in Vietnam  A little Vietnamese boy had lost a leg in an attack  The bleeding would not stop, so Don put gun powder on the wound and cauterized it  Don was older than most of the men he worked with and was viewed as a father figure (00:48:25) A Call from Saigon  Don thought he was being sent home, but he was asked to take part in a special operation  He worked with 6 other Naval Advisors  They were all brought into a room full of maps and pictures and told to memorize everything  They were sent to Thailand and Laos when the war had started slowing down (00:50:11) Bangkok  Don met the other Naval Advisors in Bangkok �    They needed to help build a Navy for Laos because they had no protection along their coast Don worked secretly at night and bought many things off the black market They worked with the elite from the Laotian Army This area was much less dangerous than in Vietnam and he could actually sleep at night (1:01:03) The Trip to Vietnam  Don had to leave half way through his mission in Laos and go back to Vietnam  A mortar round had come in and hit a wood structure near him and he was wounded  He now has 4 pins in his lower spine from his injuries and he had broken both his wrists  Don has braces on both his legs and has extensive nerve and muscle damage (1:05:01) Back to the US  After the war veterans were treated bad; they were spit on, yelled at, and beaten  Don spent about 2 years in military hospitals for therapy on his spine and legs (1:08:50)  In 1974 Don moved to Michigan, but there were no jobs  Don said that fathers were competing with their sons for jobs pumping gas  He began working for a brass polishing shop  Don was denied retirement and pushed out of the Navy on medical leave 6 months before he was supposed to retire (01:15:20) The Post Office  Don got a job at the Post Office and for the first couple of years there, many people would not associate with him because they thought he was a crazy veteran  They all got along better after a few years (01:17:03) Retirement  Don got associated with the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and Military Order of the Purple Heart  In February of 2005 he retired to spend more time at the Veterans Home  Don speaks in a lot of schools about Vietnam and Veterans affairs  Don has 4 children and 10 grandchildren � 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 KramerD2 Title A name given to the resource Kramer, Donald M. (Interview outline and video, 2 of 2), 2006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kramer, Donald M. Description An account of the resource Don Kramer was born in Gary, Indiana on April 3, 1943. Don got his GED when he was 17, got married, and also joined the Navy. Don worked in the Caribbean, Europe, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Don was involved in many fire fights while in Vietnam and was often under heavy attack. After being badly wounded in a mortar attack in 1972, Don was discharged from the Navy 6 months short of retirement and spent 2 years in military hospitals receiving physical therapy. He retired from his job in 2005 and now spends most of his time at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr, Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-12-04 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/b5d52f7e559114220208b1f67d52ba9a.mp4 4de4ce94c37644a09b67eadf625f209e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4b6e5e3463f1a50ba0eed24d00952dd9.pdf 4fdab58bac2154fc1cfe5fdeae21d7d6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview WWII Louis Kramer Length of interview (1:00:07) Pre-Enlistment • Kramer was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in December 1925. (00:09) • He attended Grand Rapids Public Schools until 9th grade then moved to Cedar Springs, Michigan where he finished high school. (00:30) • His father worked for a furniture maker as a shipping clerk. (00:44) • His family lived o a farm in Cedar Springs, Michigan so they could subsistence farm. • Mr. Kramer heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor while he was at school. (1:30) • He remarked about his expectations and exposure to media during the war. (2:00) • June 1st 1944 he graduated high school. (2:40) • June 2nd he is assigned to the United States Army. (3:55) Enlistment • Kramer was assigned to Fort Sheridan, Illinois for induction. (4:30) • From induction he proceeded to Camp Blanding, Florida for Basic Training. (4:35) His cousin trained at Camp Blanding as well. (5:00) He also worked at the message center on post. (5:30) • From June through August he was part of a rifle company. (5:50) • He received training for messaging and then was transferred to a new group. (6:20) Further, he comments on receiving basic weapons training at this post. (7:05) 1st Duty Station • In October 1944 Kramer is 18 years old and is sent to Camp Gruber, Oklahoma where he joins the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd “Rainbow” Division; he serves at this location for 3 weeks. (7:52) • Comments that the Rainbow Division was named by General MacArthur. (9:00) • Learns that his rifle company is being shipped overseas, and he will not be serving as a support unit. (9:25) • He is transferred to Camp Kilmer New Jersey where he boards the USS Alexander. (10:12) 2nd Duty Station/Overseas Transport • The USS Alexander joins a convoy with liberty ships destined for France. (10:40) • He discusses the ship and the food on board. (11:04) • Comments on the Thanksgiving meal. (11:35) He mentions the preponderance of seasickness and the overall good weather. (11:55) • He recalls the accommodations on the ship. (12:55) Additionally, he speaks of the men on board. (14:05) His journey on the ship took 15 days. (14:40) 3rd Duty Station �• Kramer lands at Marseilles, France. He describes the condition of the city as he arrives. (15:00) • In December, Kramer was transferred to CP2, where he camped in tents. (16:00) On the 15th or 16th of December he was transferred to a new location on boxcars. (16:30) • Talks of the Maginot Line and Strasbourg, France, where he spends Christmas. (17:11) He describes the pillboxes on the Maginot Line. (17:30) • He joins the 7th Army and is assigned to a unit called Task Force Linden. (18:00) He further discusses the movement and replacements of other divisions. (19:00) • He recounts arriving to the front on the 15th of December as the Battle of the Bulge is happening. (19:48) They are moved at night. (20:15) He guarded an electric generating station. (20:41) He discusses combat. (20:56) He mentions spending New Years guarding General Linden’s headquarters. (21:13) 4th Duty Station • Kramer speaks of the conditions in Strausberg, Germany including field hospitals. (21:48) He also mentions the civilian population. (22:27) • He discusses Operation Nordwind on the 4th and 5th of January. (22:57) 5th Duty Station • On January 21st, the line was pulled back and he volunteered to stay behind; he had just turned 19 years old. (23:26) He rode a truck to company B’s area and recovered his field packs. (24:50) He arrives beyond at prominent river. (25:28) • On the 24th of January the Germans attack Neuburg and at Schwetzingen (?). (25:51) The Germans get through the American lines. (26:30) • He stays in a barn while on march. (27:13) He described combat in the woods at night. (27:44) He ‘hits the ground’ in the snow. (28:50) 3 German machine guns fire. (29:30) He described casualties and yelling (30:00) he started shooting and his gun malfunctioned (30:41) Mortar artillery is missing its target and he yells for them to change their position (31:44) • Germans are yelling, “comrade,” and George Jackson kills the German machine gunners. (32:54) • Kramer returns to town. (33:55) Losses from combat are counted. (34:15) Many Germans try to surrender during the fire fight. (35:00) Dead German soldiers are carried out of the field. (35:40) By January 25th there are 237 casualties. (36:45) Kramer’s unit receives a citation. (37:05) 6th Duty Station • He is taken off the line and is waiting for the rest of the division. (36:47) While waiting he receives more training. (37:05) • On the 14th of March, a ‘push’ is ordered. (37:20) Company B is sent to the front on March 15th. (37:50) Kramer says Dean Finley is shot in the stomach. (38:35) 1st Platoon moves. (39:13) • He describes his assignment to carry a BAR. (39:40) He discusses his field gear. (40:36) Kramer is shot and BAR stops all but one bullet. (41:03) He mentions his attempts at first aid with his knife. (41:50) The north side of the hill is attacked. (42:35) �• Kramer talks about his experience at the aid station. (42:56) While at the aid station he recalls yelling at General Linden without knowing who he was. (43:20) Mr. Kramer talks about German POWs carrying him out of the aid station. (44:05) He remembers meeting a German who lived in Chicago, Illinois for 5 years. (45:00) He talks about an ambulance ride. (45:26) th 7 Duty Station • He moved to the 11th Field Hospital (MASH). (45:38) He had a surgery. (46:20) He received a new kind of procedure and talks about a chaplain. (47:48) He talks about his recovery and his wounds reopening. (49:37) His wounds became infected and required further treatment. (50:34) Kramer mentions being moved to the 36th General Hospital in Dijon, France. (51:40) He remained at the 11th General Hospital from the 25th of April until the 15th of March. (52:00) 8th Duty Station • He is moved to Paris, France by C-47 and remains at an evacuation hospital for 3 days. (52:09) He discusses his route back to the United States in a C-54. (53:00) He describes being at the Schick General Veterans Hospital for 2 to 3 weeks. (53:29) th 9 Duty Station • He is transferred to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan until October. (54:00) th 10 Duty Station • Mr. Kramer was transferred to San Antonio, Texas. (54:20) • He describes his duties on base and his search for a new assignment. (54:30) He mentions his job at a bowling alley as a pin setter. (55:51) He is sent to Brook General Hospital in April. (56:14) He is assigned to the section 8 ward. (56:50) He is sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois where he is discharged. (57:26) Post-Enlistment • He described using the G.I. Bill to attend Western Michigan University to study United States history and science. (57:50) He retired at age 65. (58:30) • He discusses the effects of his time in the service. (58:55) He explained that his experience caused him to become an adult over night with many responsibilities. (59:26) He was married in 1949 and had children. (59:32) � 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 KramerL Title A name given to the resource Kramer, Louis (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kramer, Louis Description An account of the resource Louis Kramer served in the 42nd Infantry Division in the US Army during World War II. His unit was shipped to France late in 1944, and joined the 7th Army in Alsace. Kramer's unit fought near Strasbourg during the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Nordwind, and participated in the counterattacks that followed and in the campaign into Germany. Kramer was wounded in March 1945, and out of action for the rest of the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.) BCTV Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-03-04 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/6c2e35ac81897b521aa4bf1f91b3e201.pdf 63ed62fcb62c800851573fd9a4ea2ba4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Vietnam Era Richard Kranenberg (16:11) Background Information (00:23)       Born on January 6th 1944 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (00:25) He has a brother and two sisters. (00:45) He was the first in his family to serve in the military. (00:50) Richard enlisted in the military because he was soon to be drafted. He picked the Navy as his branch of service. (1:33) Richard served in ROTC in high school and did not like marching. Because of this, he was pushed toward the Navy. (2:30) He enlisted on August 27th 1962. (2:55) Miitary life (3:30)     Life was very structured and had a high emphasis on discipline. (4:00) The food came as a shock to Richard. The men ate oatmeal and tomato sandwiches in the Navy. (4:27) The Navy placed a lot of emphasis on being clean and well organized. This was to prepare men for ship life. (5:20) The men did their laundry by hand. (6:22) Overview of Service (7:15)         When he left Basic at Great Lakes Naval Base, he was sent to Patuxent River, Maryland where he managed supplies. (7:15) Richard was reassigned to San Francisco. From there he served 1 year on the USS Midway (an aircraft carrier). (8:12) During their first cruise, the men sailed toward Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam. (8:46)] Richard Served on the first task force in Vietnam. (9:20) The Midway was decommissioned. He was then placed on the USS Enterprise. (9:33) There was one radio station, one television station, and poor beds aboard the USS Midway. The USS Enterprise was much nicer and had air-conditioning. (10:11) Richard wrote lots of letters while in the service. (10:55) The amount of parting that the men had to do while in the service made it hard to hold close friends. (11:47) Thoughts on Service (12:16)     He did not have a difficult time in the service because he never saw combat. (12:22) His service was extended for several months. He returned home in September of 1966. (13:07) Adjusting back to home life was fairly simple. (14:08) The military was a great positive impact on Richard’s life. (14:40) � His family was proud that he had served. (15:50) � 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 KranenbergR1426V Title A name given to the resource Kranenberg, Richard (Interview outline), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kranenberg, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Kranenberg, born on January 6th 1944 in Grand Rapids Michigan, served in the U.S. Navy as a supply man between 1962 and 1966. Richard served in ROTC in high school which prepared him for service. Throughout the course of his service, Richard served aboard the USS Midway as well as the USS Enterprise. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Nitzche, Nicole (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. 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 Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-05-25 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf 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/d6a39dcd9fe02f4767778fb26d807ee3.jpg 7fb288b94c4397c3a0b7cdc1d6067808 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_1728 Title A name given to the resource Kransy Kavkaz Russian CA aircraft carrier/heavy cruiser Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Kransy Kavkaz Russian CA aircraft carrier/heavy cruiser, December 1, 1949. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945 Russia Military education Warships--Recognition Slides Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1949-12-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f66e65e8a16741e87611df4686b1b622.jpg d0fa746151b2fec329a824ca9c27e004 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_1726 Title A name given to the resource Krasny Kavkaz heavy cruiser Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Krasny Kavkaz Russian CA (heavy cruiser), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Warships--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d30c1ad23d992893aaf0f3c8bddff369.jpg dc4c6d3c84e2a6e9621fa2fb5c4f79cc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_1756 Title A name given to the resource Krasnykrim light cruiser Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Krasnykrim Russian CL (light cruiser), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Warships--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/044bf422cf6a265d1e1167e2c0279e80.jpg aa0b55a7273c5d35641a0897976fbe58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_1757 Title A name given to the resource Krasnykrim light cruiser Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Krasnykrim Russian CL (light cruiser), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Warships--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ddde5c77839b5c7a851c40d5bca8d686.jpg c43d55657df2e86abb124a6f4bdcbd97 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_1758 Title A name given to the resource Krasnykrim light cruiser Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Krasnykrim Russian CL (light cruiser), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Warships--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives