752 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4b21f1f87deb2a1c2c1b1f5f28280392.mp4 7bda7b37efffabb8b696a3d1112262d6 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-134 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 Title A name given to the resource Chinese Air Force Cadets, 1940 Description An account of the resource Black and white film taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 Shu family and others disembarking from boats onto shore, walking up hill to gathering. 01:40 Rowboats on water, oceanside cliffs. 01:59 Training planes on an airfield. 02:12 Group picture of Chinese officers including "Tiger" Wang Shuming. 02:40 Aerial shot of a city. 03:34 Shu family affairs. 03:56 Cadets at an airfield. Planes in the sky. 04:57 Destroyed building of cadet school. Cadets eat lunch by the destroyed building. 05:41 Cadets in a room of cadet hostel in Kunming. 06:00 Shu family affairs. Couple with children. Family sightseeing and filming portraits. 09:27 Family visit to the river. Rowboats on the river with family. 12:56 Family sitting on a porch. Children on playground equipment. 13:46 Family riding bicycles. 14:42 Outdoor play or street performance. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Wang, Shuming Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp19 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/229b076dd36ce95c40edbcd84553e0bf.mp4 55267068ad45405204c0f9bef78e2ddc 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-135 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1942 Title A name given to the resource Visit of Chiang Kai-shek, 1941-1942 Description An account of the resource Film in black and white and color taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 (black and white film) Shu family affairs and recreation. Swimming at the river. Countryside and smoke over the treetops. Boys crossing a log bridge. 00:45 Chinese soldiers march in front of "Tiger" Wang Shuming. 00:55 Boy flying a model airplane. Red Cross bus driving toward camera. 01:40 Group of Chinese interpreters come out of a red cross bus and walk away. They eat lunch. 02:25 P-40 airplane moves on Kunming airfield. P-40 #84 on the ground. Closeup of shark face painted on the nose of the plane. 02:38 Chinese officers come out a Chinese passenger airplane on Kunming airfield. 03:15 AVG officers and staff in front of a building in Kunming. (left to right) Dr. Everett Bruce, C.E. Smith, Harvey Greenlaw, Chennault, Dr. Tom Gentry, Skip Adair, Dr. Sam Prevo, Ed Goyette, J. Hennessy, Paul Frillman, Dr. Joseph Lee, David Harris and John Williams. 03:44 Ground crews work on P-40, take off and put back on a propeller on Kunming airfield. 04:15 Chinese officers eat snacks at an airfield. "Tiger" Wang, Chennault, Lung Yin (governor of Yunnan province) and others come out of a building, walk to P-40s. P-40s in the sky over Kunming.04:53 Governor Lung Yin at an airfield. "Tiger" Wang among the crowd. 05:00 President Chiang Kai-shek at the Kunming airfield, shakes hand with Chinese officers, talks to "Tiger" Wang and Chennault. Madame CKS receives flowers. 05:42 P-40s in the sky over Kunming airfield. "Tiger" Wang, CKS, MCKS and Chennault at an airfield. CKS and MCKS leave by plane. 06:37 P-40 #42 takes off. American pilots and officers stand in front of a statue. 06:57 Group of AVG include Chennault, Adair, Bond, Wang and others walk to a cemetery. Funeral for four American Army Air Corpsmen. 08:33 (color film) Gov. Lung Yin in front of a building. MCKS and CKS come out of a building. Tiger Wong and the others follow them. They walk to an airplane and leave. 10:28 P. Y. Shu's wife and son. Son plays with marbles, then shoots a rifle. Shu holding a rifle with son. 11:18 AVG crewman with pet leopard "Kitten." 11:48 Tom Trumble, Chennault's secretary, in front of a twin-engine plane. Reeds and other at Kunming airfield. P-40 #110. 12:23 General Yin, a local commander of Chinese Air Force, and his family. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Wang, Shuming Chiang, Kai-shek, 1887-1975 Chiang, May-ling Soong, 1897-2003 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp20 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/139a7ce16bac6f0df6826e41195a128c.mp4 5cef1ab2f584824d4a217c3d4c448d22 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-136 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942/1943 Title A name given to the resource India, 1942-1943 Description An account of the resource Film in black and white and color taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 (black and white film) Aerial shot of clouds. Grou pof Westerners in a city in Burma (Myanmar). View of a city. 01:00 Chinese officers including "Tiger" Wang Shuming arrive at train station. Wang and three British (?) offiers walk along street. 01:28 A building and city in India. 01:37 Wang and British soldiers inspect an empty airfield. 02:05 Scenes of a city. The group visit a zoo. Animals in the zoo. People, street, buildings, parks and camels in a city of Burma. 05:30 (color film) City in Burma. People, street traffic, buildings, camels. 07:28 "Tiger" Wang and a British officer. Train station. More traffic, trolleys and buildings. More animals, including kagaroos, birds, deer, otters, zebra. 09:25 (black and white film) Aerial view. Clouds, river and field, nose of plane. 09:47 Twin-engine American planes land on an airfield. 10:14 Chennault and others in front of a cargo plane. Chennault talks to American officers by a biplane. American soldiers in front of a barrack. 10:42 Scene of a city of Burma. Camel carriage. Crowd on a street. Buildings and statues, garden. Lion in a cage. 12:18 Aerial view on flight to India. Temples, parks, city, dam, river in India. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Wang, Shuming Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp21 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/c9f4b0f4ec82367f42580c072deab7df.mp4 79981b33148e49ac704d0b2de87f9506 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-137 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942/1943 Title A name given to the resource Chennault Decorated, 1942-1943 Description An account of the resource Color film taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 Shu family affairs. Woman and child. 00:29 "Tiger" Wang Shuming talking with man and group of women and children. 00:47 Wang walks in front of saluting Chinese soldiers. 00:57 Family affairs and recreation. 01:48 Visit to pagoda. 2:00 Twin-engine planes in the sky. Mountains in Kweilin. American soldiers inspect a place. Chinese mark on AVG jacket. 02:37 Aerial shot clouds. Tiger Wang and others (American and Chinese officers) stand around an American planes. 03:46 (black and white film) Family affairs. Aerial shot of mountains and river. 04:54 Hap Arnold, Bissell, Chennault and the other American officers stand by an American cargo airplane. 05:25 "Tiger" Wang Shuming with his wife and son. Chinese dragon dance. 06:28 Wang and others see off American officers at an airport. A cargo plane takes off. 07:34 Chennault gets out of a car. American soldiers at an airfield. A succession ceremony (?) 08:26 General Joseph Stillwell talks to Chennault. Stillwell, Chennault and American soldiers at an ceremony. 08:56 Chennault receives a medal from Stillwell. 09:19 Shu family affairs. Mrs. Shu and daughter in P.Y. Shu's war time house in Chunking. 09:45 Ground crews work on a plane. Chennault and American soldiers in front of a building. 10:20 An American training plane. P-40s lined up on ground. 10:39 Chinese officers walk in front of soldiers. Chennault among the crowd. 10:56 White smoke rises into the sky. Chennault and Chinese officers at an airfield. P-40s take off. American plane, P-40 in the sky. 11:35 Chennault and other officers walk on an airfield. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Wang, Shuming Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp22 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/244ed6a9ea6695f6c3367b55e8925fe8.mp4 4f0748ecc1d9da9040a6a3e23a3e7970 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-138 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942 Title A name given to the resource Chinese Air Force Cadet School, circa 1942 Description An account of the resource Black and white film taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 Sports festival at CAF cadet school. 02:21 Graduation ceremony of the cadet school. Chennault in US uniform. 03:25 Busy market in a small village. Smoke rises in the sky from a distant city. 04:42 American performs gymnastics on horizontal bar and parallel bars. 05:38 Chicken with eggs. Doves. Row boat. 07:29 Model airplane. Chinese newspaper headlines. 08:37 Chinese soldiers in front of a movie theatre. Officers leave the theatre. 09:28 Gov. Lung Yin, Chinese officers and American soldiers at airfield. 10:10 Chennault shakes hand with Chinese personnel. The person leaves by plane. Officers see off the plane. 11:29 Shu family affairs. Loading luggage on rowboats. Women with babies. Weavers using looms. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp23 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/2f4d71090b95699433e9e2215c84b418.mp4 578952821c2eecddff03daf20f232ad6 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-139 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942 Title A name given to the resource China and Chennault Post War, 1942-1947 Description An account of the resource Film in black and white and color taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 (color film) Group picture of Chinese officers. Chinese soldiers on airfield. "Tiger" Wang Shuming comes out of a Chinese bomber plane. 00:50 Chinese city street scene. 00:59 Procession of towns people bringing cows, flowers and drinks for a celebration to an Army base. Chennault greets town's people. 01:26 A ceremony. American soldiers receive medals by Chinese personnel. Chennault and the other soldiers receive flowers. People leave the ceremony. 03:30 People at a lunch table. A soldier at an airfield. Chennault and Chinese officers in front of a cargo plane. 04:13 (black and white film) Chennault with town's people at a model plane competition. 04:33 (color film) Memorial tower. A small water aircraft painted "CAT" on the side. 06:08 Canton after war. Chennault in a suit walks on a street with his wife and other Chinese people. 07:29 Civil Air Transport (CAT) cargo plane. Chennault and his wife in front of the plane. 07:52 (black and white film) Chennault and an American woman toss cards to a bowl. Chennault, P. Y. Shu and American women in a yard. 08:41 (color film) Chennault and women in yard. 09:16 Chinese couples and children in front of Chinese plane. Chennault talks with Chinese soldiers. 10:40 A port town. A marching band and American Army march through the city. 11:10 Chennault gives speech in front of the American personnel. Cemetery with decorated graves. 11:54 P.Y. Shu and his wife in a park. 12:25 Chinese woman reading in a fur coat. A Western man and Chinese woman. 12:49 Chennault smoking in a chair next to his wife, Anna. The Chennaults walking in an airfield and village. They get in a CAT plane. 13:46 Cat with three orange kittens. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Wang, Shuming Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp24 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/cc9561790874f524777f8ba4d86f8e5e.mp4 ddcc255b9f2a79acd5948f5dd10c9832 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 Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</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 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. 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 Shu-140 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource P.Y. Shu Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947 Title A name given to the resource Bangkok and Taiwan, 1947 Description An account of the resource Film in black and white and color taken by Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu (no sound). The footage was recorded by Shu as he traveled with Col. Claire Chennault to aid the Chinese Air Force in training and establishing the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The footage documents Shu's travel and family as well as Chennault's and the AVG's activities during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Time-stamped scene list: 00:00 (black and white film) Views of houses and villages from a moving boat. Chennault and wife on boat with other passengers. River traffic. 01:15 Temples and city from boat. Passengers disembark. City views in Burma from moving car. Temples and sightseeing. 03:50 Snake handlers with cobras. 04:18 Chennault with his wife, Anna, and baby in a park. Chennault's children(?) playing on spinning toy. 04:54 Chennault, P.Y. Shu and the others sightseeing in a city. Aerial shot of a city. More sight-seeing scenery. 05:18 Aerial view of a city. Chennault and other Westerners with a cargo plane, then boarding a bus. Sightseeing tour of ancient temples. 07:30 (black and white film) Ancient temple. 08:08 Baby jaguar on leash. 08:17 Swimming in a pool, playing tennis. Baby elephant. 09:27 Temple sightseeing. 11:22 (color film) Temple sightseeing, monks, giant statue of Buddha. City sights, monument. 12:20 Man with monkeys. Building with large tower. Dog. 13:20 P.Y. Shu's wife with dog and in a park. 14:20 Cabins, a model cabin and truck. Shu family. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Subject The topic of the resource China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945 Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp25 Language A language of the resource eng chi Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II 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/fd4c5a62e263a4d084175f75a65c35f5.pdf 2206fec0d383f22f34f04d0539feb39b PDF Text Text COVID-19 Journaling Bryson J. Pacheco In this unprecedented time, many changes have occurred in my life. Classes have gone online, work has been extremely busy, and life plans have been put on hold. Personally, I have found that online classes are extremely hard for me to keep my focus. It seems that most of my peers feel the same way. In the age of social media and the internet, distractions are abundant. On top of that, my family has also been a distraction. They think online classes should be easier and that I have more time. However, it is quite the opposite. I have hours of recorded lectures, homework assignments, and quizzes. Being a senior, this is my last semester at Grand Valley. I have missed the opportunity to wish my friends of four years goodbye. Most of them are starting graduate programs in the summer, and we are going our separate ways. I am filled with sadness that I will not see them again for a long time. On top of school changes, I have faced even more changes at work. Several of my coworkers at Meijer Pharmacy have taken personal leaves due to the fear of contracting COVID-19. This means that we are extremely short staffed. During this pandemic, I have been working 40+ hours per week due to the high demand of patients needing their medications. Patients have been extremely grateful that I am working, and I am able to find a balance to working and making sure all my schoolwork is completed. We are required to wear facemasks for the entirety of our shift. I have not had any trouble obtaining PPE at work, it is supplied. One interesting change I have experienced at work is mandatory health assessments before starting every shift. We are asked questions and people take our temperatures every day. So far, my store has not had any cases of COVID-19, but I know other Meijer stores in the area have. During this time of uncertainty, I have seen the extreme panic shopping that people have done. In the stores, before a limit was set on high demand items, people were hoarding items that they did not need. I had a patient cry to me, stating that her unemployment check wouldn’t come for another week, but she was scared that items would not be in stock for her family. I know friends who are using paper towels and napkins for toilet paper. The selfishness that people have been showing has been shocking. This selfishness was also seen in protest around the state. Some people have no respect for the sacrifices frontline workers have made to keep everyone healthy. Overall, this pandemic has been an eye-opening experience. I know that I will never take online classes by choice. I have learned that people are selfish, and I have solidified that going into the healthcare field is the right choice for me. I have a desire to help people in this crisis, and I am doing my part, and will continue to do so. � 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 COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-04-25_PachecoBryson Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pacheco, Bryson Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-25 Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journal Description An account of the resource Journal from a GVSU student Bryson Pacheco during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ffa930916c7a3a7ba8ca7e0e696b144.m4v 0b8b4a9f8b349efca846ccad69fd5fcd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d29839184bc81fa63562b72cced7cc1c.pdf df982496f3e3d0c7ef508b6ef449870a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Thomas Pacic World War II-Post War 1 hour 23 minutes 48 seconds (00:00:16) Early Life -Born in Youngstown, Ohio on November 23, 1927 -Had an older brother born on the same date -Went to St. Peter & Paul Catholic School for elementary school -Attended that school for eight years -Attended high school and graduated -Most likely in 1945 -Had eight siblings -Father was a Croatian immigrant and his mother had been born in the United States -Father owned two bars -After they went dry he opened a grocery store -Father made his own wine and whiskey in the basement and shared it with family -Legal since he wasn’t selling it (00:02:48) World War II -Oldest brother joined the Army in 1940 -Third oldest brother joined the Navy -Brother born on November 23rd (most likely) had polio and eventually died -Older brother was partially deaf and in college which meant that he couldn’t get drafted -Since all of his brothers were gone during the war he worked in the bar -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Had the radio on and the report came over the radio -As young as he was he knew that it was bad -Didn’t know what was going to happen to his older brother -Mother and father were devastated -Father still had relatives in Croatia (at the time part of Yugoslavia) -Thomas never thought that he wouldn’t have to serve -Knew that it was just a matter of time before he would have to serve (00:06:52) Enlisting in the Coast Guard -Enlisted in the Coast Guard after he turned eighteen in November 1945 -War was completely over in September 1945, but there was still a draft -He didn’t want to sleep in a foxhole, and he enjoyed the water -Coast Guard offered a two year enlistment as opposed to four years -There was also a base in Cleveland, close to Youngstown -Enlisted in December 1945 (00:07:35) Basic Training -Received orders to go to Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Maryland -Reported there on January 8, 1946 -Took a train to Maryland -Told immediately that they would only get one month of training �-Training was usually three, or four months long -Training consisted of marching, drilling, standing watch, and washing your own clothes -It was cold during the winter even in Maryland -Training went by fast -Heavy emphasis on discipline and regimen -Didn’t mind it; learned to take orders, carry them out, and just keep going -Remembers some men trying to resist the military system -Punished with extra duty (usually more Kitchen Patrol (KP)) -Learned how to shoot a rifle on the rifle range -Had to pass a swimming test -Easy for him because he had worked as an auxiliary lifeguard at a local pool -Taught the history of the Coast Guard, its functions, and how to tie knots -Officers training them were career sailors and served in World War II -Completed basic training and received a week of leave to explore Baltimore (00:14:23) Assignment to Cargo Ship & First Cruise in the Coast Guard -First assignment was aboard a cargo ship -Joined the ship and learned about doing watches in the crow’s nest -Also just learned general information about the ship -Task was minesweeping and removing mines as they made their way to the West Coast -Difficult work - Had a magnetized cable that pushed mines away from the ship -Destination was San Diego, California -Got seasick on his first cruise -Worst part of the voyage was sailing past a cape in Virginia -Water was always rough -Passed through the Caribbean Sea and the Panama Canal -Got to experience the whole process of the ship moving through the locks -Sailed up the West Coast -Got a mine near San Diego then continued on to San Francisco -Received one week of leave in San Francisco -Interesting experience to be so far away from home -Left San Francisco and sailed north to Seattle -Preparing to sail up to Coast Guard stations in the Aleutian Islands (00:19:05) Stationed in Florida & Puerto Rico -Received orders to go to Miami, Florida -Reported to the Coast Guard station in Miami -Helped with the seaplanes -Waiting for transportation to San Juan, Puerto Rico -Eventually got a flight down to San Juan on a military plane -Enjoyed Puerto Rico because it was always warm -First job was to run messages back and forth between officers and the sickbay (00:20:57) Reassignment -Sent home because his sister had terminal cancer -Transferred to Cleveland to be closer to his family -Told by the Coast Guard that he would not be sent back to Puerto Rico -They wanted to keep him at least within 100 miles of Youngstown, Ohio �-He left Puerto Rico in June 1946 and his sister died in early September 1946 (00:21:55) Stationed at Coast Guard Station Erie Pt. 1 -Sent to Coast Guard Station Erie, Pennsylvania because they needed more men -Simple lifeboat and lighthouse station on Lake Erie -Only a few men there -When he got there he went to work almost immediately -Spent a lot of time responding to SOS signals and missing person reports -Had a 32 foot lifeboat and two 18 foot crash boats -Constantly in use, and constantly needed repairs -Had Coast Guard Auxiliary men come up to help them since they were shorthanded -The station was on a bay with a channel separating them from the lighthouse -After getting out of the bay you were on Lake Erie -Rescued people when storms blew up -Sailboats capsized frequently which demanded a quick reaction from the station -Took care of people in the bay first because they were in smaller boats -The larger boats were on Lake Erie and could handle themselves better -Weather forecasting wasn't accurate and they relied on a simple communication network -Relayed information through a system of telephones and radios (00:26:40) Rescue Commendation -He was awarded a commendation for rescuing two people -They were on patrol in one of their boats looking for two missing children -Went into a lagoon and saw two people struggling in the water -Without pause, he grabbed a life ring and dove in and swam toward them -The woman grabbed onto Thomas which dragged both of them down -Thomas managed to get them back up and put the life ring on her -After she was stable he turned to help the husband -Learned that they were a husband and wife, and that she was pregnant -Had been in a canoe and she fell in, and the husband jumped in to save her -Got the canoe afloat, but the wife refused to get back into it -Got the couple on the Coast Guard ship then tied up the canoe -Brought the canoe back to the rental shop -Woman didn't lose the baby -That rescue was the most dramatic event that happened in the Coast Guard (00:31:12) End of Coast Guard Service Pt. 1 -Stayed at Coast Guard Station Erie until he got discharged -Pressured to reenlist for an additional two years -Declined because his father had terminal cancer and he wanted to be with his father -Got discharged in May 1947 and his father died in December 1947 (00:32:06) Stationed at Coast Guard Station Erie Pt. 2 -Found that things quieted down in the fall, and they didn't do anything in the winter -Lived eighteen miles away from town -Took care of maintenance and plowing during the winter -The harbor would freeze, but the channel froze "to eye and touch" �-Means that the channel looked frozen, but was not -Had to go change the lighthouse light and check the batteries -Could drive around the channel, or walk across it to save time -Officers decided that it would be safe to walk across the "frozen" channel -Crossing 80-100 yards of ice -Water was still flowing underneath the ice making it unstable -He tied a rope around his waist and carried an oar over his head -The oar would help displace his weight if he fell in -Started to cross the channel and then in an instant he went through the ice -Panicked and threw away the oar -Other sailor froze and didn't pull him out -Managed to find the hole and pull himself out of the water -Slowly moved back to the stable ice then walked back to shore -Returned to the station and told the officers that he fell through the ice -Allowed to shower and warm up then drove over to the lighthouse -No one else tried to walk across the channel that winter -Part of the peninsula belonged to the Coast Guard, but the rest was civilian -Kept busy during the summer and the winter -Took out buoys in the summer then brought them in in the winter -Had to cook their own food -Given an allowance of $1.26 a day for food -Had a Southern man that was an excellent cook and a good man -Went into town to get mail and groceries -Could go into town on the weekends if they weren't busy -Remembers being sent out to look for an elderly man that supposedly drowned -Went out in a small boat, with hooks, probing the water for a corpse -Found a lot of junk, but didn't find a body -Rescued a lot of boaters during his time in the Coast Guard -People were always grateful -Helped some smaller fishing trawlers in Lake Erie -People in Erie enjoyed the Coast Guard presence and enjoyed seeing Coast Guardsmen -Civilians always tried to help them whenever they could (00:47:37) End of Coast Guard Service Pt. 2 & Joining the Naval Reserves -Got out of the Coast Guard in May 1947 -Father passed away in December 1947 -Helped in the bar until going to college in Chicago with one of his best friends -Had another friend that didn't want to go into the Army -Decided to enlist in the Naval Reserves -Thomas decided to enlist in the Naval Reserves too -Went to Navy Pier, Chicago and enlisted there -Had been attending a trade school in Chicago -Returned to Youngstown, Ohio and his friend joined the Air Force �-Thomas decided to stay in the Reserves -Continued to attend meetings (00:49:50) Cruises with the Naval Reserves -Picked the USS Missouri for his two week training cruise -Picked up the Missouri in Norfolk, Virginia -Trained every day as a general seaman -Did everything that the other seamen did -Chipping paint, doing drills, and going to battlestations -Sailed down the Caribbean Sea -The following year he went on a training cruise aboard a minesweeper -Picked it up in Charleston, South Carolina -Sailed down to the Caribbean Sea -Would never go on a small ship like that again (00:51:25) Active Duty in the Navy Pt. 1 -Went active duty when the Korean War began in summer 1950 -Reported for active duty on November 8, 1950 -Went to Philadelphia for indoctrination -Assigned to stevedore duty -Meant handling cargo on ships and on bases -Sent to Norfolk, Virginia to join a cargo handling battalion -Received training on how to handle cargo -Learned how to drive a forklift and learned how to use heavy winches -Had to know how to do everything in case one man couldn't do his job -Received well by the veterans because the reservists had experience -He was part of a hatch crew in A Company -Assigned to various cargo ships -Loaded supplies in Norfolk -Did seamen duties while aboard the ship -Didn't get along with the crews -Made stops in the Mediterranean and Caribbean -Saw Naples, Italy; Southern France; Casablanca; and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -Resupplied civilian ships that were bringing supplies to Navy bases (00:57:07) Race Relations -Most of the black Coast Guardsmen were cooks and/or servants -In the Navy he had black sailors working alongside him (00:58:06) Travel in the Coast Guard & the Navy -Liked Casablanca the least -There was a labor strike underway among the stevedores -The Navy was sent in to help deal with the cargo -Accidents happened, but he remembers a bad one in Casablanca -A local worker was climbing up from the cargo hold and then fell to his death -Watched as other workers took everything they could off the body -Best place that he saw was Villefranche-sur-Mer, France -Got to go on a few bus tours �-Enjoyed France -Didn't enjoy Italy -Didn't enjoy the food, and a lot of the Italians were unfriendly -There was a lot of damage in Naples from the Second World War -Italians still acted like the war was going on and weren't hospitable -Could go anywhere they wanted when they were in a port -Just had to report back to the ship by 8PM or 9PM -Had restricted areas in San Juan, Puerto Rico while he was there in the Coast Guard -If you got caught by the Shore Patrol you were thrown in the brig and given extra duty (01:03:00) End of Service in the Navy Pt. 1 -Stayed in the Navy until June 1953 -Did five years of service in the Navy -Four years of his enlistment, plus one extra year during the Korean War -Got out of active duty, then got discharged from the Reserves (01:03:45) Active Duty in the Navy Pt. 2 -Did a lot of training with Landing Ship, Tanks (LSTs) -Went down rope ladders from LSTs into smaller landing craft -Preparation for another war, or any other military intervention -Had to do ship to ship supply operations -Load cargo nets with supplies then send them over to another ship -Had to send the cargo nets over and then drop them on the deck -Had to deal with the ships' movement on the water -Practiced taking on fuel -Grabbing fuel hoses from the other ship then filling fuel tanks -Had to be able to do these operations at night -If the seas were too rough the supply operation would get called off -Didn't get called off often though, had to have the experience (01:08:17) Getting Hurt & End of Service in the Navy Pt. 2 -Sent up to the Marine base in Red Bank, New Jersey -Went out to the pier and loaded, and unloaded, ammunition from ships -Stationed there for a few months in the winter -Got injured while on the pier -He was on the pier teaching new sailors how to handle rockets -Picking up 125 pound rockets from a conveyor belt then load them onto a pallet -Once the pallet was full it would get loaded onto a ship -Had to handle these rockets with care -Went to pick up a rocket and dropped it hard throwing out his back -Taken by ambulance back to the Marine base -Ran out of gas while on the way back to the base -Placed in the sick bay -From the Marine base got sent back to Norfolk to recover -Had sprained his back and there was nothing they could do for it -Just had to let his back recover �-Sent to Williamsburg, Virginia to work in the ship service section -Light duty, worked every night of the week, but got to sleep in every day -Stayed there until he got discharged from the Navy in June 1953 (01:14:52) Life after the Service -Went to Columbus, Ohio where his wife and child were living -Got a job at Timken Roller Bearings -Worked there for one year and then got laid off -Moved to Youngstown, Ohio and enrolled at Youngstown State University -Studied there for four years -Worked at the family bar at night -Got a degree in business administration -Got a job with the state of Ohio in the tax department -Lost his job with the state after a Republican government took office -After three months he got a job with the Cleveland Stevedore Company in Cleveland, Ohio -Got a job with them as an accountant -Went to Cleveland State University then the University of Akron -Drove between Cleveland for work and Akron for school -Lived between both cities, roughly 45 minutes from Akron -Got a job with the Eaton Corporation in Cleveland -Worked with them for twenty five years and then retired -Got transferred to a plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan and another one in Tennessee -Returned to Ohio to take care of his mother-in-law until she passed away -Daughter lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, so he and his wife moved to Grand Rapids (01:22:22) Reflections on Service -Enjoyed his time in the Coast Guard and the Navy -Could have made a career out of it, but wanted to spend time with his wife and child -Enjoyed the Coast Guard, but liked seeing the world via the Navy -Believes that all young men and women should serve in the military as well as every president -Feels that it would give them a different outlook when it comes to the military � 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_PacicT1852V Title A name given to the resource Pacic, Thomas (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-07 Description An account of the resource Thomas Pacic was born in Youngstown, Ohio on November 23, 1927. After graduating from high school in 1945 he enlisted in the Coast Guard in December 1945. He received orders to go to Curtis Bay in Baltimore, Maryland for basic training. He reported for basic training on January 8, 1946 and received rifle training, swimming training, the history of the Coast Guard, the function of the Coast Guard, and how to tie knots. His first assignment in the Coast Guard was aboard a cargo ship looking for mines left over from the war. They sailed down the East Coast, through the Caribbean Sea, the Panama Canal, and up the West Coast. He got to see San Diego and San Francisco before being stationed in Miami, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He spent the rest of his time at Coast Guard Station Erie, Pennsylvania where he helped rescue boaters and received a medal for saving a pregnant woman and her husband. He left the Coast Guard in May 1947 and then joined the Naval Reserves. He went on cruises aboard the USS Missouri and a minesweeper as well as cargo ships as part of a stevedore unit. During the Korean War he was on active duty helping with supply operations in the Caribbean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. After getting injured working in Red Bank, New Jersey he was discharged from the Navy in June 1953. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pacic, Thomas 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 Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Coast Guard 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/a01a05bd588942e04e99b632dd507d20.mp4 e698beaec58db9fc5b9690ca6e9bfe18 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e46e50622e6b339a78d656511d4348cd.pdf 54ce5c4796b78e555af2666225cb1651 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Tony Pacino (24:12) Background Information (00:14)        Served with the Marine Corps as a combat medic (Navy Corpsman) in Somalia (00:15) Tony joined the military due to its education opportunities. (00:21) He enjoyed his training, although it was very demanding. (1:20) There was a blanket fear of failure amongst the soldiers. No man wanted to let another down. (2:10) Before being sent to Somalia in approx. 1992, Tony was stationed in Japan for approx. 1 year. (2:50) When Tony returned to the U.S. he was sent to Camp Pendleton California. There, the men were very aware of the situation in Somalia and were trying to guess who would go first. (3:30) A man of standing E4 or higher needed to volunteer to go to Somalia. Tony had to volunteer being one of the only men who fit this description. (4:16) Arrival in Somalia (5:00)      Tony had culture shock when he saw Somalia based on their living conditions and practices. (5:15) The airport was entirely barricaded and had U.N. guards. (5:54) Tony and other soldiers had trouble trusting the U.N. guards based on their Pakistani origins. (6:25) The heat was very strong with little to no shade.(6:58) The soldiers knew very little of what they would do in Somalia when they arrived there. This left the soldiers feeling very uncertain. (7:40) Operations in Somalia (8:10)          The men were sent by truck to the US Embassy compound. (8:15) There were a lot of people around and lots of destroyed or rundown buildings. (8:40) Tony was 21 when he was sent to Somalia. (10:00) Tony was given many different jobs. He was often sent on many different convoys with varying Marine units. This task often lasted several days. (10:40) When working at the field hospital, there were not very many wound soldiers to serve. (11:30) After things slowed down and he was moved to the Port of Mogadishu, Tony was made a supply clerk and a mail clerk. (12:19) Tony also worked in the Battalion Aid Station performing first aid on soldiers as well as Somalis. (13:35) He made many good friends in the service. He has lost contact with them sense. (14:25) During down time while in Somalia, the men would play spades and dominos. (15:36) Life after Service (16:22) �   It required adjustment when he returned to the U.S. in approx. 1994. He thinks being young, he failed to realize the danger he placed himself in. (16:33) In reflection, Tony is very thankful that he was not wounded or hurt while in the service. (18:09) Tony wanted to work for the fire department when he returned home. He was later encouraged to go to nursing school in St Louis, Missouri. (19:16) Operations in Somalia (cont.) (20:30)     Tony did see combat in Somalia. The combat was mostly quick, much like an ambush. (20:33) He was fearful at times. At times it was “beyond words.” He overcame his fear by following his training. (21:16) His friendships and training were the most valuable things he acquired as a result of his service. (22:14) Periodically, the men were allowed to make phone calls. Letters were also sent. (23:30) � 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 PacinoT1362V Title A name given to the resource Pacino, Anthony (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pacino, Anthony Description An account of the resource Tony Pacino served in the U.S. Navy as a medical corpsman assigned to the Marine Corps from approximately 1992-1994. During his service, Tony served in Somalia in the early 1990s at the Port of Mogadishu. After his service, Tony was able to use his military training in his career as a nurse. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ironside, Audrey (Interviewer) Tilma, Nicole (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps 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 2012-02-21 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/41498d30ed1cdebf003f7a66e0ba37c1.mp4 a86484de17350bc0ac0de4964c5d2a62 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e98250d5f6d1acdf058e5077506827a6.pdf 575b4aca57821244cc20fbb4a32de7f8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam War Tom Pack Length of interview: (1:00:14) (00:00) Early Life      (00:25) Tom was born in Kansas City, Kansas on December 12, 1949 There were a total of nine children in Tom’s family. His father was a painting contractor, a job that forced the family to move frequently. After his parents divorced, Tom lived with his mother and younger siblings. Tom graduated from high school in Kansas City, Kansas in 1967 o He was only 17 years old, one of the youngest in his graduating class After graduation, he worked for a moving company for a short time before getting a job with Avon Products in the shipping department In June, 1969, Tom was drafted o He knew very little about the war in Vietnam other than the fact that it wasn’t very popular. (2:50) Training     (3:00) Tom and his next door neighbor were drafted at the same time; Tom was placed in the Army while his neighbor was put into the Marine Corps. After his placement, Tom was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for training o Nearly six months earlier, Tom’s friend had been drafted, therefore Tom had an idea of what to expect once he arrived for training. The first week of training consisted of various tests to determine where each man was best suited. o Tom’s test scores were very good and he was told that he could essentially pick what area he wanted to go into. He thought that becoming a clerk would keep him relatively safe from harm. Basic training consisted of physical training, class time, and weapons training. o A lot of emphasis was placed on unity, if one man messed up, all were punished. It was crucial for the men to act as a unit o Tom didn’t have much trouble adjusting to military life. Blending in was an important part of this; it was relatively easy for Tom because he was always in the middle when everyone was lined up (since his last name begins with P) o There were men of all backgrounds in Tom’s training class, including one professor and two teachers. The younger, less mature men had a more difficult time adjusting to military life �       o In terms of physical shape, Tom didn’t have many problems since he was a manual laborer before he was drafted (7:30) During training, Tom and his comrades used both the M14 and M16 rifles After a total of eight weeks, Tom graduated basic training and was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for artillery training for eight weeks o They trained using a 105 Howitzer, a gun that required a crew of men to operate o The main gunner would set the coordinates, the assistant gunner set the elevation and fired the gun, one man loaded the gun, and everybody else lugged ammunition o The ammunition came in boxes of two rounds without fuses. After removing the round from a fiber tubing, a fuse was added (either impact or timed detonation fuse). o Each round had seven charges in it and weighed nearly 49 pounds. Depending on the distance of the shot, the number of charges on the round was adjusted. o Tom had no training on any other type of artillery (11:20) During artillery training, Tom had a couple of short weekends to go off base; however his activities were limited because he didn’t have much money. A private made less than $112 a month and after his expenses (things that the army made him pay for such as laundry) there wasn’t much left. Tom finished the artillery training in the first week of October. Throughout the entirety of his training, no one told Tom or his comrades much about what they should expect when they arrived in Vietnam. He was given a 25 day leave before he had to report to Oakland Army Base in California Tom doesn’t feel that his family truly grasped the reality of what he was doing. o He would write to his mother and tell her about the weather and not much else. After spending a day at Oakland Army Base, Tom boarded a commercial airplane and began his trip to Vietnam. o They stopped first in Hawaii, where they were able to exit the airplane (but not allowed to explore). o Next, they stopped in Wake Island to refuel. They were once again allowed to exit the plane; however, due to the island’s small size, they were unable to explore o Finally, they arrived at Bien Hoa Airbase in Vietnam (16:00) Vietnam     (16:05) As they approached the runway at Bien Hoa, the plane descended nose-up to make it easy for them to take off if they began to take fire from the ground. If the nose of the plane was pointed down, it would be very difficult for them to take off again. When Tom exited the aircraft, the humidity and the smell hit him hard. He compares the smell of Vietnam to garbage. Upon arrival, Tom was put through a weeklong training simply called “P Training”. Here he learned various tactics he would be using while he was in Vietnam. Tom was eventually placed into the 101st Airborne Division. He was transported from Bien Hoa to Phu Bai, and from Phu Bai to Camp Evans. �     o He describes Camp Evans as laid back. When he reported to his unit (Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery) no one was there. The next day, he was flown to his unit with the daily delivery of food and mail. (20:00) His unit was positioned within six miles of the DMZ. When he arrived, he was assigned to Gun 1. o Tom was told to stay out of the way because the unity was preparing to move back to Camp Evans the next day o Before they left the position, everything had to be packed up. The sandbags had to be emptied and the gun and ammo would be wrapped in a net and picked up by a Chinook They returned to Camp Evans and remained there through Thanksgiving. The next time they went into the field, they were sent to Firebase O’Reilly, north of Firebase Ripcord o Unfortunately for the men in Tom’s unit, this was monsoon season. They would be stuck on O’Reilly for 24 days without resupply. o When the rain and clouds finally broke, the men were pulled off O’Reilly. Tom remembers that the sky was filled with Chinooks that day After returning to Camp Evans for showers and supplies, Tom was sent to Firebase Jack, roughly six miles from Camp Evans o He remembers being at Jack for two months (through Christmas) o Tom and his unit frequently fired to harass the enemy during this time. A lot of time was also spend lugging ammunition to the guns (25:50) After one of the gunners on the battery went home (either the gunner or assistant gunner) went home, the other men started to act more welcoming. o Originally, Tom and the other new guys were called “cherries” and largely ignored. Earlier in 1969, the 101st Airborne assaulted Hamburger Hill and many of the men were ready to go home o Despite the barriers between men of various levels of experience, Tom received a lot of help in learning how to operate the artillery piece. o The 105 Howitzer that they were using was smaller than the 105s from training and could be rotated to fire in any direction (28:55) Firebase Ripcord  After Firebase Jack, Tom was sent to Firebase Ripcord. He cannot remember the exact date but his battery was one of the first on the firebase (likely April 1970). o When he arrived, engineers had already prepared the firebase for gun positions o Tom and his comrades secured the gun with three foot spikes and began to fill sandbags which protected the ammunition. o Within 24 hours, Tom’s battery began firing. Infantry platoons would report enemy movement and the artillery would respond. They would fire two rounds from two guns for smaller threats; however, as the threat grew, more firepower was used. �     Tom and his comrades walked around freely on the firebase without fear of enemy attack. The men in the artillery kept mostly to themselves. Tom eventually began to lose his hearing. He was sent to the USS Repose for a hearing test. o The doctors told him that he needed to stay away from loud noises, which was hard to do since he was in the artillery. o Eventually, one man from each section (including Tom) was sent to Camp Evans (late June) to prepare ammunition. There was no longer any room on the firebase for the ammo boxes, so the men at Evans removed the ammo from the boxes and put it in nets for delivery to the firebase. o This job was done during the night due to the extreme heat and lasted for about two weeks before Tom was sent back to Ripcord. (36:44) Tom remained on Ripcord from the last part of June to July 15 when he was transferred to another unit. o He asked his Captain why he was being sent away and the Captain said he tried to fight the order but was unsuccessful. o On the day Tom left Ripcord, he had to run to the helipad on the bottom part of the firebase because they were taking a lot of enemy fire. It took two choppers for them to get out. During Tom’s last days on Ripcord, the enemy attacked the firebase vigorously o They began to fire at short range. All charges were removed from the ammunition but one and the duns were pointed towards nearby hills. o This was largely a guessing game. They could see where the rounds were hitting and adjusted accordingly. When Tom left the firebase, he had no way to contact the men in his previous unit to make sure that they had survived. It was only a year before this interview was conducted that he finally contacted one of his former comrades. (40:40) Reassigned   Tom was stationed near Tay Ninh (Southern Vietnam) with another artillery battery. o It was a different world in the south, the guns rarely fired at all. After a month, Tom was sent to the rear as a truck driver. o After a month driving a truck, Tom took R&R in Sydney Australia (he had been in Vietnam for nearly 11 months) o When he returned to Vietnam, he found that his unit was being sent to Bien Hoa for deactivation; however, Tom couldn’t go home because he had extended his tour. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division as a gate guard at their headquarters. It was a safe job. o South Vietnam was a very different world from what he knew in the north, things were much quieter. o He had a lot of contact with Vietnamese civilians because they worked inside the base as cleaners and maintenance staff. �  The only city that Tom visited was Saigon, which he compared to being in the United States. Tom feels that his time in Vietnam went very quick when he was in action, but went very slow when he wasn’t. He also discusses the challenges of providing accurate artillery fire when no one could see where the shells were landing (which was most of the time). (47:30) After Vietnam         The process of leaving Vietnam was relatively painless. He received his orders and was put on a plane to the United States. o They first stopped in Anchorage, Alaska (December 14). It was very cold and they had no jackets; however, it felt good. o Finally, they arrived at Oakland Army Base where they were given fresh uniforms and showers before they were released. He flew back from Vietnam with a man named John who was heading back to Kansas. Tom and John flew back to Kansas on the same flight and shared a taxi to their respective homes. Tom recalls a peculiar situation that occurred upon his return to Kansas. Two of the men (who were still privates) that had completed basic training with Tom were getting ready to go to Vietnam. They had apparently gotten into some trouble and were just now leaving. In total, Tom was in the army for 18 months and six days. o He arrived at his mother’s house at 7am. After the initial surprise of his homecoming, he realized that he didn’t have a plan for what he was going to do next. o Rather than take a break, he immediately went to work at Avon Products in the shipping department. He was quickly promoted to one of the higher positions in the department (which angered some of his coworkers). His girlfriend had broken up with him while he was in Vietnam. When he returned, be began dating a woman that he knew in high school and they were married in late 1971. (53:55) It was initially difficult to adjust to civilian life. o He was frightened by loud noises for a while and had a difficult time hearing (he had over 50% hearing loss). Looking back on his time in the service, Tom felt that he did his duty; however, he is disappointed that we fought in a war that the U.S. lost. The discipline that he was given in the military would benefit kids today. � 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_PackT1887V Title A name given to the resource Pack, Thomas Arthur (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-08 Description An account of the resource Tom Pack was born on December 12, 1949 in Kansas City, Kansas. He was drafted in June, 1969 and completed his training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. When he arrived in Vietnam, Tom was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. His battery (battery B) was positioned on Firebase O'Reilly, Firebase Jack, and was one of the first batteries on Firebase Ripcord in April, 1970. In July, 1970, Tom was transferred out of the 101st due to major hearing loss he spent the remainder of his tour driving trucks and guarding the headquarters of the 1st Cavalry Division. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pack, Thomas Arthur Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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/b643785267a42003d7a7929d86ffbcf2.pdf 77e46245b3ce0f095f73d49c526f37ba PDF Text Text SOUTH AFRICA Worien, Ge"aer, & Se" •ali+- C't. 1r-lioc: I Students will examine how issues such as reproductive health, education, violence, political representation, and Apartheid have intersected to impact the role of women within various societal and class structures in South Africa. Questions? Contoct: Dr. Danielle DeMuth Ayana Weekley 616-331-8114 616-331·8173 �Contact Courses Padnos International Center Students will register for a total of6credits: 130 Lake Ontario Hall Allendale, Ml 49401 WGS 358: Women and Gender in South Africa (3 credits) AND www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad studyabroad@gvsu.edu 616-331-3898 Walk-In Advising Hours: Monday: 8am - 4pm Tuesday: Sam -4pm Wednesday: Sam - 7pm Thursday: Barn -4pm Friday:8am-4pm No appointment necessary/ Dates May 07 - June 14, 2019 (5.5 weeks) WGS 493: Community Collaborative in South Africa (3 credits) Fulfills General Education Global Perspectives requirement. Fulfills (1) General Education Issues course requirement. Reflection required. Language of instruction: English Excursions & Highlights Gain a deeper understanding of race and class through a global feminist perspective Participate in service-learning through SHAWCO, a non~governmental organization that works with adults and chfldren; focusing on education, health and social issues Engage w!th local community members In an impactful way Cost Housing Program Fee Tuition vtner expenses $4,240 (paid to GVSU) $3,282 (paid to GVSU) $1,198 (estimate) Students will stay Ina privately-run residence in rooms shared with GVSU What's Included? What's Included? What's Included? students. Eligibility Open to all majors. 2.0 GPA required. Recommended that students have taken WGS 200: Introduction to Gender Studies . Non-GVSU students are eligible. Visit the website for details. Apply Round-trip airfare Breakfasts,somelunchesand dinners Housing Fie!dtripsandfees All ground transportation • 6cred!ts Vacclnatlons($SOO) Additional meals ($320) Personalexpenses($200) Passport/photos ($150) ISICcard •optional ($28) Total Estimated Cost: $8,720 How do I pay for study abroad? Students can use financial aid, scholarships, grants, personal funds and alternative loans to fund study abroad. Scholarship options include but are not IJmited to the Faculty-led Program Grant ($1,500). Faculty~Led program grants are need-based and limited. For more information on funding, visit www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad ApplyonllnebyFebruary1,2019at: www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad "All program information including courses, duration of program, dates ond other logistics are subject to change. Fee subject to adjustment based on actual exchange rates and international airfare. Programs may be cancelled due to extenuating circumstances. � 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 GVSU Sexuality and Gender Flyers Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rainbow Resource Center Women and Gender Studies Department Women's Commission Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity Description An account of the resource Digitized posters, flyers, event notices, and other materials relating to gender expression and sexuality at Grand Valley State University, with materials spanning from 1974 to 2019. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974/2019 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digitized from collections at the Rainbow Resource Center (formerly the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center), Women and Gender Studies Department, Women's Commission, and Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Gender identity Gender expression Sexual orientation Women's studies Queer theory Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-09 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-09_SGF_WGS_2019_StudyAbroadSouthAfrica.pdf Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Padnos International Center Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Title A name given to the resource Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies and the Women's Center in South Africa Description An account of the resource Information sheets on the study abroad trip offered to South Africa in 2019. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department Subject The topic of the resource Women's studies Foreign study Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/10afeda5428019fe019164a47c35c3b7.pdf c44bce795b5960baba27e1b14ec9707e PDF Text Text SOUTH AFRICA A GVSU FACULlY LED PROGRAM WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES AND THE WOMEN'S CENTER IN CAPE TOWN SPRING/SUMMER 2012 TELL ME ABOUT THIS PROGRAM The Women and Gender Studies program in Cape Town, South Africa combines a strong academic program and service to the community. The program, provided in partnership with the Women's Center, focuses on women and gender issues in the region and explores global feminist perspectives. Participants examine how issues such as reproductive health, education, violence, political representation and participation, Apartheid, and the new democracy intersect and impact the role of women within various societal and class structures. Students divide their time between service learning, academic lectures, and excursions in Johannesburg and Cape Town. In addition to The Apartheid Museum and a tour of Soweto and Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, students experience the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders National Park, and the Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, and Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. The substantial service-learning component is provided through SHAWCO, a non-governmental organization based in Cape Town. SHAWCO has years of experience guiding students in their work with adults and children in one of six local township centers that focus on education, health, social and community issues. This format allows students to move beyond the classroom and become a part of the communities they are studying. WHEN CAN I GO? This six week program will depart May 9, 2012 and return June 17, 2012. WHERE WILL I LIVE? Students will stay in a privately run residence. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE? Open to all students who have completed at least one WGS course. GPA of 2.5 and submit a complete application by February 1, 2012. Students must have a minimum cumulative *All program information including courses, duration of program, dates, and other logistics are subject to change. Programs may be cancelled due to extenuating circumstances. Padnos International Center www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad �WHAT CREDITS WILL I RECEIVE? Students will register for six credits: WGS 358: Women and Gender in South Africa Three credits AND WGS 493: Women's Community Collaborative in South Africa Three Credits HOW MUCH DOES THIS PROGRAM COST? The 2012 approximate program fee is $4,926 *. Program Fee Includes: Additional Costs: • • • • • • • Round-trip airfare from Grand Rapids Most meals Housing Field trips and fees All ground transportation • • GVSU tuition ($2,592) Personal expenses and additional meals ($500) Passport/photos ($140) ISIC card ($28) Total Projected Cost: $4,926 (program fee) + $3,260 (additional costs) = $8,186* *Fee subject to adjustments based on actual exchange rates and international airfare. FINANCIAL AID All students considering study abroad should have their financial aid reevaluated regardless of whether they are currently receiving federal aid. Additional need-based study abroad grants are also available to eligible students. Early application for financial aid is strongly recommended. GRANTS GVSU offers grants to be used specifically for faculty-led programs. These grants, which are approximately $500, are based on financial need only-academic or other criteria are not taken into consideration. All degree-seeking students accepted into a GVSU faculty-led program are automatically considered for the grant if they have a current FAFSA on file in the Financial Aid Office. No application required. HOW DO I APPLY? To apply for this program, log on to www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad to begin your online application. Completed applications must be submitted by February 1, 2012. WHO CAN TELL ME MORE? 2012 Director: Danielle DeMuth dem uthg@gvsu .ed u 218 Lake Ontario Hall 616-331-8025 Padnos International Center www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad � 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 GVSU Sexuality and Gender Flyers Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rainbow Resource Center Women and Gender Studies Department Women's Commission Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity Description An account of the resource Digitized posters, flyers, event notices, and other materials relating to gender expression and sexuality at Grand Valley State University, with materials spanning from 1974 to 2019. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974/2019 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digitized from collections at the Rainbow Resource Center (formerly the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center), Women and Gender Studies Department, Women's Commission, and Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Gender identity Gender expression Sexual orientation Women's studies Queer theory Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-09 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-09_SGF_2012_Cape-Town.pdf Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Padnos International Center Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-05-09/2012-06-17 Title A name given to the resource Women and Gender Studes and The Women's Center in Cape Town Description An account of the resource Two-paged flyer with details on a faculty-led Women and Gender Studies abroad program in South Africa. Subject The topic of the resource Community centers Women's studies Foreign study Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Padnos International Center Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c07332b18070b7ad794eca4b35e47c86.mp4 3ea80766586bfe99bc25708359e86f36 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/000e186c9565d08fd443b85125ca95d4.pdf 85f3e83b446319855fe4520a36b7a427 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Stuart Padnos (01:28:28) (00:10) Background Information • • • • • • • Stuart was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 22, 1922 He went to Lincoln Elementary school and was in the only Jewish family in Holland Stuart went to college after high school and had planned on later going to law school Stuart had been taking pre-law classes at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor He enlisted in the reserve, which was supposed to allow him to finish college After Pearl Harbor was attacked it was very hard to concentrate on classes Stuart had been training in the ROTC while in the reserve (5:30) Called to Service • Stuart received a letter that told him to report at Camp Grant in Illinois • They received their uniforms there and were sent to Kaiser Field in Mississippi • This was a classification center where they were testing to determine what school they would attend in the future • Stuart was then sent to Alabama (12:15) Army Specialized Training Program • He was sent to the University of Alabama for engineering school • Stuart was then sent to Boston University where he met his wife • The Army decided a year later that they needed infantry soldiers and not engineers • The ASTP was shut down and then everyone was sent into the infantry (15:10) Camp Pickett, Virginia • This area was a red clay zone and the general was more concerned about planting grass than infantry training • The men worked throughout the area laying down sod • They did have a bit of gunnery training, marching, and calisthenics • Stuart was working with three divisions, the 106th, 99th, and 78th (18:20) Camp Kilmer, New Jersey • Stuart was involved in many boxing matches; the winners would receive 3-day passes to New York City • They gathered near a shipping station, but no one was sure as to where they were going • They boarded a troop ship and Stuart had no problems with sea sickness �• • There was not much room on the ship and the extra men stayed in the hospital area Stuart stayed in the hospital area and was able to take fresh water showers and there was plenty of room (23:20) England • The men stayed in a resort buildings on a cliff; the buildings were all vacant • He felt that the outfit was very poorly trained and badly equipped because none of them had gone through basic training for the full extent • Because they were badly trained, Stuart was pretty sure they would not be fighting, but maybe working as the military police (25:10) Le Havre, France • They [he was assigned to the 78th Division by this time] were headed into France and DDay had already occurred • There was destruction everywhere in France, but the men felt relatively safe • Stuart thought that they would be policing the captured cities, but they continued towards the front lines without any ammunition • They were in a very dense forest [the Hurtgen Forest] near the front lines and it was late November • There was very deep snow and it was cold; the men did not have proper clothing for such cold weather • They went into a heavy combat zone and many men were hit • The Germans took many prisoners and there were not many in his company who survived (32:35) Defense • The men were being attacked constantly by tanks and machine guns • Stuart was very fearful; there were cut up bodies all over the place • He was told that most of the company had been wiped out and to get away from the front line • He headed to the rear to find more American troops, but eventually they ran into Germans and were captured • He was interrogated and they took his glasses and broke them so that he could barely see • He had been wounded with shrapnel and his feet were completely frozen • The Germans took him to a hospital • He was then put into a crowded box car with other men where they were sent to a prison camp (38:15) Prison Camp • The French were separated, while the Americans and British were put together in the same rooms �• • • • • The Germans really hated the Russians and they had the worst conditions in their rooms They ate a small cup of very watery soup every day and a few rotten potatoes They had that one meal per day The men had been near death when they arrived at the camp, starving, freezing, wounded, and most with dysentery They were allowed a change of clothes and to take a shower (45:50) Communication • There was a hidden radio that they used to hear BBC news • Every morning the men would get news of the progress in the war • No one even though of escaping because they were so far into Germany that it would be impossible • Stuart had gotten rid of his dog tags so that no one would know he was Jewish • The guards were pretty civil and never hurt anyone that he knew of • They would occasionally receive a Red Cross Parcel, but really each person was supposed to receive a parcel once a week (51:50) Russian Liberators • The Russians came to the camp in the middle of the night yelling for the Americans • They helped them escape, giving them extra clothes and food • The Russians did not like the British and were not nice to them • They were brought to a German OCS installation, which Stuart thought was even nicer than the dorms in the University of Michigan • The British were locked into horse stables outside of the building (59:30) Back to Good Health • Stuart had been eating better and was even allowed to have some milk • Some men died because they had eaten so much food so quickly • An American reconnaissance outfit of three trucks came to pick the men up, but the Russians insisted in a formal exchange later on • The troops rushed to take the Americans anyways; the Russians tried to stop them with tanks at the Alba River • When the Russians went through the prison camps, they had killed all the Germans • Stuart and others were brought to a Red Cross Area where they were stripped, cleaned, given new clothes, more food, and blankets (1:04:45) France • Stuart was sent to the Recovered Allied Military Personnel area in France • He was debriefed, interrogated, and issued a new uniform • They took a hospital train to a deportation camp in France �• • • • • • The former POWs were fed 6 meals a day, given milk shakes, and allowed to exercise and relax They had been there for ten days where it was announced that a ship was coming to pick them up Later they heard that the ship was having engine problems, so they were issued passes to Paris for another week There were no pay checks to give the men, so they were given cartons of cigarettes and bars of soap to barter with Stuart bought presents for his whole family and even left with extra money He had heard the news that the war was over while in prison camp (1:10:40) Back to the US • The men boarded a troop ship, which carried POWs from all areas of the service • The POWs decided that they would not pay attention to the “officers only” signs on the ships • They landed in Newport News and were sent to a large building where they were served large steak dinners by German prisoners • There was tons of milk, butter, and beef • After eating they were all allowed to call their friends and family �/ostn Tank Ps ttalion [attached 10 Dec 44-25 Jon 45) 736th Tank Battalion [attached 25 Jon 45-1 Feb 45) 774th Tank Battalion [attached 3 Feb 45-2"4 Feb 45) 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion [attached-19 Dec 44-23 Dec 44) 817th Tank Destroyer Battalion [attached 1 Dec 44-6 Dec 44) 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion [attached 11 Dec 44-past 9 May 45) 552nd AAA Auto-Wpns Battalion [attached 20 Dec 44-past 9 May 45) Overseas \Nartime Assignments: XVIII (AlB) Corps - 3 Feb 45 III Corps -12 Feb 45 VII Corps - 16 Mar 45 A"'VIIl (AlB) Corps - 2 Apr 45 First Army - 1g A'Pr 45 Ninth Army - 9 Nov 44 XIX Corps - 28 Nov 44 V Corps - 5 Dec 44 VII Corps - 18 Dec 42 XIX Corps - 22 Dec 44 V Corps - 2 Feb 45 Commanders: MG Edwin P. Parker Jr: Aug 42 MG Ray W. Barker: Sep 45 Killed in Action: 1,427 Wounded in Action: 6,103 tit: Died of Wounds: 198 78th Infantry Division Combat Narrative The division landed in France on 22 Nov 44. moved to Tongr.es Belgium. and then to Roetgen Germany. It relieved the 1st Inf Div in line near Entenpfuhll-12 Dec 44. and detached the 311th lnf to fight under 8th lnf Div in the Battle of Huertgen Forest. The division attacked toward the Roer and Urft Dams on 12 Dec 44 and began the battle for Kester­ nich which finally fell to the 311th Inf on 31 TaL 45. Meanwhile. the division blocked the road junction near Monschau on 18 Dec 44 in response to the German Ardennes Counteroffensive. and cleared hill positions over' the Kall River by 11 Tan 45. It attacked on 30 jan 45 to contact the First Army at Widdau. After the division mopped up the Imgenbroich­ Kesternich area. the 311th lnf crossed the flooded Roer River on 3 Feb 45. The drive on Schwammenauel Dam with tnree regiments abreast was halted soon after initiation, and resumed after heavy artillery bombardment on 7 Feb45. Kommerscheidt fell to the 309th lnf, the 310th Inf cleared high-ground leading to Schmidt. and the 311th Inf battled into the outer par-ts of the city. The 309th and 311th lnf were attached to the 9th lnf Div which took Schmidt after heavy combat and seized the dam 8-9 Feb 45. • 79th Infi No Distinctive Insignia Authorized 15Ju,n42 try Divisi 3 Mar 43 Cp Ferre Center N Standish landed ir Germany 11 Dec 4: Campaig: Aug 45 Ll Typical Organization (1944/4! 313th Infantry Regiment 314th Infantry Regiment 315th Infantry Regiment HHB Division Artillery 310th Field Artillery Battalion (lC 311th Field Artillery Battalion (1< 312th Field Artillery Battalion (1: 904th Field Artillery Battalion (H 79th Reconnaissance Troop. 1\'1e 191st Tank Battalion (attached 1 717th Tank Battalion (attached 8 744th Tank Battalion (attached 1 749th Tank Battalion (attached 1 761st Tank Battalion (attached 2( 781st Tank Battalion [attached 2~ 605th Tank Destroyer Battalion [I i73rd Tank Destrover Battalion (I 809th Tank Destroyer Battalion (I ----;1:-:--- 613th Tank Destroyer Battalion (( 453rd AAA Auto-Wpns Battalion Overseas Wartime Assignmen The division entered BIens 13 Feb 45 and then consolidated and patrolled the west bank of the Roer. On 28 Feb 45 the 311th Inf crossed and drove south to Blens to join the rest of the division which crossed there 2 Mar 4.5 as the regiment took Heimbach in the bridgehead sector. The division then advanced to the Rhine and the 309th and 311 th Inf crossed the river at Remagan attached to the 9th lnf Div which had responsibility for the bridgehead. The 310th lnf forced a bridgehead across the Ahr at Loehndorf. The division regrouped and attacked toward the Cologne-Frankfurt Auto­ bahn on 11 Mar 45. and withstood counterattacks at Honnef the following day. The 309th Inf seized Hovel and cut the autobahn 16 Mar 45 as the 310th and 311th Inf took Konigswinter. The division regrouped again and drove along the east bank of the Rhine and secured the heights dominating the Konigswinter bridgesite on 18 Mar 45. The 311th Inf r,~ed the Sieg River at Meindorf 21 Mar 45 as the 310th Inf captured Menden and cleared strongpoints around it 24 Mar 45. The 309th Inf eliminated a strongpoint near Hennef the next day. and the division then relieved the 1st Inf Div along the Sieg River: \11 Corps- 18 Apr 44 Third Army - 29 May 44 VIII Corps - 1 Jul44 1.'V Corps - 3 Aug 44 XII Corps - 29 Aug 44 1:V Corps - 7 Sep 44 Third Army - 29 Sep 44 Commanders: MG Ira T. Wyche: J BG LeRoy H. Watsc Killed in Action: 2,476 Wounded �:1 ,I ~--.;! 'Ii IT ~ sDet isioD 147 he division was relieved along the south bank of the Sieg, and on 6 Apr 45 the 309th and 310th Inf attacked across it ket, The division battled through well-defended Waldbrol. Lichtenberg. and Freudenberg on o1 u e e u r 8 Apr 45. Advancing "With the 13th Arrnd Div it seized Wipperfuerth on 13 Apr 45 and overran both Elberfeld and Wuppertal 15 Apr 45. which conaluded its drive. The division was assigned the mission of guarding the rear of First Army and moved to Dillenburg 19 Apr 45. It was stationed 'lear Marburg when hostilities were declared ended on 7 May 45. nee C:oIT.. panv -79th Infantry ph~. . t· . ~. ""-'" 15 Ju.::. 42. activated at Cp Pickett Va as the 79th Division and redesignated ~t2re 2S 7"Sth infan­ ", try Eivision 1 Aug 42 and moved to Cp Blanding Fla 1 Sep 42: moved to Tenn :\faneuvers Area '3 :Vl2..:' 43 llihera participated in the Second Army No.1 Tennessee Maneuvers: transferred to Cp.F crrast Tenn 19 [ul 43 and moved to Cp Young Calif 17 Aug 43 :or the Desert Training Cent er No.3 California Maneuvers: arrivedCp Phillips Kans 4 Dec 43 and staged at Cp Myles Starxiish Mass 31 \lal' 44 until departed Boston PiE 7Apr 44: arrived England 16 Apr 44 and landed in.Fr ance ~4 [uri 44: crossed into Belgium 17 Feb 45 and into Eolla~d ~2. Feb 45: enter cd ~:=''?r=~=-::: ':?.,,\[2r -;3: ar:-:":=d ~~S·,N ~(or~( ?/;:: 10 Sec ~:: ~:;::c. ~l-:':~'=::~:""~-:'?~ 2~ I-:;J ~<~l.;:...?~ _")' Campaigns: Norrncndy. Northern France. RhirJeland. Ardennes-Alsnce, Central Europe Aug 45 Loe: NsheimGermany ;e,ID any. It relieved the Inf Div in the Battle of ~ n the ba ttle for Kester­ uncti on near Monschau s over the Kall River by Jed up the Imgenbroich­ warnrnenauel Dam with 1 rnbardment on 7 Feb 45. nd the 311th Inf battled hich took Schmidt after Typical Organization (1944/45): 304th Engineer Combat Battalion 313th Infantry Regiment 304th Medical Battalion 314th Infantry Regiment .79th Counter Intelligence Corps Det 315th Infantry Regiment Headquarters Special Troops HHB Division Artillery/' Hqs Company. 79th Infantry Division 310th Field Artillery Ba ttalionIl 05mm] Mili tary Police PIa toon 311th Field Artillery Battalion: (105mm] n9th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company 312th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm) 79th Quartermaster Company 904th Field Artillery Ba ttl3.lion (105mm) 79th Signal Company 79th Reconnaissance-Troop. Mecz 191st Tank Battalioztjnttccheri 1 Dec 44-22 Dec 44) 717th Tank Batt {on (attached 8 Mar 45-20 Apr 45J 744th Tank B calion (attached 17 Apr 45-18 Apr 45J 749th Tank attalion (attached 1 Ju144-24 Ju144J 761st Tank Ba ttalion (a ttached 20 Feb 45-1 Mar 45 J 781st Tank Ba ttaliori (attached 22 Dec 44-3 Jan 45J 605th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 22 Apr 45-30 Apr 45) 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 9 Sep 44-12 Oct 44J . 809tb Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 20 Mar 45-26 Mar 45) 813th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 1 Jul 44-9 Sep 44. 12 Oct 44-21 Apr 45) 463rd AAA Alltn-\\'nn<: P"tt" l;nn r~H,~~h~..l -r T.. J A' roo T .. ' ,-, � 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 PadnosS Title A name given to the resource Padnos, Stuart (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Padnos, Stuart Description An account of the resource Stuart Padnos was born in Michigan in 1922. He attended the University of Michigan and enlisted in the Army Reserve after Pearl Harbor. He was called to service a few months later where he took part in the Army Specialized Training Program. Padnos began taking engineering classes, but was later called up for infantry training due to a shortage of recruits. Stewart was later assigned to the 78th Division and sent to fight in the Hurtgen Forest, where he was captured and sent to a German prison camp. He remained there until he was liberated by the Russians, and eventually found his way back to the US. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army Reserve World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 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/3e9d58469f3dbcda7e71bed934653ca6.pdf d809108ab4f732216e5b207afa01290c PDF Text Text Young Lords In Lincoln Park Interviewee: Dylcia Noemi Pagán Interviewers: José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez Location: Grand Valley State University Special Collections Date: 5/15/2012 Biography and Description English Dylcia Pagán was born to Puerto Rican parents in 1946 at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York City and raised in East Harlem. She became a child star, performing every week on NBC’s “Children’s Hour.” After losing her parents at the age of 20, she became an activist, participating in voter registration drives and working for the Community Development Agency (CDA) evaluating poverty programs throughout the City of New York. In 1969, Ms. Pagán decided to attend Brooklyn College where she co-founded the Puerto Rican Student Union that resulted in the formation of a student-controlled Puerto Rican Studies Department that is still in existence today. She continued a long career in media, becoming the first Puerto Rican woman television producer in New York City. Ms. Pagán has worked as a producer, writer, and filmmaker, developing investigative documentaries and children’s program on nearly every major television network. She also worked as the English editor for the city’s first bilingual daily newspaper, El Tiempo, and authored a popular daily column in that same paper. In 1978, Ms. Pagán was subpoenaed by a Grand Jury to testify in connection with the arrest of her companion, William Morales. At the time, she was three months pregnant with her son, Guillermo, and �she refused to testify. Sometime in 1979 she went underground with her son. She was arrested in 1980, charged with seditious conspiracy for fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico, and was sentenced to 63 years in prison. She was released from prison on September 10, 1999 after a long campaign in the United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally pressured President Bill Clinton to give she and nine of her co-defendants a Presidential Conditional Clemency. She lives and works in Puerto Rico. Spanish Dylcia Pagán nació a padres puertorriqueños en 1946 en Lincoln Hospital en los Bronx de Nueva York y creció en el East Harlem. Se hizo una estrella infantil siendo parte de “Children’s Hour” en NBC. A los 20 años perdió sus padres y se convirtió un activista, trabajando con registraciones de votes y también con la Community Development Agency (CDA) que evalúa programas de pobreza en Nueva York. En 1969, Señora Pagán decidió atender Brookly College donde ayudo a fundir el Puerto Rican Student Union que resulto con la formación de un Departamento de estudias puertorriqueñas que es controlado por los estudiantes (todavía existe hoy). Señora Pagán continuó una carera en la media de comunicación y fue la primera productora puertorriqueña en la ciudad de Nueva York. Trabajo como productora, escritora y cineasta desarrollando documentarias investigas y programas de niños en cada estación mayor de televisión. También trabajo con un editor Ingles para el primer periódico bilingüe en la cuidad, El Tiempo, y también escribió una sección de ese mismo periódico. En 1978 un Gran Jurado dio una citación para que Pagán daría un testifico en conexión con el arresto de su compañero, William Morales. Durante este tiempo estaba tres meses embarazada con su hijo Guillermo y rechazo testificar. En 1979 se escondo con su hijo. La arrestaron en 1980 y la cargaron con sedicioso de conspiración por pelear por la independencia de Puerto Rico y recibió una condona de 63 años encarceladas. Después de una campaña larga en los Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico, e internacional Presidente Bill Clinton le dio el Presidential Conditional Clemency a Pagán y 9 otros, el 10 de Septiembre, 1999. Ahora vive y trabaja en Puerto Rico. �Transcript JOSE JIMENEZ: (inaudible) DYLCIA PAGAN: Sure. My information? Sure. My name is Dylcia Pagán Rivera, ’cause Puerto Ricans can’t forget their mother’s name if they’re not bastards. I reside now in Puerto Rico, I live in Loíza, since I was, let’s see... I was born October 15, 1946. I consider myself not an elder but a wise woman. I’m one of the ex-Puerto Rican political prisoners, former television reporter, producer, writer, artist, holistic healer, and an activist for the independence movement of Puerto Rico. A revolutionary woman. JJ: But you were born in New York, you said? DP: I was born in the former controversial Lincoln Hospital, in the Bronx, but I was raised in East Harlem which is the second community where Puerto Ricans migrated to New York City. So it was -- East Harlem started from 96th Street to 125th Street. So that’s where I was raised, all my -- most of my life. [00:01:00] Yeah, most of my life. JJ: So then, the second community that went there, like, in the late ’40s, or...? DP: I would say -- well, I would say maybe early ’40s because -- JJ: Early ’40s. DP: -- my grandfather was a -- my mother was the one who got my father from Yauco. My father left Yauco when he was 17, [Sebastián Pagán?], he became a plumber but he was a [cadete de don?] Pedro Albizu Campos Nationalist Party. My mother went to Hunter High School -- Hunter College, my grandfather was 1 �one of the first bodegueros, grocery store owners, in East Harlem. It is said that by 1917, my grandfather had seven bodegas through East Harlem. JJ: Through East Harlem, okay. DP: Yeah. JJ: So then -- DP: So that she was raised in New York, but she would fly to Puerto Rico, or come on the boat, because sometimes there were no planes, at that time. But when I was raised, East Harlem was divided -- it was very interesting, because, being the second community where Puerto Ricans migrated to, well, Puerto Ricans did like we always do. We hang out in municipalities [00:02:00] in our area, so like 108 belonged to the people from Yauco, 109th were the people from Juanica, 110th were the people from different parts of the island, so that they had different communities -- I think that sound is affecting us. Guys, we’re taping! Hey! Brothers! Panama, we’re filming! JJ: -- talking about (inaudible). DP: My mother was from Guánica, my father from Yauco. And my grandfather had, 1917, my family always says that he had about seven or eight bodegas, which are Puerto Rican small grocery stores. I consider myself a very privileged child because -- JJ: And this is, you said, East Harlem? DP: East Harlem, el barrio. (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) Even though now they wanna change it to East Harlem -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) not too familiar -- 2 �DP: -- no, we’re still East Harlem -- I know, you guys are from Chicago, I’m from el barrio, New York City. So, I was raised in an atmosphere as an only child, I was very privileged. I got to go to private schools, not by choice but by accident I [00:03:00] went to Catholic schools. At five and a half years old, I was on the Children’s Hour on NBC TV, which is a children’s show by the Horn & Hardart. It was very interesting because I started as a singer, and then a producer called the house and asked my mother, my mother said, “Well, you talk to Dylcia and see what she wants to do.” So, she asked me, “Do you think you can learn a script?” I said, “Absolutely.” So one of the little stars of the show, Eileen Mary Parluck, had gotten sick, so I had to take over her role, and there was a guy dressed as a dog called Maribone the Talking Dog. So I became his best friend. JJ: (inaudible) DP: Yeah. So the show opened up with east side, west side, the theme song, Ed Herlihy, which was the voice of Kraft products, was the host of the show. So I had an incredible childhood, because being on television as a dancer and an actress, I got to work out all my fantasies, I think, as a, you know, as an actress, because I’ve been a dog, a cat, [00:04:00] you name it, I’ve done it. But in the same token, when I got chosen, when I was chosen to be one of the opening stars of the show, I’ll never forget what my parents told me at dinner. “Do you want to do this?” And I said, “Oh yes.” They said, “Okay, you’re gonna do this, but remember, you’re gonna go to a different world. It’s a all-white world.” My mother said, and father told me, “And the most important thing about this experience is that they’re not better than you are.” And I said, “How come?” 3 �“Just because you’re Puerto Rican.” And I said, “What does that mean?” “It means because you have a culture, you have a history, you have music. And if the Jews have Hanukkah, you have the Three Kings, [Los Reyes de Mago?].” I have never forgotten that. And I think that’s the most important essence of my life, is because, I really believe now that I’ve gone through what I’ve gone through in life. If you know who you are, you never lose your commitment to yourself and to your country and what you really believe in. [00:05:00] My father being a nationalist always taught me about don Pedro Albizu Campos, who was the -- not the founder but one of the biggest image of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, which I’m honored today to tell you that I am now the new Secretary of Women Affairs of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico, I was just -JJ: Congratulations. DP: Yeah, so it’s a big honor, it’s an honor. Given the reality that our Lolita Lebrón just passed away, and she was one of our -- my biggest loves of my life, well let’s go back to my childhood. So, I grew up in East Harlem. And, at an early age, my parents were always concerned that even though I had a privileged life in many ways... That we would always be involved in the communities. And then at that time, there was every Puerto Rican’s hangout. Well, they had social clubs. JJ: And did you mention your mother’s name (inaudible) DP: My [00:06:00] mother’s name was Delia Lidia Rivera, which is her maiden name, and my father’s name is Sebastián Pagán. Yeah. And he was known as -- 4 �“Delia and Bachán,” everybody always says, “You’re Delia and Bachán’s daughter,” you know? Especially here in Puerto Rico. What is that? (loud environmental noise) (inaudible) The sounds of Loíza are coming down upon us. So that, at an early age, even though it was on television, one of the things that my parents always were involved in, was I would go to perform at all the social clubs. JJ: You said you were on television, what (inaudible)? DP: At NBC, I said that, the Children’s Hour on NBC TV, yes. So I did it live. Not like Saturday Night Live, like real live television, (inaudible) from 1952 till 1959. Every Sunday, I had to go rehearse on Saturdays, and then film, do the show -not film, live, on NBC, on NBC Channel 4. [00:07:00] It was a great experience, I mean, I’ve worked with -- I got to be on the Hit Parade, I got to meet the people from Howdy Doody show, I worked with incredible people in my life so I think it also gives you a broader spectrum of life. But being raised in East Harlem, I was able to live the reality of what it is to live in a community that’s surrounded by poor people, really. My parents were working-class people, we weren’t rich. But we had -- I lived in a private house in the middle of East Harlem, you know. But I was also taught that whatever I had, I had to share. And I think that’s very important. My father passed away when I was 15. At 18 years old, I became the youngest community organizer with the poverty programs in New York City, in East Harlem. I worked for MEND, Massive Economic Neighborhood Development, and became a researcher with them. Then I went to work for the city of New York, I became an evaluator. And that’s where the lightbulb came 5 �out. [00:08:00] I got to evaluate all the property programs. And everybody was “maximal feasible participation of the poor,” and what we found out in evaluating the programs, that there was no participation of the poor. It was very minimal, it wasn’t maximum. That the system was maintaining -- the conditions were improving, but the people weren’t given the power to control their lives. At that period in time, I decided to go to Brooklyn College. Because of my parents’ consciousness, I was involved in a lot of community activities. As an organizer, well, I did a lot of housing work, educational work, youth work, health work, and the Young Lords came to existence in East Harlem. At that time, I was at Brooklyn College organizing the Puerto Rican students, and then while the Lords were doing the second church takeover, in New York, I was organizing the Puerto Rican Student Union. [00:09:00] Their office was, like, a block and a half away from my house, where I grew up, but I lived on 110th Street, so the second church takeover, my house was the central control for all public relations, because I lived around the block. I wasn’t a member of the Young Lords, but I definitely supported them, and to be honest I think that’s something important to talk about. What’s the importance of the Young Lords, and I think that’s... JJ: What is the importance? Yeah. DP: Yes! It’s a very important part of my life, and I think people should know about it. Especially here in Puerto Rico, and anyone who’s studying sociology, anyone that’s studying any aspect of the development of people’s lives. The Lords played a significant role in East Harlem. Why? Because they were all young people. You know? Juan, Felipe, (inaudible) David, were all -- Yoruba, were all 6 �young brothers that were college students, and they created the party because they went to Chicago and met you guys, am I [00:10:00] correct? JJ: That’s correct, yeah. DP: And it’s from your influence, of the young Lords in Chicago, that the Young Lords arise in New York City, in East Harlem. JJ: We kinda influenced each other with (overlapping dialogue; inaudible). DP: I guess, yeah. JJ: We all influence each other. DP: We do, and the truth of the matter, I think we’re all living under the same conditions. That’s how we started the Puerto Rican Student Union, because we had Puerto Rican Studies departments throughout the city of New York and New Jersey, and we all faced the same enemy, we faced the same problems, so we created the union to be able to put together our strategies. So, getting back to the importance of the Lords, I think what the Lords did was they were able to demystify the image of what the people had, of what a revolutionary young man - and women. Because when they first came to East Harlem, they called ’em “lo’ peludo’,” “the kids with the big hair,” you know. And they wore the army jackets. But I also believe that they also taught the community, [00:11:00] when you take it upon yourself to teach people how to survive, and how to defend that which is yours, a level of respect emerges. And I believe when the Lords took over, did the first garbage strike, that they took over the trucks and they burned the fire, the garbage, they knew that they were for real. When they started doing the health services in our community, against lead poisoning of our children, most of 7 �our people didn’t know about lead poisoning, ’cause nobody knew. People were not educated in that field of consciousness. So that the Lords, I always say “[Lo’ Balbu?],” became the teachers to the people. And it was unbelievable, when we took over that church, that next morning, I was there, I did 11 days. JJ: So you went [right?] in the church. DP: Absolutely. I went, that morning, I didn’t go to the first takeover but I went to the second one. I walked in and David Perez tells me, “Hey Dylcia, come on, you’re gonna be security in the basement.” I said, “You got it. [00:12:00] Right on.” I’d spent 11 days, I was then dating a friend of -- a man, who was my boyfriend, who was the deputy commission [on the?] United States Commission on Human Rights. So his federal [call?] would sit in front of the People’s Church. JJ: What was his name? DP: [Bob de León?], [Roberto?] de León. He’s still my friend, we’re still dear friends. So it’s funny. So we took over the church, and I remember, when the pigs were outside and they couldn’t open up, I looked at the guy, I said, “Let’s sing,” so we sang -- what was that song? It was a gospel song, and in the videos that I -- it’ll come to me. But it was wonderful, because for the first time, we saw how these young people, young men, and myself included, showed our community that churches are not there to just have Sunday meetings. The irony is that my mother’s aunt used to come every Sunday from Simpson Street, to go to services there, but that church never [00:13:00] opened up for any services of community, so it had to be taken over. And it was. That next morning, all the welfare mothers, and everybody -- from the windows, they were bringing us bottles of 8 �milk, loaves of bread, you know, and our people’s support -- I had never made so many scrambled eggs in my lifetime. I must’ve made 75 dozen scrambled eggs for the first day. But it was an incredible experience, how the community came inside, and they got to understand not only about the Young Lords but about the question of Puerto Rican independence. About, why was our nation a colony? And we started the breakfast programs, and we started PE classes, educational programs for the children. And we had clothing drives. So that it became -JJ: So how was that educational (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Well, I think what happened was, to have an open morning program, we had to have a theme. So we taught the children about the theme, you know, Indians, they learned about [00:14:00] who their ancestors was, and when you know that you come from a warrior family, that gives you a self-pride, you know? And I think, even till this day, that’s very relevant in our society. Till this day, our history and our cultural beauty, our essence, needs to be expounded more. Our young people do not know who they really are. And that needs to be done. And that’s something I’m working on, but let’s continue about the Lords. What happened with me and the Lords, because I was with PRSU -- JJ: The Puerto Rican Student Union? DP: The Puerto Rican Student Union, I’m sorry, yes. Eventually the Puerto Rican Student Union became an entity of the Young Lords in New York. I had then left the PRSU because I went to do some independent film work for the first time on cable television, La Voz de la Comunidad was my first program. But I still supported the Lords, and whatever the Lords needed, I was able to provide for 9 �them. [00:15:00] They needed a place to use the phones, they used my house. They needed a place, I mean, two o’clock in the morning, a compañero’s funeral, Roldán, right? JJ: Julio Roldán. DP: Julio Roldán. I got a call from Yoruba, he says, “Listen, we need to put out --” I said, “All right. Let me call the director of the Johns -- James Weldon Johnson,” (inaudible), who then became assistant dean at Hunter College, but he was then the director. I called him, he said, “What do you want?” Took a cab to the Bronx, “Give me the keys.” He went upstairs and we were able to print all the information necessary for the next day. They didn’t have money for the rent, and I then became a producer, of course! What do you do with your money? You help your people. So that’s what I did. The People’s Church, we did the most beautiful New Year’s Eve celebration ever in the history of New York City. I was able to acquire every -- every artist imaginable came to perform, and Pedro Pietri, [00:16:00] our dear -- from the “Puerto Rican Obituary,” that is not the first place he went, people say that, it’s not true. Pedro was my dear friend, Pedro wrote the “Obituary” in my house and read it at Brooklyn College, where I paid him. I didn’t pay him, the [department?] paid him. So he always says, when he was alive, and he’s still alive, ’cause he lives in spirit, he’s alive, he always said, “Dylcia took me out of the closet.” And it was definitely the poetry closet, not the gay or lesbian closet, had to make that very clear because he made it clear here in Puerto Rico after I came out of prison. Okay? So the Lords were... So impactful, and I think what happened was, Felipe and I became very very -- till 10 �this day, my closest friends are part of the members of the men of the central committee. Micky Melendez, Panama, Felipe Luciano, was dear friends, [Lu Garnacosta?], we’re still friends, Tony, [00:17:00] you know, Joe Perez, we’re still friends. And I think that tells you something. And I think -- not I think, I know, it’s not that I think, I know. When you have something that’s part of you, that’s your essence. And I believe that those of us that were involved in the ’70s in our struggle for national liberation and who continue forward, even till this day, in whatever work we’re doing, when you don’t lose that essence of your commitment to struggle, then you are a total human being. ’Cause I think, the true human being is he who has, or she, who has an essence of who they are, but a commitment to life and to their people. And I can say that my comrades, because they are my comrades, ’cause while I was in prison they never forgot me. And in freedom, they’ve never forgotten me. So April 4th, 1980, I was arrested, in Evanston, Illinois. (phone ringing) JJ: Do you wanna get that first, [00:18:00] or? DP: Uh? JJ: I said, do you wanna get that first, or? DP: No, no, I’m -- what? That, I don’t answer that, no no, that’s nonsense. JJ: Yeah. And what day? DP: April 4th, 1980, I was arrested in Evanston, Illinois, with 10 of my other comrades. Prior to that, my son’s father was William -- is William Morales. He was the first member of the FALN, which is the Armed Forces for National Liberation, and I 11 �can say it, it was an honor, it’s an honor to be able to tell people that I was part of a revolutionary movement that took the time to create political military acts for the future of my country Puerto Rico. Some people may not understand that. But I believe if you believe in something that profoundly, you have to do it to the end to whatever -- by any means necessary, as brother Malcolm said. My commitment to struggle, I have no regrets. I did 20 years in prison, for the future of my country. [00:19:00] The biggest sacrifice I had to endure was my separation from my son, who was 13 months. And of course, my career. I gave up what I used to do, but I had a new career inside, which was to create a new level of activities inside the prison, to create not revolutionary consciousness, but human consciousness of kindness, because I think people don’t understand that when people are in prison, most -- the most brilliant people I have shared 20 years with, believe me, I had a theatre company, I did holistic healing programs, an art exhibit for the last 5 years I was in prison, I taught aerobics, I taught art, sculpturing, block printing, you name it. But -JJ: And this was in prison? DP: In prison, yes. I did it because I had to survive, but also it was my way of sharing my talents. So that I could create a sacred place for [00:20:00] me of survival, but also share my knowledge that I walked into the doors with the people that I was sharing my life with. JJ: You had never been in jail before? DP: No, I’d been arrested, but I’d never been in jail. No. JJ: And you got arrested for... 12 �DP: I got arrested at the People’s Church. JJ: At the People’s Church. (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: At the People’s Church, I’ve been arrested at demonstrations since 1967. JJ: All these were demonstrations? DP: Oh yeah, demonstrations, yeah, then of course we were let go. JJ: So, what were you thinking, then? I mean, what was your thinking -- DP: When I got arrested? JJ: I mean, yeah, I mean, how -- DP: Well, I think, when you -- JJ: Were you worried, were you concerned, or...? DP: Well, when one commits themself to the level of commitment of struggle that we were in, two things happen to you. JJ: Which was by any means necessary (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Yes, we were part of the unarmed guerrilla -- we were part of an urban guerrilla movement in the United States. In the United States. In Puerto Rico, we had the Macheteros, in the United States we had the FALN. [00:21:00] Not that I lived my life in fear, but I think, if you’re an intelligent human being and you know your politics and you know what struggle is about, two things can happen. You get busted, or you die. Those are the two ends. And, when we got busted, I wanted to leave my child? No. JJ: You were clear on that in the beginning. DP: Oh, absolutely, I mean, I wouldn’t -- JJ: Two things can happen, busted or (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) 13 �DP: Exactly. I mean, I didn’t -- people sometimes -- JJ: And everybody was clear on that (overlapping dialogue; inaudible)? DP: Oh, absolutely. Let me just say something, I think it’s very important. I do many lectures, in the last 12 years in freedom I’ve lectured all over the United States, I’ve been to Venezuela, Cuba, Spain... But, everybody asks me the question. “How did you -- what happ-- how did you -- what was your --” I’m not Oprah Winfrey, but, “What was your ‘a-ha moment’? Your revolutionary a-ha moment?” And I tell everyone, “Jesus Christ didn’t talk to me in my ear, Che Guevara [00:22:00] didn’t appear, don Pedro Albizu Campos didn’t visit me.” When you are able to see the reality of the life existence of your people and you’re able to see the contradictions of survival, you make a commitment in life. And that was my commitment, I believed in the freedom of my country. And there isn’t a country in the world that has not been involved in some form of armed struggle to get their liberation. And that was a moment -- that was a time in history, we had the examples of Cuba, we had the examples of the Vietnamese struggle, and the victory of Vietnam. We’ve had the Tupamaros, so that when we make a commitment to create -- to be part of this organization, it wasn’t that I wanted -- I don’t believe -- none of us is violent. There is not a person that’s violent, doesn’t exist in a part of myself. I’m a woman of consciousness, and the methodology at that time was doing political military acts, and that’s what we endured. [00:23:00] So that on April 4th at 2:20, we were stopped in a van, and we looked at each other, Carmen Valentín, who is from Chicago, we became comadres. Oh, we’re 14 �the best of friends, and we’ll be for this life and whatever existence comes after. Because I couldn’t see my son. JJ: So you said the methodology of that time was armed struggle, so there was more, like, trying to advance the struggle at the time? DP: Well, at that time, that was the motors -- the strategy to create consciousness was political military acts, armed struggle. I mean, what people have to understand is that, because United States is an urban society, there is no “armed struggle” as people see it on the news or as it happens in, you know, in Iraq, or Afghanistan, it’s not those types of actions, they were acts to erase consciousness so that the targets were not our people, were government agencies that were responsible [00:24:00] for many actions against our people and the colonialization of the Puerto Rican nation, and major corporations. JJ: Oh, so what you were doing this was to -- when you say erase consciousness, you’re trying to open people’s eyes...? (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: No, don Pedro Albizu Campos always said, “If they don’t listen to you, then throw -- use a bullet and throw it to that.” I mean, it’s a metaphor. But it’s also a -- it was a modus operandi of conscious raising. Are there regrets? Absolutely there are regrets. Some people -- fortunately, no one lost their lives. There was an action that occurred, but that’s not for me to discuss. The FBI wants to say that we killed them, they aren’t able to prove that any one of us, 11 of -- members of my comrade that were arrested together, that we were part of those actions, that the organization took responsibility is another thing. And what was I charged with -- 15 �JJ: Right (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) that it was not proven, but [00:25:00] it was not proven. DP: It was never proven, no. JJ: It was never proven, okay. DP: And what our position was, we took the positions of Puerto Rican prisoners of war. Why? JJ: Yeah, can you explain that (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) different --? DP: Of course. Why do we take the position of prisoners of war? We took the position of prisoner of war because according to international law, and the Geneva Convention, if your country is part of a declared or nondeclared war, and you are captured by the enemy, you have the international right to declare yourself a prisoner of war. So we’re not the only ones that took the position, William Morales took it, don Pedro Albizu Campos, Antonio Corretjer, any Puerto Rican that has fought for the future of our country, they’ve all declared themselves prisoners of war. And that, to us, is a position of honor, because even today people are not aware of this reality of colonialization in Puerto Rico. [00:26:00] You know. People see these new commercials that say, “Puerto Rico does it better,” and do people know that 36,000 people just lost their jobs, that this new -- this governor has tried to privatize our nation? They’re trying to make a Spanish-speaking nation that does speak English, but turning it into a completely bilingual, trying to make English -- they weren’t able to do it 50 years ago, and I guarantee you they’re not gonna be able to take our mother tongue from us, even though our mother tongue is really the Taíno language because 16 �Puerto Ricans are -- Taíno Indians, that’s why our real name is Borique, not Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico was when the white folks came, the US -- oh, we have a visitor! (dog appears) This is my little baby, this is [Toda?], who accompanies me all day long. Right, Toda? Toda? You wanna be on the interview? Huh? Yes? Say hello! No? Okay. Véte. Go ahead, véte mama, give mami a kiss, give mami kiss. (kisses) I love you. Véte, go down. Get down. [00:27:00] Toda, stop stealing -- she’s an actress, see? She’s stealing the -- she’s upstaging me. Okay, so we can continue, no mama, no. Go ahead, véte, no! Get down there. I think it’s cute, you can let her go, it’s human. JJ: [It’s human?]. DP: Yeah. I’m not gonna play with you... See? JJ: (inaudible) DP: Well, getting back to -- I mean, Puerto Rico, people don’t even know the reality of this island. And the United States has done an incredible job, because if you go to any -- first of all, we’re the oldest colony in the Western Hemisphere. Second of all, we don’t control our lives. We have elections that are not run by independent parties, they’re run by the United states government. Everything that is done on this beautiful 35-by-100-foot island is run by the US of A. So let us [00:28:00] not deceive ourselves and think, “Oh, this is a paradise.” This is a paradise invaded. And if you visit Puerto Rico, it is an incredible island because we have all the most beautiful fauna and flora, but the irony is that our people -we don’t even have an agricultural society because why? American industrialization changed what would be done in Puerto Rico. What rules in 17 �Puerto Rico is not what our people can survive with, it’s what the United States can earn money from, because they give us money, believe you me, they take 75 percent more than what they give our nation. And what they give us is a mentality -- that’s what colonialization is. I tell people that I would rather be a slave, because slavery is an overt act. Slaves, slavery, people wore chains, you know you were being abused, you know you were being exploited, it was an overt action, but colonialization [00:29:00] is a psychological burden, it’s a psychological game, it’s a psychological plan, that when you visit Puerto Rico, and you live here, you see it every day. We appear as an abundant society, but we’re not, because we don’t control our lives. Everything that we purchase, we pay 75 percent more than anybody in the United States. You know? People have to understand, yeah, we have Walmarts but you know what, to have Walmart, Sam’s, and all these big stores, we no longer have very few (inaudible) the neighborhood businesses, very few exist. I was just in Manatí yesterday at a meeting, and all the wonderful little stores and neighborhood stores were closed. The stores were empty because there aren’t any small businesses in Puerto Rico, because it’s the major corporations that have come here, and everybody wants to go to Costco, and everybody wants to go to Sam, everybody goes [00:30:00] to Walmart, but la bodega doesn’t -- you can’t buy your stuff at the bodega, it’s three times as much than if you went to Walmart. JJ: And so... So, you feel that if there’s independence, there’d be more bodegas, or --? 18 �DP: Well, I think if our nation was independent -- we have all the resources. We’re a technologically developed nation, we’re bilingual, we have engineers, we have lawyers, we have all the professionalism. What we have to do is to create our own industrial, which we can do with our own money, ’cause we do have Puerto Ricans that have money, we do have -- it was quite clear with the last hurricane, the big hurricane, Puerto Ricans raised [29 or 2.5?] million dollars in less than 24 hours. That tells you something. [29 or 2.5?] millions is not a lot, but it tells you that there is an economic base here, and if we owned our land, and if we had the power of our land, then we could [00:31:00] create our own resources in our land. We could -- the mango trees don’t have to be knocked down, you know, the quenepas, we could sell that, we can make an industry, we can create our own bamboo industry. To be honest, with the thousands of bamboo trees that live in this island. JJ: But what are we gonna do about the age, and the wealth, the Social Security, and the...? DP: Well, you know, we’re not gonna die. You think the United States is gonna [?] people? We’ve learned to survive, and we will survive. And then, first of all, the United States will never make us a state, let’s make it abundantly clear. Why? Because we would have more representation in the United States Senate than any state in the United States of America. Two, we run a different culture. It’s not like our Mexicans that come to the United States. Puerto Ricans have a unique culture, and I say it not because I’m ethnocentric, we have this thread -- I believe it’s a [00:32:00] generic line of resistance that exists in us. We have the 19 �power, we’ve created many, many idols across -- in many aspects of life. In musicians, in theatre, in the sports world, you name it, scientists, we have ’em, historians. So that, that’s something that can be negotiated with USA, plus they owe it to us, you know? We’ve been their slaves, we’ve been their colonialist rules for all these years, so that they owe us all of that money. Whatever they give us. JJ: So you’re saying they owe us the Social Security. DP: Yes, absolutely! You work here, you don’t get federal -- you know, you don’t pay federal funds, so that means that your Social Security is diminished, you know. And for everything the United States has taken from us, there’s nothing wrong in getting what’s due to you. There’s restoration, restitution, absolutely. JJ: Okay. I’ll take a break. DP: No, fine. JJ: If you wanna go on a break. DP: Let’s go break. JJ: Okay. DP: I think it’s [00:33:00] important that people understand what is happening today in Puerto Rico, and when I mentioned earlier about the question of the governor, the governor of Puerto Rico today, he supports statehood. Not only does he support statehood, but he’s a Republican. Furthermore, it is, because of who you are one understands how people get elected, and people don’t gonna get elected by the popular vote, let’s be honest, it’s money involved, and that’s what makes politics run. ’Cause to run a campaign, you don’t do it with Scotch tape 20 �and bubblegum, you do it with money. Luis Fortuño was supported by the right -ultra-white aspect of the Bush people, so that’s why he became the governor of Puerto Rico and all he has given us is, he’s attempted to privatize all of our institutions. A month and a half ago, he closed down the only Puerto RicanAfrican museum of our African culture. The essence of our culture. Supposedly, [00:34:00] all the incredible pieces that were there, and I’ve visited that place numerous of times, before I went to prison and after, now I’ve been in freedom 12 years, that’s an insult to the Puerto Rican population, it’s an insult to our culture. So that’s what colonialism is all about, colonialism is about taking what is ours and turning it into something that it doesn’t exist. Puerto Ricans will never assimilate. I’ve always said that the beauty of our people, and I said it again, I’m not ethnocentric, but you go anywhere in the world, and you see a person that looks like a Spanish-speaking person, and they’re Puerto Rican, and you ask them, “What are you?” “Boricua, Puerto Rican.” That has to come from an essence -- I believe in genetic deposition. In genetic deposition, we have an essence of ourselves that even though we’ve been colonized by Spain and the United States, we have always maintained our essence as a people. The reason why people become members of [00:35:00] parties is because we become family. If my mother belonged to the popular party, well then I’m that. If my mother was a statehooder -- I live in Loíza, which is the only municipality that has the essence of our Puerto Rican-African culture. This is a whole-statehood municipality. Why? Because it’s the most marginal municipality in all of the 72 that are here outside of Vieques and Culebra. So what the statehood party did 21 �was, they separated Loíza from Canóvanas and made it a new municipality, even though Loíza originally extended all the way to what today is Isla Verde, from Isla Verde all the way to Fajardo. That was in the olden days when the Borinquén was our nation. And in the transcript of Americanization, this incredible town doesn’t even have an archive about their history. The only thing people know about Loíza out there is that [00:36:00] people make masks out of coconuts and we dance [bomba y plena?] and we have a festival which we haven’t had in many years at the level that we used to have. So, that shows you what colonialization does, colonialization takes away, and it’s a psychological war. It is an undeclared war because if you make your people dependent on what you’re giving them, and here most of the people live on food stamps and welfare, and they have the plan of the government -- and I’m on the plan of the government because of my situation right now financially. But the truth of the matter is people here don’t even know that they’re -- the beauty of their essence, of what Mother Africa has given us Puerto Ricans, so that’s a real example of colonialism is about. And if you visit here, you don’t think that poor people are living here, because the government has done that. They create this facade. I call it ro-“looking at a nation through rose-colored [00:37:00] glasses”. Okay, where do we go now? (laughs) JJ: Okay, well, you were mentioning -- you’ve mentioned a couple of times about jail. And I just wanted to -- ’cause you spent about how many years? DP: Well I was incarcerated almost 20 years. I was arrested April 4th, 1980, and I was released September 10th, 1999. 22 �JJ: So you got arrested where? DP: In Evanston, Illinois. JJ: In Evanston, Illinois, and then you were taken where? DP: To the state prison, well, we went to the county jails. And then we went -- after that we had a state and federal trial. When the state trial finished, then we were sent -- I went to Dwight, the women’s penitentiary -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) [the trial?] -- what are some of the highlights of the trial [after?] (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Well, I’m writing my book, so I’m, you know -- I’ll tell you a little bit, so then I’ll make them -- people have to go out and buy my book, by next year it should be out. I’m only joking. The trial was very simple. We took a position -- a prisoner of war, which I said before, prisoner of war, none of us, 11 of us, were [00:38:00] arrested on that day. We took that international law position of prisoner of war, that means you do not recognize the jurisdiction of the United States courts. So none of us -- we had legal advisors, but we did not participate. Each of us made an opening and closing statement during our trial. And we were sentenced -- at the state level I was sentenced to 8 years and at the federal prison level I was sentenced to 62 years. So I was sentenced to 68 years. JJ: Did you do any time at the state (overlapping dialogue; inaudible)? DP: I did three and a half years at the state women’s penitentiary, absolutely. I was maximum security. JJ: Where were you at? 23 �DP: I was in Dwight, Illinois. The only female prison, I believe, in the state of Illinois, yeah. And when we were there -- I heard now that it’s much bigger, and of course, they keep arresting women of color, it doesn’t matter. It’s interesting, the many young white women in prison, at the state prison. And I have to tell you, at the state prison the conditions were a lot better, to me, [00:39:00] than in the feds, because I believe the officers were really interesting human beings. Most of them were, like, farm workers that owned the farms before, and they didn’t have -- so then the only option they had was to be correctional officers. So they treated us with a lot of dignity, with a lot of human kindness, you know? You always find those that wanna be officers, absolutely. But while I was in prison, I’ll tell you an example. The day I left, I owed 82 hours of what they call confinement, of what is [publishing?] confinement, which could be, like, I couldn’t go to recreation, not to be put in segregation, of course I’d been put in segregation many times in the 20 years. And my most biggest offense in the state was, “insolence,” and I used to tell them, the [warden?], “How could I be insolent of something that I’m not a part of?” You know? But -- JJ: I’m not clear what that is. What is that? DP: Insolent? When one is insolent, is that [00:40:00] you’re going against the rules, against the person that’s responsible to give you orders, and [like above?] my position was when I went to prison. JJ: This is where you were put in segregation, or? 24 �DP: Oh, I was put in segregation for other reasons, but this is why I got what they call a “shot”. It’s a disciplinary action, then you have to go before a lieutenant, and the officers, and then they give you punishment. JJ: (inaudible) DP: Yeah. I’ve been to the hole for very other reasons, many other things. Again, it’s significant, but they needed to do it, and they did it. Fine, no problem. JJ: So you come in and they give you the shot, did you said? DP: No no. When I came in, I told the officer, that I’m just -- they wanted my respect, they’d then have to respect me. My name was Dylcia Pagán, and their name was Officer So-and-so, and that’s how we addressed each other. The reason I went to segregation was they assigned me to the kitchen, I have a displaced hip, and I tried to inform them [00:41:00] that I have a medical disorder, and I couldn’t be picking up 60-pound trays, and nobody wanted to listen to me. So, my lawyers came to visit, and I said, “Tuesday morning, I end on my 90 days as my kitchen duty, I’m going to the hole,” as they call it. Segregation, we would call it - [the three words?], the hole. JJ: So you made a decision. DP: I made a decision. And at two o’clock in the -- now when you worked in the kitchen, you worked 24 hours, and you had one day off, of course you had to, you were dead, you know, exhausted. And I had a lot of incidents with my supervisors because I would never -- my parents told me that I didn’t have to take commands from anybody. That if you could talk to people, you could work things out. But I had all these, all the white women that were the kitchen 25 �supervisors, and they insisted, and insisted, I’m pushing your bullet, you know, pushing the horn. And one of the things I can’t stand is to be told what to do, especially by some -- an ignorant human being. So that was where the [00:42:00] insolence came in, either with the staff or the officers. And then, when I went to segregation, the first time was because I refused to work, and it was like four o’clock, 3:30, and they wanted -- “Miss Pagán,” they brought all the lieutenants into my unit, I said, “I’m not changing my position. I finished my 90 days, I’m going to the hole, I’m not going to work anymore.” So they put me in the hole, guess what? In less than 24 hours, a doctor arrived. And I said, “Oh my goodness, did you just get a beeper?” (laughter) “After 90 days?” ’Cause all of a sudden, then I got a note that said that I couldn’t do heavy-duty. But it took 90 days and my own defiance to be able to get my rights. Many things happened in the state, but then I got transferred to the feds. I got transferred, and almost near Christmas, it was a snow storm, and I decided I was gonna go to breakfast to say goodbye to my fellow inmates. And they said, “But you can’t,” I said, “I’m going to breakfast.” And since [00:43:00] I was a guard escort, I had to go at -all my three and a half years, all of us, were guard escort, that meant we couldn’t move anywhere within the premises without a guard with us. And when it was snowing -JJ: All of the people that you got arrested with? DP: My female co-defendants that were with me, yes. JJ: Okay. Everyone had an escort? 26 �DP: We had a badge that we wore. So if we went from one unit to a visiting room, the officer had to come in the car. And then when it was snow, the car would come, but we had to walk in the snow to go to the visiting room. So they always try to break your spirit, and I’ve always said that when you’re in p-- JJ: You’re already in jail, and, you're already been sentenced, and... DP: I was already sentenced, absolutely. JJ: And they’re still trying to break your spirit (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Oh, of course, that’s part of the game. I said, it’s a psychological game, and they try to do it by any means necessary, of course they will. But like I said, when you know who you are, and you know why you’re there, they can’t break your spirit. ’Cause I had my principles, [00:44:00] and I knew who I was, and I knew what I represented. And also in the state prison, I offered work with the women in prison, you know? I had an aerobic class that even the warden came to my class, half of the staff came to my aerobic class. I taught art. You know? One has to survive, and I wasn’t gonna survive staying in a room, so I created programming. You know? So that I could be creative and my mind could be functioning, and I was at the same time making a contribution to the women that I was living with. So then in ’83 I went to the federal custody. To get there was a fiasco, I mean, I had a car with -- JJ: I [recognize?], yeah (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Sure. 27 �JJ: I didn’t mean to interrupt (inaudible). So you’re in jail now, you’re going through this demoralization campaign, that they’re trying to do to you. [00:45:00] What are you thinking, are you thinking you’ll ever get out of jail, or? DP: Oh, I always knew I’d be in freedom. I worked on the campaign for the release of a Puerto Rican nationalist, and I said, being raised with an essence of being Puerto Rican, I knew my struggle, I knew the history of our people, and I knew I wasn’t gonna die in jail, absolutely not. Did I like being in jail? Absolutely not. I was separated from my child, my child was 13 months. I chose that my child be not raised in Puerto Rico or New York because of FBI reoccurrence, because we had an example of North American comrades, they took -- the FBI sequestered their children, and to this day, this is almost 30-some-odd years ago, maybe 40, some of the kids that were sequestered by the FBI are still under severe psychological therapy. So I made a decision that my son was raised out of the country, so I didn’t hear from my son for 10 years. What I do know is that Juan Antonio Corretjer [00:46:00] made the arrangement for my son to be raised in Chihuahua, México, and he was raised by the Gomez Gomez family who was just here a couple of weeks ago, I’m honored. And I would say probably it was my parents’ spirit because I’ve been alone, my father died when I was 15, my mother when I was 20, so I’ve been alone since I was 20 years of age. And I really believe it’s their guiding spirit, and of course don Juan Antonio Corretjer’s efforts that brought my son to this incredible revolutionary family that has raised my son. And he’s still part of their lives, absolutely. JJ: And were you not in communication with him at all, or? 28 �DP: Until he was 10 years old. I didn’t see him till he was 10 years old. JJ: You didn’t see him till he was 10 (inaudible) DP: No. I didn’t know of him, where he was, till he was 10. For Christmas, he showed up in the federal prison, yes. And then he’s been in my life ever since, he’s here in Puerto Rico, he married -- JJ: What’s his name? DP: My son’s biological name, birth name, is Guillermo Morales Pagán. At the age of 27 he [00:47:00] asked -- well, he informed me that he wanted to take on his Mexican name, and I had no problems with that. I call him -- I always tell him, he’s a Mexi-Rican. JJ: Mexi-Rican? DP: He’s a Mexi-Rican, absolutely. And he’s very proud of his Mexican heritage, and he should be, because that’s what he was raised. And he also knows his Puerto Rican and he was definitely involved totally in our campaign, ’cause once he became part of my life, at 15 he came to live in San Francisco so he could visit me, and that’s where the documentary, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it, titled the Double Life of Ernesto Gomez Gomez that aired on PBS, it’s won -- JJ: I have heard of it, actually. DP: It’s won about 14 awards nationally, internationally, was done. And basically, it’s his idea, it’s Gary Weimberg and Cathy Ryan, who were basically his padrinos because they ended up adopting him as his godchild, and as a matter of fact he just told me he’s gonna go see Cathy and Gary in June because it’s Gary’s 50th [00:48:00] birthday, so that’s a blessing. You know, when you can’t be with your 29 �child and you find people that can substitute that love and support, that’s -- my son has an extended family, he does. I’m very blessed in that area, absolutely. JJ: So then you’re at a state prison, you (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: At the state prison, and then in 1983 -- JJ: So you completed your state time, or? DP: No. In the state, you do day for day, and of course they wanted to get rid of us anyway, they were dying to get rid of us, you know, “Let’s transfer them outta here,” so that I ended up doing three and a half years of my state -- federal -- JJ: Were you creating problems in there, or? DP: No, no, I was creating programs for them. But anytime our rights were, in any way, abolished or threatened -- JJ: The attorneys would come and -- DP: The attorneys and demonst-- we’ve had many demonstrations in front of that prison. JJ: And these attorneys were [from where?]? DP: Well, from the People’s Law Office of Chicago, our lead attorney, Jan Susler was there, Michael -- at that time it was Michael Deutsch and Jan [00:49:00] Susler. JJ: You [were?] familiar with -- DP: Excuse me? JJ: When we took over McCormick Seminary, the first 25,000 dollars were (inaudible) [law?]. (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Really? That’s wonderful, they’re incredible people, that’s the whole thing. JJ: The Young Lords helped to create the law. 30 �DP: Wonderful. No, and, the People’s Law Office is a phenomenon, you know. The people -- the offices -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) the lawyers definitely got credit. (laughs) They’re the ones that did the work, but -- DP: Well -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: In our case, they didn’t do any work, because they were just there to represent us, but they were there to support us 20 years, and that’s work. JJ: In your case because of (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) [trial?]? DP: Exactly. We did not recognize the jurisdictions of the United States courts, so we only did opening, as I said before, and closing statements, but we always had legal representation, and they always visited us, and every prison I was at, everyone said, “My God, your lawyers walk in, and it’s like you all hug and kiss,” and I said, “But they’re a family!” We don’t have a regular client-lawyer relationship, we’re family, and that’s the difference. [00:50:00] You know? Absolutely, yes. JJ: Okay, so you’re in the -- DP: So then I went to federal prison. In ’84, the [Bureau Prison Society?]’s doing what they call -- define as a robin round. A robin round is when they -- it’s a psychological study, so they take you all to different facilities and they don’t tell you when they’re gonna move you. So they took me -- I was at 6 different prisons and 20 different holding places for a year and seven months. I defined myself as the FALN ambassador, ’cause no matter where they went, I fought for 31 �the prisoners, I created programming, and I was Dylcia, who I’ve always been. You know? My role was to create programming, to service the inmates, and that’s what I’ve done. You know? And I’m glad I did. I have a young woman who’s doing her doctorate in California on my life, and an interesting [00:51:00] story is, six years ago I got an email from this gentleman named Enrique Alvarez, and he said, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I was your officer. I worked,” you know, “I was your officer, and you changed my life. The day after you were released, I took your advice, I left the BOP, I have a master’s in counseling, and I’m coming to Puerto Rico. I’d be honored for you to meet my wife and my daughter.” Till this day, he’s my dear friend, and if you visit my website, you will hear his testimony in the establishing of my foundation, the Dylcia Pagán Foundation. So anybody that wants to read that story, and do visit my website, W-W-W dot Dylcia, D-Y-L-C-I-A P-A-G-A-N, dot com. JJ: (inaudible). (laughs) DP: It has my poetries there, you can see some of my artwork. And you can read about the projects that I’m working on. JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) [link that to them, that’d be great?]. DP: Surely. And right now, well -- 20 years in prison, what didn’t [00:52:00] I do? I had a Puerto Rican dinner every year for [ages?], create -- you know, I got the inmates to cook and got them to pay for the food that was necessary to make it a Puerto Rican meal. I did every cultural activity for the Black inmates, the Native Americans, their powwows -- JJ: This is in the --? 32 �DP: In the federal prison, yeah. JJ: In the federal prison, okay. DP: Yeah. I taught aerobics -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) [Día de Los Reyes?] -- DP: Of course. [Día de Los Reyes?], I had it every year, 20 years, I did a big dinner for all the prisoners, absolutely. Yes. First one was a [piñón?], and it’s not easy to make a piñón for, like, 860 people but we did it. I organized working with inmates, the children’s center, where we took care of the kids and visitors of the inmates. I did children’s day twice a year, and I was able to acquire 60 staff members to come un-uniformed to work, and we did security for that day when the children were allowed to come to the prison, my last five years I did a [00:53:00] 19-category art exhibit of all the artwork of the prisoners, with a gift shop. I’ll tell you a story. The Native American women did this incredible -- they still do, I’m sure they’re still incarcerated, some of them, they might be still incarcerated. They do incredible beadwork. And then a lot of the North American women did beadwork. So I had just a category for the Native American women. And our Native American sisters are very humble, very humble. One of the sisters came up to me at the exhibit, she said “Ms. Dylcia,” I said, “What?” “My [roseta of Kokopelli?] is gone.” And I said, “Yeah, I know.” She said, “Where did it go?” I said, “This is one of my teachers from the holistic - one of the facilitators. She bought your Kokopelli.” And she looked at me and she said, “I didn’t put a price on it,” I said, “But I did.” I said, “So next week, you’ll have 150 dollars.” And she started to cry, and of course I had to cry, because 33 �she had never been [00:54:00] able to speak to her children, so that, to me, that’s a gift. And to watch the women stand before their work and say, “I won this prize. I am worth -- I’m not a criminal, I’m worth, because I can do things, I’m a creative being.” There’s a lot of pleasure, and it’s not even pleasure, it’s just a feeling of happiness that one experiences when you see women that can stand behind their work and say, “This is mine, I earned this.” You know? And the holistic healing program was phenomenal. We had a weekend of about 15 different workshops, for a whole weekend, 110 women were allowed to participate in this incredible extravaganza. I taught aerobics, I taught handformed clay, block printing -JJ: So you’re teaching (inaudible) DP: I had a theatre company, yes. JJ: I know, but how many [00:55:00] people were -- DP: In my aerobic class? Oh, I had over 200, 300 women, absolutely. Matter of fact, I went to California, my first trip after nine years of freedom, and I was able to have lunch with five of my -- Black -- I hate that -- I don’t like the term “Afro Americans,” my Black sisters, and we had a hell of a day, because it was hysterical, ’cause they were all in my exercise class and they all stood up and they said, “Bend your knees, D!” So it was an excellent experience, because what happens is we believe that people that are in prison are these animals, and they’re not. I have shared rooms with incredible women, I’ve rubbed shoulders with brilliant writers, poets, you know, women who unfortunately, some have lost their children because the system doesn’t provide those kind of internal social 34 �services for our inmates, especially the women, you know. There are many women from all of [00:56:00] Latin America, I met a whole group of sisters from Africa, and was able to negotiate that the BOP give them clothes, because they had no family in this country. So I think, to me, it was a worthy experience, not that I liked being in prison 20 years. Like the saying says, “When you get lemons, make lemonade.” I tried to make lemonade. Did I have difficult time? Absolutely. Did I miss my child? Absolutely. Did I miss my freedom? Yes. But I was on the phone, I knew what everybody was producing, what everybody was doing, I used to talk to [assemblyman José Rivera at least?] once a month, you know, so I was -- to the moment of what was happening outside the world, but I lived inside, and I didn’t live in a fantasy world, like, “Oh, I’m not in prison,” no. I didn’t have a map, a calendar and mark the days, no, but I knew that I would be in freedom, and that whatever day I did inside, I was doing it for my nation, I wasn’t there [00:57:00] serving the United States government, I was serving my nation. JJ: Okay, so you mentioned that there were some pleasurable moments [in there?], and also -- but you said some of these sad -- what were the sad moments? (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Oh, there were many. I think it’s once you can’t see your child, you know, that was 10 years of difficulty, it was heartbreaking. But in order to heal, I created a children’s center, so that I was able to service the children of my fellow inmates. Carmen Valentín, who was from Chicago, became comadres. I couldn’t see my son, so her son Antonio, we had privileges to visit together. So Antonio was my 35 �child, I worked with -- we made all the decisions of Antonio’s life for those 10 years until my son arrived, you know? He’s still in my life, he’s my godson. Just like my son is in Carmen’s life, and Carina, Oscar López who’s now 31 years, that’s her grandfather. Carmen’s granddaughter’s grandfather. [00:58:00] Yeah. Oscar López, who’s in prison, my co-defendant. And -JJ: What is going on with Oscar (inaudible)? DP: Well, with Oscar, what’s happening is Oscar went to the parole board on his birthday, January, and the parole board basically told him to come back and give him 15 more years. So -- JJ: Give him -- DP: Yeah. Oscar could’ve been home in 2009 but he refused the clemency, because he felt that it didn’t include everybody else that was arrested, and that was his choice. He did a choice of integrity, and that has to be honored, so what we’re doing now is we’re launching a national and international campaign demanding his release. Hopefully -- JJ: And how does that campaign work, (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) or? DP: Well, we have -- his artwork has traveled all over the world right now, matter of fact we’re gonna have a march -- a walkathon, this coming Sunday, in honor of Oscar, ’cause Oscar loves to walk. Matter of fact, he did for Vieques, he did a whole [00:59:00] protest march for Vieques and he had inmates that marched with him, and we marched here, we did a walkathon with Oscar, for Vieques, to get the US Navy out of Vieques. Oscar has become an incredible artist, he paints beautifully, so we have -- his artwork has traveled all over, we have -- all 36 �the universities, I was honored to say that I took -- when Carlos was still inside, Carlos was just released last year. We did the exhibit of their work, “Place Without Space,” I forget -- yeah I think it is. We took it to New York and I’m honored to say that I put it together with Taller Boricua and Julia de Burgos Center. We had over 400 people at the opening. So that’s [what you?] -whenever I speak, I can’t talk about who I am if I don’t talk about Oscar, and I don’t talk about Leonard, ’cause it’s not just Oscar, I mean, Puerto Rican, we have Leonard Peltier, we have our Cuban Five, we have many new African comrades that are still in prison. Many have died [01:00:00] inside. So I think people need to understand that they’re not just Puerto Rican political prisoners, we have Albelino and Norberto Gonzalez Claudio that is now in prison, so it’s Oscar who’s done 31, but Albelino and Norberto are inside also. The struggle continues, but we can’t forget that our people are inside, ’cause the one day you give the enemy is part of your life. But when you give it with integrity and dignity, that’s the difference -- when we were -- I think what happened -- people wouldn’t understand my position. The women would say, “You know, you’re so smart, Ms. Pagán,” and the Black sisters would say, “Don’t ask Ms. Pagán nothing. ’Cause she’s gonna stop you and give you a course in Black history.” But when the documentary about my son and I aired on PBS, everyone -- we had the count changed so that the women could see it, it was a struggle but I [01:01:00] got them to approve it. People were astound. And that’s why I’m a visual artist, because I think you can talk, but until you see the reality of what my son was going through and the reality of our struggle and you see, I mean, the visuals of 37 �the Navy in Vieques, of the real conditions of Puerto Rico, the questions of the sterilization of our women, you know, and you see the reality and you hear people’s voices and people give the testimony about the reality of Puerto Rico, then people’s eyes open, and they say, “Wow, now I understand.” So I think that -- that aired July 30th, we were released September 10th. We had 10 days to choose the conditions or not, we ended up deciding to sign, because there was a big meeting of our people here in Puerto Rico, our leadership in the United States, and they asked us to sign, and so we did. So I’ve been in [01:02:00] freedom, September 10th, 1999, till today. It’s been incredible. You know. Our people received us from all parties in open arms, our people have supported me in many ways. My life is difficult because I’m an independent filmmaker, I’m older now, nobody is gonna give me a job in television so I create my own projects independently. But I’m in freedom. I don’t have to worry about what time they lock me up. If I wanna have a little glass of wine, I do. If I wanna go dance to salsa dances, I do. I wanna visit my friends -- also when we came out we were on parole for six years, so we couldn’t see each other. We were able to -- if we bumped into each other, we could talk for 15, 10 minutes. I got privileged one time -- Carmen was able to spend Christmas with me, one year. JJ: Did you (inaudible)? DP: Yes, absolutely, yes. So my life was curfewed, because I was only allowed to travel three times a year, and I had a lot of [01:03:00] invitations for speaking engagement, but they wouldn’t approve it. JJ: So you did 20 years and [then?] plus another 6 -- 38 �DP: Plus another 6, exactly, yeah. JJ: And that’s what everybody -- other people did the same thing -- DP: Oh yes, absolutely, yeah. JJ: But now you can travel anywhere, or? DP: Oh yes, after 6 years of freedom, so it was ’99, ’99 and 6, 2003, I believe, right? Nine... Eh, around there. They dropped our parole, I’ve been able to go -- I spoke at a conference in Madrid, (inaudible) Madrid and then spent a week and a half with my niece that was living in Spain, I was able to go to Venezuela, I was in Cuba for nine days and had an incredible nine days of experience. I wasn’t able to visit the comandante Fidel because he was ill at that time, but I make masks. I call them “Reinas y cacicas”, why? Because in our culture, Puerto Rican women at the time of our Taíno Indians, we were chieftains of tribes. [01:04:00] We’re the only indigenous country -- nation -- that has women that were heads of tribes. And all the masks in Puerto Rico were faces of men, so I’ve decided, I’ve come out with a new series called “Reinas y casicas” -- “queens and casicas, and chieftains”. And I made him one, I made him his spiritual guide, I made him and I know he received it, I gave it to [Alarcón?] and then, [nobody’s besting, you know, the?] Secretary General of the Parliament of Cuba. And it was a wonderful experience to visit Cuba, to see the Cuban people. They live with dignity and pride, yes, they have food. They may not have all the cars, and God damn in Puerto Rico we have so many cars, like, every time you go out there’s a traffic jam, am I correct, you know? JJ: Mm-hmm. So you were pretty well-received there, did you -- 39 �DP: Oh, I was received by the government, I went with Mickey Melendez from the Young Lords, his wife. Matter of fact, [Cynthia?] and Mickey got [01:05:00] married two Novembers ago, in Cuba, at the Puerto Rican house there. And we went with Joe Perez who’s from the Lords in New York, his wife, and we stayed at the protocol house, so, I mean, we had our own escort. It was talked about -VIP, that was VIP treatment. And then our car was there every morning at seven o’clock to make sure that we went to our trips. So I was able to visit the AIDS center, it was phenomenal, phenomenal. There is not a separate island, it’s just a huge piece of land, where the people that have AIDS, they’ve been rejected in their communities, they can stay there and work and they grow the land. I went to the film school, I gave a whole -- contributed all of my pieces and stuff from my television series that I worked on, (inaudible) we haven’t talked about, which maybe I should talk a little bit about my experience in that. I went to the film school, I went to visit the social workers, we went to the Pedro Albizu Campos high school -- JJ: [01:06:00] In Cuba. DP: In Cuba, yes. And I am the official madrina of the school, that is from kindergarten to eighth grade. And they all knew who I was, and they sang the Borinqueña. It was unbelievable! Beautiful. And the principal is 21 years old, is that incredible? Brilliant, you know? And the people, we went to a concert. We went to visit Che Guevara’s tomb. But with VIP -- I mean, I got to see every aspect of the museum, they got us private viewing of his tomb, what an experience. And then they showed us the film and we were able to sit in the 40 �reception room and sign the book, behind this incredible -- it’s about the size of my wall behind me, of Che. It was an incredible experience, yes. And just to see the people because, you know, I did a lot of television, I did a lot of interviews, so of course they passed the news every morning, Fidel speaks, and I got to speak, so the car passed [01:07:00] by the people waiting for the public buses, they’d wave, you know, we’d say hello, no matter where we went. We were treated with, you know, just dignity and support, and just to see a nation that everybody criticizes because they don’t know what it is, but what an incredible place Cuba is. People dress like we do, believe you me, they know how to jam, because they do jam, baby. That’s what I didn’t get to do, and I told our international head of protocol, I said, “You know, the next time I have to go out and jam, (inaudible) because I love to dance,” you know? But it was incredible, I’ll probably be in Venezuela in July, we have a conference I have to go. And as the secretary of women affairs for the nationalist party I’ll be representing the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. Of Puerto Rico. JJ: Now you mentioned (inaudible)...? DP: Okay, oh, right, that I left my shows, yes. How did I become a TV producer, you’re probably wondering? Oh, okay. Can we take a break? I need to wet my [01:08:00] mouth. JJ: Okay, so then you said you couldn’t attend any funerals but then were gonna go into -- DP: Okay, well one of the things that you had asked me before, were we -- as political prisoners, yes, we were treated differently. An example, one of our family 41 �members -- none of us were ever able to attend any family funerals. Our visiting lists were -- I have two dear friends, Frank Espada, who’s Juan Espada’s father JJ: I know Frank, yeah. DP: That’s my dear friend. And Humberto Cintrón, who was the executive producer of the first television series [so?] I’ll tell you the stories that I worked on. Took a year and a half to get them on my visiting list. Why? Because each one of us had an FBI agent that when we put the list in, that list went to the agent, and when they felt like it, then they would approve it. So, but contrary to all of that, my friends from New York came to visit me. The best thing was that we had a group of young students who visited me [01:09:00] every Sunday for 10 years. Today they’re all professionals, they’re all part of my life, as a matter of fact Ray Pavón and Francis Free Ramos got married, and I married them in [Tuincol?], I did the ceremony, and Carmen and I both did -- but I did the wedding vows, but we did the ceremony together, and then I did the wedding. I married them. They have two incredible children. Ray is a hip hop political performer, he’s now a house dad and Francis is a social worker and they’re incredible. So [Faulisha?] is married, they share a house, Jason has a little boy, he’s married. Khalil and his brother, Khalil’s brother Eli is a person who’s done the best pieces of documentaries on hip hop, he’s just finishing a piece on hip hop in India. Uh, Khalil just got married, so he’s become like his ambassador, and they work together, so that -- it’s incredible. [01:10:00] I had a son, and then I adopted more daughters and sons, and they’re still in my life. They come to Puerto Rico, 42 �they come here. I go to California, I hang out with them, you know? It’s a problem sometimes cause then it’s like, “How many days you gonna stay with me?” “No, D’s gonna stay with me.” “No, I’m gonna D --” So we work it all out so I spend time with all of them, and of course Gary Weimberg and Cathy Ryan, I have to go and spend some time with. They had the courage and valor to do the documentary on our lives, you know. Okay, so you’re probably wondering, I didn’t tell you how I became a TV producer. Again, it wasn’t a miracle. I was on television as a child, after being an organizer and going to Brooklyn College and starting the Puerto Rican Studies department at Brooklyn, still exists, and the union, the union still doesn’t exist, but -JJ: So you started the Puerto Rican Studies? DP: In Brooklyn College, yes. JJ: (inaudible) DP: Yes. I brought Dr. [Luis Ianes Falcón?] who then became our attorney for our political release, I [01:11:00] brought him to be a professor at Brooklyn College with Alfredo Matilla. Yeah. We started the first -- I initiated, at Brooklyn College, I started the Black Studies department, and then organized -- found the Puerto Ricans who were having [dances?] and then was able to organize the Puerto Rican Alliance which still exists today at Brooklyn College. What happened was, I got approached by a friend that said, Manhattan Sterling wanted to do a Puerto Rican show. So I went to Manhattan Sterling, well, the studio was half of this living room, with one camera, and I created a show called La Voz de la Comunidad. It was a talk show, and we had one camera, this young brother was 43 �at Ithaca University, and he was organizing the first Puerto Rican conference, so we called it “el sancocho”, so that was the first show I ever did. Shortly after that, after the [01:12:00] People’s Church, Geraldo Rivera and I became very good friends. My dear friend Bob de León was the person who got him the scholarship to go to Columbia School of Journalism. One day Geraldo calls me and says, “Look, I need --” You know, he was doing Like It Is with Gil Noble who just passed away, what an incredible man, he gave his life of creating real consciousness in American television. Like It Is, Gil Noble. Geraldo asked me, “Who do you use for the show?” I said, “Why don’t you take -- put Pedro Pietri on the show,” you know? “He’s a poet, he’s satirical, and he’s incredible, he talks about the real Puerto Rican experience with his ‘Puerto Rican Obituary’,” which I’m sure you know, they were always on time, well, he wrote that in my home. So that’s why his book is dedicated to me. Alfredo Matilla did the Spanish translation and the second version -- the second publication was dedicated to me. To me, [01:13:00] that’s an honor. I miss my Pedro, you know, he passed away five and a half years ago. But he lives here all the time, he used to knock down rum bottles after he died, all the time. But anyway, so Pedro went on the show, Pedro comes to my house, like he always used to, always did, Pedro Pietri and Papoleto -JJ: (inaudible) DP: Oh, baby, they’d get drunk, and we had a rule. I didn’t want them anywhere running the streets, so if you didn’t have money, you call me and I pay for a cab. Collect calls, mind you, so -- with collect call, I knew who it was from, “Hey, D!” 44 �But he came straight from ABC, and he sat in my living room, and I said “What,” and I said, “Have yous a shot of Jack Daniels and what is it?” And he said, “Well I talked to Charles Watson, who’s the executive producer, and he’s looking for a cohost of Like It Is for Geraldo,” because Geraldo was gonna cohost with Gil Noble and it was Melba Moore. Melba Moore -- was it [01:14:00] Melba Moore? Melba Moore was the actress. I know her last name was Moore. Melba Tolliver, Melba Tolliver and Gil and then Geraldo, so I told him to call you, “Well I had to go to the hospital to have minor, minor surgery done.” So I called Watson, I said, “Listen.” Pedro -- he called me and I said, “Look, I just came from the hospital. And I had -- I’m gonna be at home for about a week and a half.” I said, “Would you like to come to my apartment and you’ll do the interview here, is that cool? And I’ll make you a Puerto Rican meal.” We ended up becoming dear friends, he hired me on board, and he had told me, he says, “I’ve never felt -- this is an interview where I’m the one that’s nervous.” I said, “But why?” He says, “Because I’ve never met a woman like you.” I say, “Well I don’t think I’m that incredible.” But he was just such a sweet man, with a lot of integrity. So I came onboard, and Geraldo had just won the Peabody Award for his piece on the mental health unit, so that’s like the Oscars [01:15:00] of television, and he refused to be on camera with me. So then I got hired as the associate producer of Like It Is, so then I worked with Gil, and ended up -- the funniest thing is that a friend -JJ: [But?] this was before you went to jail, right, or --? DP: No, honey. Before I went to jail, hello, this is 1968! 45 �JJ: So why didn’t he want to --? DP: Because I think he felt that I had much more camera experience than he did. JJ: Oh, I see. DP: Remember, I was on television since I was five years old. I’m not afraid of a camera, as you can see. I know how to talk to the camera, work with the camera, and be with the camera, so. So he did me a favor because I learned how to do production, so I worked for Like It Is for a while, and then Charles came up to me and was very honest, he said, “Dylcia, we love you, come on board.” I did the piece on Adam Clayton Powell, who his son is a very dear friend of mine, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who’s now an elected official in East Harlem. The fourth, [01:16:00] ’cause he’s Adam Powell IV. But, he said, “The show is gonna go totally Black. And we made a commitment that our staff would be all --” I said, “I have no problems with that.” That’s said and done, but I learned the ropes of what does -- how do networks work, you know, working in what you call... Make-believe television with the little cameras, like, running around with the old video camera that had a big box. This is real, real television. So, we realized, there was a group called, I forget their title but they had just sued the networks demanding Black programming. And we have -- well, we always had a group over in East Harlem that were activists, artists, some of them were elected officials, but they were our people, and then we always were independentistas, we fought for the release of the Puerto Rican nationalists, so we created a group called the Puerto Rican Education Media -- [01:17:00] Education and Action Council. And what we decided to do was sue the 46 �networks. So we got college students and for six months, we studied television. All the networks, every day. What was the image of the Puerto Rican? Well, we concluded that it was not a positive image. First of all, there was no Puerto Rican programming. There was no positive image, all they had was the crime reports and that was it. So, we sued the networks, and at that time we had friends that had a cute nightclub in East Harlem, it was like the hot scene. It was like Studio 54 but for East Harlem. Christopher’s. What we did is we brought the presidents of the networks to negotiate at Christopher’s. Puerto Rican meal, we hit the whole works, Puerto Ricans, that’s how we are, you know that. They were very impressed. And then we had -- it was a two-story facility, so a lot of the big bands would come and play. So that night we invited them to bring their wives after the event ’cause we had a dinner for them, so then the wives would call me, [01:18:00] “Listen is Tom or John there? Can I come over to hang out? Oh, marvelous!” We didn’t do those negotiations so that we could hang out with the wives of the presidents of the networks, we did it to get a program! Nothing happened, everything was left in the [billions?]. All right. One afternoon, we had a meeting and we remembered -- we found out that WNET was having its telethon. So we said, “This is it.” We organized a march in front of WNET’s office, which is on 58th Street right off by Columbus Circle, and then we went to the studio on 55th Street and took over the telethon. In walked in José Rivera, the assemblyman, he was then a union organizer, Jorge Soto, who’s in the other life, painter, myself, Piri Thomas, Frank Espada, Humberto Cintrón. We took over the network, we took over the telethon, and guess what? They didn’t know 47 �what else to do, John Jay Iselin [01:19:00] gave us 1.5 million to start a new series, so we called it “Realidades”. And I really believe that they said, “These Puerto Ricans don’t know what they’re doing,” oh, little did they know. We came to Puerto Rico and got our own -- Puerto Rico had a DGA car, which is Director’s Guild of America, ’cause that’s required. Went to New York City, Pablo Cabrera had done the best entertainment programs and culture here in Puerto Rico. And we hire -- everybody had to be either Latino or Black. And we created our crew, we paid them what everybody pays, and we did the local series, and the 17 shows, of which I produced 11, I went for an interview and ended up being the first Puerto Rican television producer. From there I went to... Where did I go from there? I went to a newspaper, I became the editor of the first bilingual newspaper in East -- in New York City called “El Tiempo”. I got bored doing the columns, I created a gossip column called [01:20:00] Bochinche and had a ball. Herman Badillo was running for mayor, and the nationalists, we were in the middle of the campaign so I intertwined both things. Miriam Colón called me -JJ: [You mean?] Herman [Padillo?] with the [nationalists?]? DP: No, Herman Badillo. JJ: Herman Badillo. DP: Herman, Herman, yeah. Not no nationalist, Herman Badillo was running for mayor of the city of New York. JJ: And you said you interconnected them? DP: I interconnected in my column, Bochinche, Casa. JJ: Okay, Casa. 48 �DP: The campaign for the release of the five nationalists and Herman running for mayor. Two opposite ends. But how do you get consciousness in people? JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: But nobody wanted to be -- no one, Herman, and he just wrote this horrible book three years ago. JJ: I actually (inaudible) helped him get his security [when?] Harold Washington. DP: Oh, really? JJ: He was coming, he was up, [in?] Harold Washington. Sounds like you don’t know (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: No. The book he published two years ago about Puerto Ricans -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) [working for?] Harold Washington at that time. (laughs) DP: I don’t ca-- I mean, I’ve known everybody. I’m a good friend of many elected officials, (inaudible). [01:21:00] I know Congressman Serrano very well, I know Nydia Velázquez very well, her, I have a lot of respect, and [Joe?], because they all took, and Gutierrez, they supported our campaign. José Rivera, incredible man. I mean, he’s been -- what didn’t he do for Vieques? He got arrested in Vieques, he’s done films, you know. That’s what I call an elected official, that’s, you know, that’s a big difference than when you write a book that criticizes your people. He could not even speak Spanish, but that’s another interview we’ll do. We’ll do a whole story on all my -- overview of political officials. So, I told the mess-- I sent the message, I said, “Listen, guys, we’re doing a fundraiser in Manhattan Center, and I got 19 bands to perform, from Ray Barretto, to 49 �(inaudible),” you name it, they performed for me to raise money. I got Jerry Masucci from Fania Records to give me a thousand LPs that I auctioned off. I didn’t do it. Julio Pabón, who runs Latino Sports, he belonged to a political organization, they [01:22:00] assigned it to me, he tells everybody, “She made me get on stage and auction albums! That’s how I learned how to do public speaking,” he tells everyone. Well, at ten o’clock, I told him, “At ten o’clock I want --” Herman, that night, was having a fundraiser for his campaign. I said, “At ten o’clock I want everybody at Manhattan Center.” 10:30, guess what, all the Puerto Rican leaders walked in their tuxedos, everybody shelled out their money, and we took 63 buses for the campaign for the release of our five nationalists. That’s how you do journalism, that’s how you create consciousness. You never forget what the importance of our struggle is about. I don’t say it because I think I’m so bad, I think people have to, you know, young people are listening to this. If you’re studying -- whatever you’re studying, you wanna do, do it with integrity, but don’t forget who you are, where you came from. Remember that where you come from, you owe them, and you have to go back and help build, and we have to [01:23:00] learn as Puerto Ricans to build our own institutions. I think that’s the downfall of our nation, that we’ve forgotten that we need to build our own institutions so that we don’t depend on anyone and we can do that. You know? So that’s how my career started, from there I went to Boston to do Infinity Factory, which is a series on math phobia, and I came here. JJ: Math phobia, what is that? DP: Math phobia is when children have problems learning math. 50 �JJ: Oh, math (inaudible) DP: So what we did was we took everyday activities, and we worked with mathematicians from MIT, and the head mathematician was the gentleman who had created the atomic clock, and they would give us the strands and we would do the creative and ethnic... Reality. Plus we had a history section, so I created -- I did all the Puerto Rican history. And then in doing the segments, ’cause we had a segment that was shot upstate New York, and there was a [01:24:00] young woman that was a little girl, she was a little girl, who ended up -- who used to say, who ended up doing fame. She was the little girl in the show. And then the Mexican groups had a group in LA. There was no Puerto Rican segments, so I came to Puerto Rico for 27 days to create Puerto Rican segments and I shot here where I live in Loíza, the festival, which at that time was an extravaganza. Well what I did was, I integrated our master mathsman, because as an artist he uses the concept, a mathematical strand called estimation, but I integrated the festival, so he taught the children of the town how to make the math so they could participate in the fiesta, and then I was able to integrate the whole fiesta. So they got to see the whole aspect within a cultural term. I talked about don Pedro, because when don Pedro Albizu Campos spoke, the Nationalist Party had to figure out how many people would be there, how many flyers did they have, that’s estimation. You know, and measurement, [01:25:00] you have to measure the amount of paper that you have to use and how many pieces you -- how much money you spend. So we had to integrate mathematical strands, but I integrated them within a historical Puerto Rican perspective. Came back to New York and I 51 �worked at CBS, show called “Channel 2 the People”. (inaudible) concert with Felipe Luciano that worked at the same show and ended up having the same phone extension, because when we talked from prison, I told him, I said, “Brother, you know what? I’m calling my own phone number.” And he started laughing. So I did “Channel 2 the People”, and I have to say that my career in the public world, in television, since I’ve worked for all the networks and public television, I can say with a lot of integrity that I’ve never exploited my people, I never did stories that were negative about my people, on the contrary. And before I was arrested, [01:26:00] I had the first film and photography school in East Harlem. I had a school in East Harlem, I had gotten half a million dollars from the Department of Labor, and my idea was to create our own film school. Take that initial money and that, get our own people in the business to become members of the board and help us raise money independently so that we could have our own school. Unfortunately, William Morales was my partner at the time and he got arrested and I was subpoenaed to the grand jury and I was two months pregnant. So I spent my nine months of pregnancy under the pretense of going into prison. But I refused to testify, on the grounds that, you know, you don’t support grand juries. You know, you have integrity, you don’t support a grand jury. Plus grand juries have always been used as a witch hunt for the Puerto Rican independence movement. We have a long trajectory of the history of that. If you go to el centro -- “hunter centro dot org”, open up the FBI [01:27:00] files and you’re able to read the whole history, all the FBI files, we have ’em there at the centro files. What happens then? Well, I get a phone call 52 �that the nationalists are being released, and I’m honored to say that in three days I organized a private reception for them and El Museo del Barrio was receiving Lolita Lebrón, Oscar Collazo, Irvin Flores, and Rafael Cancel Miranda. In New York, in El Museo del Barrio which was then ours, now it’s no longer ours because we’ve lost it, it no longer belongs to the Puerto Rican community. I don’t care what anybody tells me, that’s my position because I’m one of the founders of that museum. JJ: Briefly, if you can -- I -- DP: No, I don’t wanna talk about that. Let’s leave it there. Yeah, no. The Museo del Barrio is the Museo del Barrio but it doesn’t belong to our community like it initially was initiated and how it was worked for, many, [01:28:00] many years -four decades ago. But again, sometimes we make concessions and we can’t concede when it comes to our culture and our art, because that’s ours and we have to learn how to control that. Three days after they were released, I went to clandestinity, and I went with my son, and I was arrested a year, some-odd later, April 4th, 1980. JJ: I didn’t hear, you went into where? DP: I went into clandestinity. Somewhere in the world with a different name and my child. My child was five and a half months old. And that’s history, and now I’m in freedom, and I’m working on creating my home into a project called “Casa Loíza”, which will be a place of having workshops of healing and political consciousness, and since I have a beach and a river, it’s a way of remaking a living, and maybe you wanna come and spend a weekend or a week to write, you 53 �can do it here in my house. I have a foundation, you can visit it on my website, [01:29:00] and if anyone wants to make any donations, they’re more than willing to. I mentioned it before so we’ll put it at the end and people can come and visit. I’m working on a documentary for the last eight years called “Women Mujeres [n?]” on the five Puerto Rican nationalist women, which include Blanca Canales, who headed the revolt in Jayuya, 1950. Isabel Rosado, who’s 104 years old and alive and well. Carmen Perez who passed away five years ago. Doris Torresola, who was the youngest member of the party who’s now in the other existence. And of course our Lolita Lebrón. So I need a little bit more money to finish the last segment to make a trailer, it’s a major project, it’s a two-hour version, ’cause you have to honor five incredible women and I’m not doing it in two minutes, I have to tell the real story, so it has music, dance, poetry. And I write my own poetry and I create my mask, and my sculptures. And in July, here in Carolina, Puerto [01:30:00] Rico in [el Museo del Titecure?], I’m part of the association of plastic artists and I’m having an exhibit of my casica and reinas sculptures. And I’m working on my book so hopefully next year, watch out, it’s coming out! It’s called “Seditious [Love?]”. I’m (inaudible) this year. JJ: (inaudible) DP: Yeah. JJ: You were in jail, and then you had a little... I’ve heard you had a lot of time to think, and so one of the things it looks like you’re doing is the film. Still with the film. But I mean, what -- DP: How did I keep myself busy? I told you. 54 �JJ: Not how did you keep yourself busy, but what do you think that the movement should be doing, in terms of -- you mentioned that the struggle continues, what does that mean? DP: Right now. Oh. JJ: What does (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) DP: Well, the struggle continues, we have to create -- I think with the assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Rios five and a half years ago, I think the United States government thought [01:31:00] that by assassinating him, that our movement would die, on the contrary. That was the most incredible funeral you’ve ever wanted to attend. It took us five and a half hours from San Juan to Hormigueros, which is an hour and a half, two-hour ride. But why? ’Cause the streets were filled with people. Children in the school courtyards were standing up with their fists up. “FBI assassins!” Old people, young people, even govern-- even the police, as the hearse passed, the police would salute him. That’s to tell you something. I remember, many of my interviews that I did while I was incarcerated, they would ask me, “Do the people support armed struggle?” And I said, “Well, in an island 35 by 100, there’s a man called Filiberto Ojeda Rios who’s been in clandestinity for 23 years, and he’s never been captured.” And I think that’s an example of how our people do support real heroes [01:32:00] and heroines in our nation. I think what has to happen here is that the leaders of our movement, they’re all mostly older people, mostly men, I have to be very critical of that, too. And they have to come down from their little levels of powers, their little towers of power even though they’re not that acclaimed, but anyway. We 55 �have to let the young people take over. We can be their facilitators. We can learn -- we can show them the mistakes we’ve made, how we can grow together, but we need their voices to lead our nation. I think when we begin to do that, and we’ve begun it in a small scale, what now the Nationalist Party is doing, we’re rejuvenating the party because for so many years all the party was doing is bringing flowers to our dead heroes and heroines, that’s not how you build a nation. You build a nation by getting involved in your community, by creating consciousness. Learning about their real history, that’s how our people -- that’s how you gain consciousness [01:33:00] because if you know you come from a fighting element, that you have warrior genes, then you’re gonna learn that you can struggle to make change happen. But until you know that, until you know who your essence is, and where is it you come from, and who are the people that really make up your real history, then you have a base, then you have that foundation that says, “[Oh no?], I’m strong, and yes, we can win.” And I believe it’s happening, but it’s gonna take a lot more work ’cause I also think technology has moved us away from our old organizing techniques. People have gotten kinda lazy with technology. You do not organize people by sending them emails. You’ve gotta go door by door and you have to knock. People -- look in your eyes. When you talk to someone, and you can talk in their eyes, and you see them, it’s that human relationship. You can’t help but feeling what that person is sharing with you. And that’s where I think consciousness [01:34:00] gets built and that connection occurs. So I think that’s what we have to do. JJ: Okay. And any final thoughts? Any more final thoughts? 56 �DP: Final thoughts is that I think, I believe that one way we can... There’s a lot of violence in Puerto Rico today, and it doesn’t come from a nature of who we are, it comes from what we’re surrounded with, it comes from a government that has put together, I mean, I keep criticizing, but I have to. How do you make the former head -- two heads of police are former heads of the FBI, and think that you’re gonna create a relationship with the police department that handles -works humanly with the people? We’ve just witnessed what the police did to our students, who were just demonstrating, and they were badass; kicked, they were beaten, they were bruised, they were put in jail. [01:35:00] We have to create a healing process for our nation, and I’m not talking about a prayer circle, I’m not talking a prayer march. I think it’s about creating a new consciousness of struggle, which talks about our human concerns, which reaches out to people like I said earlier. That’s how we create change, that’s how we create a new society for our people. And our young people need to be on it because a lot of these young people are doing great things, you know? Unfortunately they don’t get the news, because everybody wants to hear about all the murders that occur. Crime doesn’t occur by miracle, it creates by the society -- the conditions that society, those that control the society establish. And that’s what we have to do, we have to do it, we have to create an environment where our kids can learn, and institutions that are ours. We have to get young people to love our Earth, to grow, we can grow our own food, ’cause we’re gonna have to, ’cause stuff is getting too -- [01:36:00] it’s worse in prison, I used to pay 50 cents for a tomato, you know, on the black market, and here it’s almost 75! So we have to learn how 57 �to survive as we did before, and put all that other stuff that -- we get bombarded, you know, with all the technology, all the YouTube and the television and all this stuff. We’ve been bombarded to believe that we can have all these things, but that’s not what makes you happy, what makes you happy is having a quality life. With essence, with integrity, and a spirit of winning. And I think that’s what we have to do. We have to really internalize that we’re a nation of warriors, and that we can win, and that we are fighters, both men and women. And gays, you know, I think it’s wonderful that the president came forward, but that doesn’t change the federal laws, but here in Puerto Rico we’ve moved a bit forward, but we haven’t moved where we should be. We have to make a new awareness of AIDS. [01:37:00] There are no public announcements in Puerto Rico about AIDS, very few, and our kids -- people have AIDS, we’ve had difficulty getting medications, we have difficulty AIDS patients surviving, difficulty getting funding for adequate funding for good programs for our people, and they’re not all young people, we’re finding a major percentile of new AIDS patients that are above 40 and 45 years old. So there’s a reality in our society, and only we can make it heal. And we can heal it with commitment, with dignity, and continuity. Viva Puerto Rico libre. END OF VIDEO AUDIO FILE 58 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4759ee8b13d3e3a7738c7db828cd3c3c.mp4 f9e61a12f1f8b86ffb97f8d1ca38b0de Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Young Lords in Lincoln Park Collection Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Description An account of the resource Collection of oral history interviews and digitized materials documenting the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Interviews were conducted by Young Lords' founder, José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, and documents were digitized from Mr. Jiménez' archives. The Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection grows out of the ongoing struggle for fair housing, self-determination, and human rights that was launched by Mr. José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords Movement. This project is dedicated to documenting the history of the displacement of Puerto Ricans, Mejicanos, other Latinos, and the poor from Lincoln Park, as well as the history of the Young Lords nationwide. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection (RHC-65)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-25 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng spa Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2012-2017 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Título Spanish language Title entry Dylcia Noemi Pagán vídeo entrevista y biografía Descripción Spanish language Description entry Dylcia Pagán nació a padres puertorriqueños en 1946 en Lincoln Hospital en los Bronx de Nueva York y creció en el East Harlem. Se hizo una estrella infantil siendo parte de “Children’s Hour” en NBC. A los 20 años perdió sus padres y se convirtió un activista, trabajando con registraciones de votes y también con la Community Development Agency (CDA) que evalúa programas de pobreza en Nueva York. En 1969, Señora Pagán decidió atender Brookly College donde ayudo a fundir el Puerto Rican Student Union que resulto con la formación de un Departamento de estudias puertorriqueñas que es controlado por los estudiantes (todavía existe hoy). Señora Pagán continuó una carera en la media de comunicación y fue la primera productora puertorriqueña en la ciudad de Nueva York. Trabajo como productora, escritora y cineasta desarrollando documentarias investigas y programas de niños en cada estación mayor de televisión. También trabajo con un editor Ingles para el primer periódico bilingüe en la cuidad, El Tiempo, y también escribió una sección de ese mismo periódico. En 1978 un Gran Jurado dio una citación para que Pagán daría un testifico en conexión con el arresto de su compañero, William Morales. Durante este tiempo estaba tres meses embarazada con su hijo Guillermo y rechazo testificar. En 1979 se escondo con su hijo. La arrestaron en 1980 y la cargaron con sedicioso de conspiración por pelear por la independencia de Puerto Rico y recibió una condona de 63 años encarceladas. Después de una campaña larga en los Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico, e internacional Presidente Bill Clinton le dio el Presidential Conditional Clemency a Pagán y 9 otros, el 10 de Septiembre, 1999. Ahora vive y trabaja en Puerto Rico. Sujetos Spanish language Subject terms Young Lords (Organización) Puertorriqueños--Estados Unidos Derechos civiles--Estados Unidos--Historia Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Puertorriqueños--Relatos personales Justicia social Activistas comunitarios--Illinois--Chicago Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park (RHC-65)</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65_Rivera_Dylcia Title A name given to the resource Dylcia Noemi Pagán interview and transcript Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pagán, Dylcia Description An account of the resource Dylcia Pagán was born to Puerto Rican parents in 1946 at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York City and raised in East Harlem. She became a child star, performing every week on NBC’s “Children’s Hour.” After losing her parents at the age of 20, she became an activist, participating in voter registration drives and working for the Community Development Agency (CDA) evaluating poverty programs throughout the City of New York. In 1969, Ms. Pagán decided to attend Brooklyn College where she co-founded the Puerto Rican Student Union that resulted in the formation of a student-controlled Puerto Rican Studies Department that is still in existence today. She continued a long career in media, becoming the first Puerto Rican woman television producer in New York City. Ms. Pagán has worked as a producer, writer, and filmmaker, developing investigative documentaries and children’s program on nearly every major television network. She also worked as the English editor for the city’s first bilingual daily newspaper, El Tiempo, and authored a popular daily column in that same paper.In 1978, Ms. Pagán was subpoenaed by a Grand Jury to testify in connection with the arrest of her companion, William Morales. At the time, she was three months pregnant with her son, Guillermo, and she refused to testify. Sometime in 1979 she went underground with her son. She was arrested in 1980, charged with seditious conspiracy for fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico, and was sentenced to 63 years in prison. She was released from prison on September 10, 1999 after a long campaign in the United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally pressured President Bill Clinton to give she and nine of her co-defendants a Presidential Conditional Clemency. She lives and works in Puerto Rico. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-05-15 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/1bad9a350fd38a18e6e43a39826af444.m4v 6e1f0a6564a8011dda6815d06824aeaf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a83e9fc513b74561cd7f8ecb60c726c0.pdf 4ab7547daba494b30dabae4b488171f6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project World War II Gerald Page Length of Interview (01:29:50) Background (00:00:00) Born October 1, 1925; Reed City, MI U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II Enlisted in 1942 during his last year of high school; graduated in 1943 Sworn in August 3, 1943 at Fort Custer, Battle Creek Active Duty on November 1943 Went into Fort Sheridan, Chicago, didn’t stay there long Sent to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, for basic training  Went through physical examination, medical exams (eye tests, specifically), testing of intelligence; training lasted until January His father owned businesses Decided to join the Army Air Corps, a romantic inclination (wanted to be a pilot)  Most of his friends went into the Navy, which didn’t appeal to Page Gunnery School/Training (00:05:00) After finishing in St. Louis, given options of doing odd-jobs around air bases or going to Gunnery School Did a lot of running, hiking, physical tests during basic training Left St. Louis and was sent to a Mechanic’s School in Amarillo, Texas doing grunt work Sent to Salt Lake City, then to Curry, Nebraska  Stayed for a week or two and was then sent to Gunnery School in Las Vegas, Nevada  There until summer  Given a small break to go back to Reed City �Went to Lincoln, Nebraska where he was put into a crew Sent to Ardmore, Oklahoma to do phase training Three or four months in Gunnery School (00:07:35) Shot everything that had a bullet, a lot of training with all types of weapons  Moving targets, air targets  Used colored bullets when hitting from the air  Was miserable training because they were out in the desert near Las Vegas during the summer  A lot of men washed out during this time  Flew in B-17’s  Three men in a plane, taking turns shooting; lots of smoke and incredible heat (100 degrees) Lived and flew with his crew in Lincoln, Nebraska (00:09:20)  Did camera missions, sometimes shot actual bullets at targets  There for three months; camp was named Gene Autry, but was called Ardmore (Oklahoma)  Doing more gunnery training here while the pilots, navigators, and bombardiers did theirs On a pilot mission when the propeller started ‘windmilling’ and they had to feather it (00:10:35)  Couldn’t get it feather and everyone was told to get their parachutes on and get ready to bail out  Eventually got the engine to feather and landed in Ardmore  The next day in class, Page was called and taken to the area where a parachute was laid out  It was the parachute he was using the day before  It had been burned because it had been laying near a socket, very lucky they didn’t bailout the day before � One the mission, had to shut off the engine because the vibrations from the propeller made the plane unbalanced Southern Italy (00:13:05) Supposed to fly to England to pick up a plane in Nebraska  The night before this mission, had a navigational mission  The navigator had led them to the wrong place, supposed to be heading for Kansas City  Had to use the radio to get direction to land at an airport  The substitute pilot had already flown 25 missions in the 8th Air Force and said he was not flying with this navigator across the ocean Page’s crew went over in a boat; went by train to Norfolk, Virginia, onto Liberty Ship in a convoy (00:14:28)  German submarines had attacked them on the way over (hadn’t known it at the time)  Towed to Azores Islands and were told by men in the Navy that they were very lucky  A torpedo had shot their ship’s propeller off Stayed on the Azores until their propeller could be fixed  The town had no room for them, so they stayed on a patrolling Destroyer, then a Tanker Eventually made it to Italy (00:16:00) 15th Air Force, took a couple days of training Came ashore in Naples, Italy  Drove a truck from the other side of Italy to Naples; very flat plains that were taken over by the US, and then to the air base at Foggia, Italy; assigned to an aircraft as a ball turret gunner (00:17:25)  Started flying out with different crews to get orientated then began flying with their original crew  Page flew more missions due to his size since only smaller men could fit in the ball turret  Ball turret was in the belly of the aircraft � Couldn’t have his chute with him A week after arriving, in his first combat Flew missions mostly in Southern Germany, Northern Italy, and some near the Alps  Had to bomb German supply routes, bridges, and towns (a lot of towns around Vienna for oil refineries)  8-10 hours of flight for missions The Average Day (00:19:45) Would be shaken awake at 1AM in the morning  Taken down to the mess hall and given a good breakfast  Get dressed and go to Group HQ for debriefing  Whole crew took the general briefing (weather briefing, as well)  Would be excused and go to the airport which was about two miles away  Pilots, Navigators, and Bombardiers would go to their respective meetings  Given electric flying suits and guns, Page was given two since he was a ball turret  Also given side arms only during missions Some men who had been shot down and taken prisoner before gave this advice: ‘take that .45 and throw it as far as you can throw it’ If captured with the sidearm, would be accused of killing, whether it was true or not Had 50 caliber machine guns in the ball turret; 16 overall on the plane  Waist gunners on each side, one gun each; the rest had two Given K-rations for lunch (little boxes) (00:23:30)  Breakfast had eggs; Lunch had cheese; Dinner had a meat dish  Given any one of these choices after debriefings  Would usually keep these until they were flying back Have to be 25,000 to 30,000 feet to begin flying in formation � Supposed to be on oxygen at 10,000 feet but they didn’t always do that, didn’t start feeling effects until 11,000 or 12,000 feet Never ran into Italian fighters because they had already surrendered before Page arrived (00:25:10) Encountered German fighters, initially ME 109s, but later jet powered ME 262s  Couldn’t compete with them, would go 500 mph versus the US fighters 200 and 300mph  Didn’t see these planes until later missions Encountered flak all the time, every time; very frightening, a ‘great big black boom’  None of Page’s crew was ever seriously injured by flak Last mission (00:27:05) Going over an oil refinery east of Vienna Out of 27 planes, nine were shot down Would see six or seven men get out of the plane, some with and without parachutes, then watch the plane spiral down and explode Glad he didn’t have to fly again after that Recently read a book that explained the reason why so many planes were shot down at the end of the war: they had a lot more guns and flak from Russia (00:28:08) Had a total of 15 missions There always was someone in the unit who got injured during missions due to flak mainly Page then describes a particularly gory accident with a mechanic and a turret (in Page’s aircraft) Scheduled to fly the next, but it was cancelled, their final mission (00:30:16) The War ended May 6, 1945  The next morning, woke up and never saw so many people so drunk; a celebration Stayed in Italy until November, hadn’t been in the service as long � Some of the ground crew had been there for over three years, some four Sent to Russia after being assigned smaller crews, still given missions (00:32:00) Most of the men from the ground crew were gone on their 30-day leave in the U.S. The Japanese were still fighting, so the ground crew’s leave was cut down to ten days Living Conditions (00:33:15) Six men to a tent, all the crew together  Had to pitch it themselves, theirs had been burnt in some places  Had to build their own furnaces, a lot of empty gas barrels to use  When Page first came there, had to eat outside, no dining hall  No toilet facilities  The food was decent until the War ended Stayed in touch with he family through V-mail (00:35:50) Took sixty days to get from the U.S. to Europe (due to the Azores incident)  Letters from the States were also in V-mail; photograph, to make it faster Had PX’s to buy basic things like toothpaste, socks, etc. Eventually a building was made as a mess hall  After the War was over, a club house was built, but they never got to use Given a pack of cigarettes, cost a dollar Nobody ever drank before a mission, wouldn’t be allowed to go up (00:39:00)  Beer was also rationed, two a week  The men would go to town to get wine, cognac, etc.  Could go into town, but it wasn’t safe; one of Page’s mechanics was attacked Discharge (00:40:50) The Radio Operator in Page’s crew managed to get hold of six sidearms before he left �First thing they did when they arrived in the U.S. was stand in a line, then strip and hand over their packs  Given back their belongings back, but not their flight jackets among other things  The next stop, given steaks in a mess hall Came back through Norfolk, on an aircraft carrier, a converted cruise ship  Went through the Northern Atlantic, very rocky journey back Rest Camps (00:43:00) Doesn’t recall anyone doing anything for good luck (before missions), maybe some praying  When Page’s crew got into the plane, they would flip to see who got what K-ration meal Could smoke in the planes, but not when they had to oxygen masks on The money made by the PX would go to getting entertainment from traveling shows every few months Remembers an Indian man piercing himself with needles Bob Hope had come to Foggia once, but too many people so Page didn’t attend After five missions, went to rest camp in Capri (an island off of Italy) for a week (00:45:40)  Would go to rest camp after every five missions  Didn’t always go with his crew, got separated from them  Had rest camps in Rome, as well  Took quite a few tours around, very beautiful place  In Capri, young boys would take a boat out and dive for octopi without masks or gear  Beautiful caves, a lot of nice scenery (a particular church on a hill) Bombing Missions (00:50:20) Page’s squadron was separated during a mission  If a squadron is ever separated, the commander selects the ‘Target of Opportunity’ �Flying lower than they should have been and see a marshalling yard full of cars (rail yard) with red crosses on them Deciding whether or not to bomb the field Someone argued that cars bound for hospitals would not be put here Commander gives the order to bomb it; created a large explosion, all ammunition trains Did a lot of missions bombing marshalling yards, but their General (Sparks) got the idea of bombing Berlin (00:52:00)  800-900 miles away from where they were  10-11 hours, extra fuel Bombed Berlin, lost a lot of planes coming back (would run out of gas and have to land) Stationed South of Rome, east of Naples (Foggia Flats) Had three groups use the airport, one was British (Bombers- Lancaster) Would send only one plane at a time, continuous bombing (may have had larger gas tanks as they could stay in the air longer) Later, when Page visited Germany, would hear soldiers complaining how the British bombings kept them up all night (00:54:24) Had a good crew, strong, young (oldest was 23) (00:55:00)  Remembers one particular pilot (substitute) who would go crazy whenever they flew into flak, ‘We’re gonna get killed!’ Flew north over Europe, would land in Munich (00:57:00) Could see the roads filled with people who didn’t know where to go (after VE Day) Stayed in Munich for a couple days Remembers going to a bar where a black GI was drinking and when he left, a barmaid asked Page whether or not his skin tone can ‘rub off’ After Service (00:58:30) Got back to the US on an aircraft carrier to Norfolk, VA Went to Indianapolis, Indiana (Camp Atterbury) where he was discharged � On the base for two days, only; during December Took the train back to Michigan, hadn’t told his folks  But his dad was already there with tears in his eyes; may have been waiting for every train for Reeds City, Page never asked him Had been let out earlier, many of his friends were not out (01:00:30) Would visit the bar with the few discharged (except Page was only 20)  A friend of his, who worked for the paper, managed to make him an identification card (police were cracking down on underage drinking) First summer back, state was offering to pay any Veteran $20 a week pension check Went back to college in the winter (February 1946) to Western (Kalamazoo) joined the football team Took accounting, had awful English (his whole class was made to use 8th Grade Grammar books) Attended on the GI Bill, covered most expenses Didn’t keep in touch with his friends in the Army (01:05:00)  Had been contacted by the former Radio Operator in his crew (1956) Has gone to some State Organizations, VFW After college, wanted to work for an oil company Eventually his father went into his own business with Page He and his wife then decided to buy a small resort, Page’s Resort Also became a teacher in Middleville (1953) also did administration Had reenlisted for Reserves; Korean War began, but wasn’t called up (01:16:32) � 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 PageG Title A name given to the resource Page, Gerald (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Page, Gerald Description An account of the resource Gerald Page served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II as a ball turret gunner on a B-17. Page served from 1943 until 1946 and flew a total of 15 missions in the 15th Air Force, mostly over Germany and Austria. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Erichsen, Wallace J. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps 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 2010-05-25 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 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/ba8b67a7c006fde88b412890d473f46f.m4v 6d8661f34c740f1c88c15a495d5d1bda https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c1475fae1b23bf7710d0d680eff31ecc.pdf b588e5d723fe7b08d943884dcea7a462 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project World War II / Korean War John Pahl Interview Length: (02:23:12:00) Pre-enlistment / Training (00:00:18:00)  Born in Fennville, Michigan (00:00:18:00) o His family lived in Fennville for ten years then moved to Allegan, Michigan just in time for the Great Depression (00:00:23:00)  His father was a rural mail carrier, which was why Pahl’s family lived in Fennville (00:00:34:00) o His father had been gassed in World War I and his health gave out in 1930, so the family moved to Allegan, where Pahl’s father was trying to get other employment (00:00:38:00) o Pahl has lived in Allegan for the rest of his life (00:01:02:00)  Pahl has the equivalent of two years of college; at the time, someone could teach in rural schools with a special certificate that counted as one year of college (00:01:16:00) o They would have to renew the certificate every two years until they finally got a degree (00:01:31:00)  Pahl was just starting to teach when the war started in 1939 and he taught four years before he got in the war (00:01:50:00) o A rural school teacher taught everything and in class, Pahl would have a map on the blackboard and he and his class would follow the progress of the war as part of their schoolwork (00:02:13:00) o It was a good way to teach the students how to spell the names of all foreign locations (00:02:41:00)  He was not enthusiastic about the war but Pahl knew sooner or later that he would become involved in the war because, one time, he looked at himself in the mirror and told himself that he could not let other people fight his battles for him (00:03:02:00) o He was not disappointed when he was drafted (00:03:24:00)  He was immediately registered for the draft when the war started because he was twenty-one at the time (00:03:33:00) o In October 1942, he was declared 1A and ordered to report to duty January 13, 1943 (00:03:51:00)  From Allegan, Pahl went to Kalamazoo, Michigan then to Camp Grant in Rockford, Illinois, where all the draftees were sorted, screened and checked for shots (00:04:13:00) o He got a series of shots seven different times (00:04:32:00) o The military decided at Camp Grant where the draftees would go based on their skill set; they decided that Pahl should take infantry basic training and quartermaster schooling at Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming (00:04:40:00) o The wind blew all the time at Fort Warren and Pahl remembers walking guard duty at twenty-eight degrees below zero (00:05:03:00)  Basic training was three months and the men were trained with World War I equipment because World War II equipment was being rushed to the Allies (00:05:24:00) o The men did get proper uniforms and Pahl ended up becoming a “sharpshooter”, a fact he is proud of (00:05:59:00) o Pahl was a fisherman growing up but he occasionally went hunting with his father; however, they never used rifles, only shotguns (00:06:20:00) �The canteen that the Army issued Pahl was aluminum and had a name, address and date from 1917 scratched (00:06:45:00)  Still, the canteen still held water, which was what it was supposed to do (00:07:03:00) o Infantry basic was tougher than regular basic because the Army wanted the men to be strong; this was easier in the winter because it was way below zero and the men got strong fast (00:07:25:00) o The men did calisthenics, practiced close-order drills and marches and received a good thorough basic; Pahl was glad he got the training because the information came in handy later (00:07:47:00) o As part of their discipline, the men learned that they had to salute not only the general, but also the general’s horse if it ever got loose (00:08:12:00) Following basic training, Pahl was accepted for the quartermaster officer’s school at Camp Lee, Virginia (00:08:33:00) o This course also involved rigorous training; however, the quartermasters did not have to be as hardy as the infantry (00:08:49:00) o The quartermasters were the record-keepers for the Army; they kept the records on the supplies: where they went, how they got there, which railroad lines handled them, etc. (00:09:14:00) o They also had to keep the records of all the troops and they also had to learn how to do things such as: run a military cemetery and a mess hall (00:09:38:00) Pahl completed the quartermaster training and on the very last day before graduation, a representative from the War Department came down and said that he had a special opportunity that the men could volunteer for be given a direct commission in the Air Corps instead of the Quartermaster Corps (00:10:09:00) o The offer sounded rather tempting because Pahl had noticed that at all the social gatherings, the girls tended to like seeing the wings on a uniform much better than the quartermaster cart wheel (00:10:51:00) o Pahl still did not know what they wanted; but the volunteers had to be either a teacher, lawyer, or stockbroker in civilian live because they had to be able to do arithmetic quickly and accurately (00:11:08:00) o The offer was strictly volunteer and after Pahl thought about it, he decided that he would go down to the orderly room that day and volunteer (00:11:57:00)  He noticed on the bulletin board that day that there was a list of all the officers volunteering for the Air Corps and Pahl’s name was on it, although he had not yet volunteered (00:12:09:00) o The next day, the men who volunteered graduated with their class and were then immediately commissioned in the Air Force and ordered to radar school in Orlando, Florida (00:12:27:00) Whenever the men had to move from one location to another, they went by railroad; one good thing that Pahl learned in quartermaster school was all the different rail lines and which ones had the best trains (00:12:54:00) During radar training, the men had British instructors who had been sent over to teach the men how to be radar controllers (00:13:34:00) o Up until that time, the United States had only a few, isolated radar stations, mostly around larger cities like New York and Boston (00:13:46:00) o Radar was basically a British invention and they were not too cozy about letting the United States have it: eventually, they decided that they needed more radar controllers than they had (00:14:18:00) o     �The men studied both the capabilities of radars and the capabilities of all the Allied and Axis aircraft (00:14:17:00) o While they were training, the men had some airplanes that they could maneuver around; the pilots were airmen who had been involved in the Battle of Britain, which meant that they knew their stuff, but they were not gracious to the radar trainees (00:14:54:00)  The men maneuvered the planes around so that they could get used to giving orders and seeing them executed (00:15:25:00) o One time, while in training, Pahl ended up talking to the President by accident (00:15:34:00)  The pilots of the airplanes that the men used for maneuvering needed airtime as well, so they would go over bomber range in the Gulf of Mexico and would drop marker bombs (00:15:44:00)  Florida has a deadly fog at around four in the afternoon and all the pilots were supposed to be done by then; they could not land with the test bombs still attached (00:16:19:00)  One pilot was late getting up and had not dropped his bombs in the bombing range when the fog came in (00:16:44:00)  The men knew where the pilot was and when he was returning to the shore, the men’s instructor took over and tried to talk the pilot into going back out to unload his bombs (00:17:07:00)  The pilot ended up dropping his two bombs in the town square in Dunedin, Florida; one made a crater in the public square and the other hit a house that was on the square (00:17:47:00)  That particular afternoon, the man who owned the house, who normally sat on the porch at four and read the paper, got a call and went inside just before the bomb sheared off the porch (00:18:13:00)  Immediately, the phone at the radar center started ringing; they had a directly line to the White House and the President wanted to know what happened because they assumed that a German submarine had fired on the city (00:18:33:00)  Pahl learned many years later on television program that the only overt action that the Nazis took against the United States were the two shells that a submarine fired in Florida (00:19:21:00)  The men were asked if they had any records of the submarine and everyone was calling to find out where the submarine was; the men just told the truth, saying that they had no records of a submarine in the Gulf (00:19:52:00) o The incident taught the men that they had to be careful where they told planes to dump their ordinance (00:20:44:00) Pahl spent three months at the radar school; the men graduated in September 1943 and were immediately ordered to various radar centers that were being set up all around the East and West coastlines (00:20:57:00) o The men spent a month at these stations learning from more experienced radar operators (00:21:16:00) o Pahl was sent to Mitchell Field, which meant that he was stationed in the radar center on Manhattan Island for a month, which was interesting; if he had been there for more than a month, he would have faced bankruptcy (00:21:26:00)  The men called it the “land of palms” because everybody that did something for them had his palm stuck out and expected a generous tip (00:21:44:00) o The men did more training in New York and from Mitchell Field, they could spot submarines at night off of New York Harbor waiting for convoys to come out (00:22:00:00) o  �    The area was a happy hunting ground for the submarines and there was a ship sunk off the New Jersey coast practically every night (00:22:18:00)  Because the submarines had to come up at night to recharge it batteries, the men in the center could distinguish the submarines; they would call the Coast Guard on Long Island and report that they had spotted a submarine and about an hour later, the men would receive a call back saying that they had taken care of the problem (00:22:28:00) Whenever the men went from base to base, they had a week of leave time that they could use to go home (00:23:47:00) When the men left New York, the Army was creating units and once the men had their week of leave, they were told to report to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri (00:23:51:00) o Jefferson Barracks was interesting because the unit could be sent either east or west and the place was an old building where the units were formed (00:24:06:00) o This was the first time that Pahl’s unit, that would eventually go overseas together, met, although the men still had no idea where they were going or when (00:24:21:00)  While at Jefferson Barracks, the men had marching and other things to keep them busy while they waited (00:24:41:00) o While at the Barracks, Pahl learned that he had a weekend pass and if he left early on Friday, then he could be in Kalamazoo by Saturday morning; he only needed to be back by midnight Sunday, so he had a weekend home (00:24:57:00) Pahl got to St. Louis in the middle of October and his unit received its shipping orders on December 29th to go to Camp Patrick Henry in Newport News, Virginia (00:25:31:00) o The Air Force had tried to screen the men because the radar operators were given somewhat special treatment; they laid out a map of all the theaters where the operators were desperately needed and the operators listed where they wanted to go, first come, first serve (00:26:11:00) o Pahl knew that he did not want to go to North Africa because that theater was still active and he did not like the desert, he knew that he had no chance of getting to England because everyone wanted to go there, and he did not want the Southeast Asian theater because he did not like jungles (00:26:40:00)  None of the men had heard of India or the Tenth Air Force (00:27:06:00) o He ended up putting down Iceland because, although they had a radar station there, no one wanted to go there because it was cold (00:27:16:00) o Pahl had a friend at headquarters who assured Pahl that his station started with “I”, so he was safe for Iceland and suggested that he and his unit go and get warm clothes (00:27:39:00)  The men did that, although they still did not know where they were going; they never did know until they got to the location (00:28:18:00) o The men were at Camp Patrick Henry from January 1, 1944 until January 11, 1944 getting their overseas shots and papers in order (00:28:29:00) Deployment to India (00:29:01:00)  To get to their new assignment, the men sailed on a converted sea liner, the Empress of Scotland (00:29:01:00) o Pahl was stationed in a former card-room with thirty-two other officers; the bunks were stacked six high and the fellow on the top bunk, to save time in the morning, would fill his helmet with water (00:29:10:00)  However, if the sea was ever rough, then the water would slop out of the helmet and hit the men in the lower bunks (00:29:38:00) �The ship left January 11th and went to sea; the men expected the ship to zigzag because it was only sensible (00:30:10:00) o Pahl was adept at reading maps and geography and whenever the ship changed direction, he marked it down in a little notebook; the men did not know the distance and Pahl had to estimate that, was well as speed (00:30:28:00)  He kept a day by day account of the voyage and they never sighted land once they left Virginia (00:30:52:00)  Pahl eventually figured out that they were making more zigs to the south than zags to the north, so he assumed that they were headed south (00:31:03:00)  In his luggage, he had a little atlas and he charted where he thought the ship was (00:31:15:00) o The men were eventually told when they had passed but Cuba; they could not see the island, only a large smudge on the horizon (00:31:27:00) o Once they got into the Southern Atlantic, the ship had deck guns on it, manned by British soldiers from the Battle of Britain who decided to have gunnery practice (00:31:50:00)  Incidentally, because of his training, Pahl was qualified to fire everything up to the 75 mm cannon (00:32:03:00)  Eventually, the British told the men that they were passing the island of St. Helena, although the men could not see it (00:32:32:00) o The men passed the Equator on January 19th and were all inducted into the seaman’s union (00:33:05:00) o For gunnery practice, they dumped some empty oil drums in the sea; the ship had deck guns and rocket racks for use against aircraft and the men had direct hits on the very first shot, which was comforting for the other men on board (00:33:21:00)  On the same day, the men got to the point that they were ready to make a landing and they spotted a submarine periscope to the rear of the ship (00:34:03:00)  The periscope cut across the whitecaps, which was how the men could tell it was there; Pahl was on submarine watch that day and when he called the bridge, the “captain put his foot down on the gas” and the ship shuddered when it went full speed ahead (00:34:41:00)  The area that they were sailing through, off of Cape Town, South Africa, was a happy-hunting ground for the U-Boats because all of the supplies going to India had to go through there (00:35:14:00)  The submarine might have been out of torpedoes or the captain might have not wanted to get into a fight with the ship’s deck guns (00:35:38:00) The ship made land at Cape Town and the men had a three-day layover in the city (00:35:56:00) o The city was the most beautiful that Pahl had seen in his life; the people were cordial to the soldiers and they threw a party for all of the officers (00:36:02:00) o The civilians arranged for a party at the country club for all of the officers and arranged it so that all the officers had dates with young ladies from Cape Town (00:36:24:00)  Pahl’s date was an Irish lady poet; they were dancing and the band was trying American pop music when they finally hit a polka (00:36:39:00)  Pahl had never done a polka in his life; when his date asked if he wanted to try it; Pahl did and he ended up following her because she did know how (00:37:03:00)  The couple gave an exhibition and someone yelled “to clear the floor and let them go” (00:37:25:00)  That was the first and only time that he danced a polka up until his daughter married a Polish boy and Pahl had to learn more about them (00:37:33:00) o The ship stayed in Cape Town for three days to take on oil and water and by this time, the men had it figured out that they were not going to Iceland (00:37:50:00) o  �     The ship went up the Indian Ocean and the men did not know if they were going up to join the British forces in Egypt or where they were going; no one had heard of any other place to go (00:38:19:00) o Finally, on February 8th, the men found out where they were going, when they landed in Bombay, India and were ordered to the Air Defense Wing (00:38:51:00) o On the ship, apart from their men, there several hundred other men, including all the chaplains for the entire China-India-Burma theater (00:39:16:00) The Tenth Air Force had been formed in the later 1942 with remnants of the forces that had been kicked out of Burma; they had a few planes and some ground crews, but it was still a skeletal organization (00:40:03:00) o Pahl’s group had enough stuff to flesh the unit out, although they did not have pilots, who came later (00:40:25:00) Pahl’s unit was ordered into a British camp in Bombay, where they discovered that the ChinaIndia-Burma theater was a British theater and they would be under a British commander, Lord Mountbatten (00:40:43:00) o The British were holding their breath and hoping that the Japanese would not have sufficient strength to break through the mountain chain that separated them from Burma (00:41:16:00) o There were passes in the mountains, which was how Stilwell and the ground forces escaped into Burma; they simply walked out (00:41:28:00) Pahl’s unit stayed at the British camp for a month; what the men did not know was that the other units were not ready for them where the men needed to be (00:41:48:00) o Finally, they received orders to report to the Air Defense wing at Calcutta, which was organizing there (00:42:00:00) o The men went by rail, which was an interesting journey; the Indian railroads were the best that Pahl had ever seen because they were on time and ran correctly (00:42:18:00)  For the trip, they had a long train and it took them from February 26th until March 2nd to go across India, even with a top-notch railroad (00:42:39:00)  The train was not making good time at first, so the men tried to see what they could do to help; they cornered the conductor and asked what they could do to help (00:43:02:00)  The conductor said that the train was too long and that if they removed one car, then they would make better time; the men put their heads together and found out that they had loaded their musette bags wrong, with fresh produce instead of rations (00:43:23:00)  The men could get food from the mess car but they had no way to wash their mess kits, so they arranged that the engineer would give a shot of steam to sterilize the mess kits; however, the next thing they knew, the train did not have enough steam to get out of the siding (00:44:31:00)  The men discovered the next day that they were not going to be getting anymore hot rations because the car that the conductor had decided to remove was the mess car (00:45:16:00) o During the trip, they were going through a region that was under a severe famine; Pahl and his friend had been hoarding and a teacher asked Pahl to take her baby and give it to the orphanage and another time, Pahl gave a little girl an orange he had been saving (00:45:38:00) The train finally got to Calcutta on March 2nd, where the men stayed for ten days waiting for transportation to take them to their base in Siam (00:47:40:00) o The actually unit, the 5320th Air Defense wing, was headquartered in Calcutta but the men were told that they had to report to the actually base in Siam (00:48:08:00) �The men got on another railroad and went north; they stayed on the train for two days and reached the north part of India (00:48:30:00)  While they were waiting in camp, the men occupied themselves at the supply dump loading supplies onto railcars; even the officers had to go out and load supplies (00:48:46:00) o Eventually, the train came to a railroad with a different size gauge, meaning that it could not go any further, so the men had to unload all the supplies and put it onto another train (00:49:25:00) o Then, the men were on the new train for two days following the Brahmaputra river; they had crossed the Ganges river while on the previous train (00:49:43:00)  It turned out that they were on the wrong side of the river; they wanted to be on the north side (00:50:05:00) Finally, on March 13th they had to unload all the supplies from the train; apart from the regular supplies, there was also a number of jeeps, trucks, and ambulances which the men unloaded and placed the other supplies in (00:50:25:00) o They were then ferried across the river and formed a truck convoy (00:50:48:00) o On March 15th, the men arrived at the base, Chabwa, which was a huge air base; there were warehouses there that were miles long and filled with every kind of supply that they needed in China (00:50:58:00) o Chabwa was the last big air base for the planes; from there, they have to cross into Burma, which was hostile territory (00:51:24:00) Pahl’s unit left all the other supplies behind and went up to their main base camp at Kanjikoah, which was about five miles down the road from the main base (00:51:41:00) o Kanjikoah was built in Sir Thomas Lipton’s tea garden with the hopes that it would be disguised; the tea plants needed shade from taller trees and the military assumed that the tall trees would disguise the radar center from the Japanese (00:51:55:00) o The men were filthy when they got to Kanjikoah in the late afternoon, where they were still building the main radar center; they were using a temporary radar center in the planter’s bungalow (00:52:54:00) o The men were assigned temporary quarters and the next morning, the men had not been assigned any duties, so they went over and decided to take a shower (00:53:22:00)  The men were all naked and taking their showers when a Japanese air raid occurred (00:53:55:00)  The Japanese were actually raiding a air base about three miles away from Kanjikoah but the men discovered fairly early that a radar center is like a bull’seye on a target; it was the center of communication for the entire area and if it was knocked out, then the entire area was paralyzed (00:54:07:00)  The Japanese had hit the air base and come over; the men were all naked and no weapons except for their carbine rifles, which had no ammunition (00:54:56:00)  All the men ran over to the supply tent asking for ammo and were told that it had not arrived yet; the supply tent did have rifles and ammunition, but the rifles could not be assigned to the men because they were officers, who were not allowed to carry rifles (00:55:35:00)  The men waited the air raid out and then took appropriate methods to get ammunition (00:56:13:00) The primary job of Pahl’s unit at Kanjikoah was protecting the main supply base at Chabwa; there were millions of dollars worth of supplies at the base and Kanjikoah was the sole piece of protection (00:56:38:00) o    �       There were three other air fields around the radar center; the radar would work but it was spasmodic, which was when men with arithmetic came in handy, guessing whether a plane was in the air (00:56:58:00) o At the time, the Air Force only had P-40 Warhawks, which was the best that they had to offer; they were using the P-40s in China and Chennault had managed to save some (00:57:12:00) o The trouble was that at this point, the Japanese were using Zeros, which flew in at two thousand feet above the ground, meaning that the radar could not pick them up to engage them (00:57:34:00) o To solve the problem, the radar operators would vector their planes out and directly under the target; once under the target, the pilots would intentionally stall out and try to shoot the Zeros in the belly (00:57:51:00) A second duty of Pahl’s unit was protecting the air lift across Burma from Japanese interruptions (00:58:10:00) o The air lift went close enough to the main Japanese base that they could interrupt the air lift; finally, the Allies changed the route and took it up through northern Burma, which was in friendly hands (00:58:26:00) o However, the new route was several hundred miles longer and it took a longer time to complete the journey (00:58:40:00) o The men knew that sooner or later, if the air lift was going to be successful, then they had to capture the Japanese base at Myitkyina, which was heavily fortified (00:58:47:00) The radar controllers worked in eight hour shifts, with three controllers to a shift; there was the senior controller, who had supreme authority over the radar because he knew the instructions and the operations being conducted (00:59:25:00) o Sitting next to the senior controller was an air identification officer, whose job was to identify all the planes on the ops board; if it was green, it was friendly, if it was red, it was the enemy and if it was not identified, it was this officers job to do so (01:00:08:00) o Another officer was in charge of anti-aircraft fire and would send alerts to all the locations that needed alerting; however, this officer had to wait until a controller gave him the go-ahead (01:00:37:00) o There was also a civilian in the control room who would give the warning to the civilian population in the area (01:01:13:00) o At first, the three radar controllers were only necessary during the day (01:01:35:00) o Controllers were on duty twenty-four hours a day but only worked eight hour shifts and they got rest in between as best they could; during the day, the general would think up different jobs that needed doing, such as running the kitchen or working in the supply office (01:01:48:00) At one point, Pahl learned to speak Wakahindi for the unlike situation that if plane he was on was shot down in a region where the natives did not speak English, then he could explain that he was friendly (01:02:21:00) The men did the best they could with the P-40s, which they had for a while (01:03:02:00) o When the Middle East situation cleared up in mid-1943, then they were able to fly supplies across North Africa, which eliminated shipment time and allowed them to bring in new planes (01:03:09:00) When they first got to India, Tenth Air Force headquarters was in Calcutta but by May, the headquarters had moved and Pahl’s radar center was in full swing (01:04:11:00) Air Force personnel were not intended to be combat troops; however, in an air raid, the control center had foxholes dug around it with machine guns and any personnel not actively engaged in the control center had to go out and use the machine guns for fifteen minutes (01:04:34:00) �As it happened, because it was a British theater, down the road from Kanjikoah was a regiment of Highland troops who wore kilts and played bagpipes (01:05:18:00) When they sent the warning out that a raid would be happening, a few things would happen (01:05:47:00) o The men found out that a lot of the native population tended to be pro-Japanese and six hours before a raid would happen, the phone lines went dead; however, what the natives did not realize that the men also had radio connections to all the bases, which the natives failed to knock out (01:06:01:00) o When the phones went dead, the men knew that within six hours that they would be raided; that was SOP (standard operating procedure) for the Japanese, as well as attacking around ten in the morning (01:06:42:00) o All of the labor at the camp was native people and before a raid, they would all go hide in the woods (01:07:03:00) o The men were concerned that the radios would not get to the Highlanders, who had to come up and man the guns at the base; they men always knew when their call got through because they could hear the highlanders playing their war pipe coming down the road (01:07:51:00) At the beginning, the Japanese raids were small; the first raid on the base was only ten planes, meant to recon the area (01:08:39:00) o Every morning a Japanese reconnaissance plane would fly over the area taking pictures; however, the Americans could not reach him and he would get down right nasty, he would get on the American wavelengths and laugh at them (01:08:53:00) o In terms of supplies, the Tenth Air Force was the lowest priority of all the theaters, but they eventually began to receive some P-47s, P-51s, and P-39s (01:09:49:00)  The pilots did not like the P-39s, which they called “widow-makers”; in actuality, the Tenth did not need them except for ground support (01:10:13:00)  The P-47s were very good; they were slow to gain altitude but once they gain the altitude, they were able to dive and attack, which meant putting bombs into pillboxes and things like that (01:10:33:00)  The P-51s were “the best thing that anyone ever invented”; the men only received a few at first but they received more in due time (01:10:52:00) o One day, the Japanese recon aircraft came over and was mocking the men and a P-51 shot him down; that was the last Japanese recon plane they had (01:11:13:00) The Japanese also interfered with their radio connections, which was serious because when there was a raid, the Americans could not afford radio jamming (01:11:43:00) o The men eventually found a way to stop the jamming; all they had to do was sing a few bars from the Mikado (the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta ) on the radio (01:11:55:00)  The Japanese could not listen to anything disrespectful of the Mikado, so they got right off the radio (01:12:26:00) o Pahl also bought some records in Calcutta and he managed to get a full opera of the Mikado operetta so that anyone could learn it (01:12:38:00) In May 1944, the headquarters of the Tenth Air Force moved up to Kanjikoah and took over a large number of the buildings (01:13:14:00) o The men had lived in tents until that time; the tents were the English variety that slept up to six men but soaked up water, which was a detriment during the rainy season (01:13:26:00) o When the Tenth Air Force came in, they got some buildings built for their staff and moved Pahl’s unit out of their tents and into native buildings made out of bamboo and mud (01:13:49:00) o     �    The only disadvantage to the native buildings was that they had thatched roofs; the roofs kept out water but when the rainy season started in April and ended in September, it rained steadily and animals climb into thatch, so that if a man was reading or listening to a record, something might fall on him (01:14:17:00)  If any of the snakes bit a man, then he had very little chance of survival; however, they had one man who was bitten by a sidewinder and instead of putting a tourniquet on the wound, he sat on it and survived (01:15:44:00)  There were also larger snakes, including cobras, which were extremely nasty; all the officers and some of the enlisted men carried a cane while in the area to fight back against the cobras, they would try to side step the cobra and hit it in the head with the cane to break its neck then shoot it with a gun (01:16:30:00) Living in India was not all peaches and cream; the climate was hot in the summer off-season and in the winter monsoon season, it was cool (01:18:06:00) o When the breeze came down from the mountains, it was cool and the men had to be fairly adept as controllers in weather; they ended up having to take a course in weather forecasting because they had to be aware of the weather (01:18:30:00) o Another facet of their work involved mounting raids of their own against the Japanese and they had to know the weather in order for the raid to be successful (01:18:53:00) In addition to the radar, they had something up in the mountains that was of great helpfulness (01:19:12:00) o Whenever the Japanese attacked, they came in a low altitude and the men could not pick them up on radar until they came over the mountain range, which was within thirty miles of the first American position (01:19:20:00) o The Americans had ground spotters up in the hills, some native, some American, and they could spot enemy planes coming and notify the radar controllers in plenty of time (01:19:40:00)  Some of the native ground spotters were actually set up by the Japanese Air Force (01:20:06:00) o When the Japanese planes were gaining altitude to attack, the Americans would turn the AA guns loose against them, which forced the Japanese to get higher than they want to be (01:20:56:00) Toward the end of the war, when the Japanese were getting forced back in Burma, they had what Pahl considers a banzai charge (01:21:26:00) o In the last months of the war, the Japanese planes continued to move south and the Americans continued to maintain air superiority (01:21:49:00) o During this time, the most planes that Pahl had in the air at one time was seventy-five American and the Japanese had about seventy-five coming in, which was an interesting day for several reasons (01:22:17:00)  The Japanese had everything that they had that could fly equipped to shoot (01:22:32:00)  Pahl had his three squadrons, which totaled seventy-five planes; it was usually twenty-planes from each squadron and five at each squadron being serviced, but when an air raid came in, the planes seemed to be serviced faster (01:22:43:00)  As well, there was a squadron from the Fourteenth Air Force in India that had come back to replace their planes with P-51s; they were all gassed up and waiting to take-off and go back to China (01:23:10:00)  The radar controllers did not want all seventy-five planes crashing at once, so they took a squadron at a time and sent them in (01:23:36:00)  Pahl sent his first squadron in and was on the radio getting ready to send the second squadron in when he heard a voice on his radio saying “Klondike, this is �     Tiger-1, can we come to your party please”; “Klondike” was Pahl’s radio callsign (01:23:49:00)  It was the Flying Tigers squadron and Pahl said that they surely could (01:24:20:00) Pahl ordered the Flying Tigers to orbit at a checkpoint and wait for his instructions, which they did (01:24:40:00) Pahl sent in his second wave and ended up entirely forgetting about the Flying Tigers; eventually, a voice cut through his radio saying “thank you, they are headed right for us, we’ll take it from here” (01:24:55:00) Pahl received credit for the attack but he never planned on it (01:25:33:00) By the end of the day and the next day, the Americans down every Japanese plane at the loss of only a few American planes (01:25:53:00)  By that time in the war, the Japanese pilots were lousy (01:26:06:00) The next day, before the Flying Tigers squadron went back to China, their commander came in and thanked Pahl for sending them in and for the entertainment; Pahl replied that they were very happy to have them (01:26:10:00)  Pahl can proudly say that he commanded a squadron of Flying Tigers, if only by accident (01:26:37:00) Merrill’s Marauders and the Advance Down Burma (01:27:07:00)  The American commando group “Merrill’s Marauders” ended up camping right next to Pahl’s location; by that time, they were awaiting orders to go into Burma (01:27:07:00) o The Japanese at that point were trying to break through the mountain chain, which they did, only further to the south and against General Slim’s British Eighteenth Army (01:27:20:00)  At times, the front lines were the size of a tennis court; some of the American soldiers took their leave time and went down and fought with the British soldiers (01:27:33:00) o Merrill’s Marauders came in and stayed in temporary tents while getting their shots because they were pretty well infected with malaria; at the time, they were not a top class unit and Pahl believes that they never should have been sent (01:27:50:00) o General Merrill was a perfect gentleman and he and Pahl ended up having lunch together; the General had to eat with Pahl because the officers all ate in one mess (01:28:17:00)  The Marauders knew what they were doing and General Stilwell needed combat troops but could not get any from the British, so he made a deal with Chiang Kai-Shek and borrowed two Chinese divisions trained by American officers (01:28:58:00) o Stilwell started going into Burma over mountain trails that American combat engineers had widened into a road (01:29:40:00)  Once they got the road finished, the troops were actually able to be moved in; this was when the Americans decided to attack, at the beginning of the rainy season (01:30:00:00)  Stilwell had figured the attack out and he would send in some Air Force men as well to set up a radar station (01:30:12:00) o The Marauders would go over the road with the Chinese divisions and the entire force came within sixty miles of Myitkyina but were blocked by retreating Japanese soldiers (01:30:34:00) o Myitkyina was not heavily guarded because the Japanese did not expect an attack, so the Marauders wanted to march down to attack, which they did (01:31:00:00) �The Marauders figured that it would take them three days to get over the mountains and into position to attack, but General Stilwell and the meteorologists figured it wrong; they figured that the rainy season was going to be late, making the attack possible on foot and as it turned out that the rainy season was not late (01:31:43:00) o On the first day, there was going to be a force that would go in partly by glider and partly by truck and land on the Myitkyina airport and secure it, where Stilwell intended the radar station to be (01:32:09:00) o They managed to secure the airport in a very short time and Pahl ended up going with that first group; however, he had jungle rot in his right foot and they only took half of his unit, the other half stayed behind and worked at Kanjikoah (01:32:34:00)  There was a temporary radar center put up but it did not do much at first because Japanese snipers shot out all of the equipment (01:33:01:00) o The Japanese were not expecting an attack, so the Americans were able to secure the airport and set up a perimeter; however, the Japanese mounted a counter-attack (01:33:13:00) o All in all, the rainy season started the next day, so the Americans were unable to land anymore supplies at the airport (01:33:26:00)  The engineers had filled in all the bomb craters so that the runways could be used when the weather cleared (01:33:36:00)  There were days when the monsoons were not heavy and the ground was not too muddy and they could bring in more supplies (01:33:48:00) o However, the Marauders who were walking over the mountains were rained on and it took them a day longer than they figured (01:34:02:00)  However, they still managed to push the Japanese back to the point that supplies could be parachuted in (01:34:25:00) o In due time, Stilwell got his two Chinese divisions in and broke the stalemate with the Japanese (01:34:36:00) The Tenth Air Force also supplied ground support, which was when their ground attack aircraft came in handy (01:35:17:00) o It took them three months to completely capture Myitkyina; they had to take it pillbox by pillbox because bombing would not hurt them (01:35:24:00) o The only way to hurt the pillboxes was to come in and skip bomb them because they needed a slot for their machine guns and if they slid a bomb through that slot, then the bombing run worked (01:35:37:00) o The ground forces also had bazookas but not artillery because the artillery was too heavy for the makeshift road over the mountains (01:35:54:00) o Pahl’s unit had its makeshift control center that helped steer the planes on the bombing runs and Pahl used to listen to the radio chatter between the pilots and the ground controllers (01:36:15:00) o All the way down Burma, the Tenth was backing up the ground forces, including Merrill’s Marauders, who they supplied with back-up and regular supplies (01:36:53:00) o Because there were no M*A*S*H units, only aid stations, they used flying boats to transport wounded back to the large hospital at Chabwa (01:37:23:00) They did all their fighting during the day; at night, the crew in the control room was reduced; however, they still kept positions of all the planes because of the air lift into China (01:37:59:00) o Pahl eventually discovered that planes were going into China, one every five minutes, twenty-four hours a day, rain or shine, filled to the brim (01:38:24:00) Pahl earned two Bronze Stars, something that he did not earn by just fighting in the radar center (01:39:20:00) o    �     Once Myitkyina was secure, the forces immediately started down the road to Maungmoo; if Maungmoo could be captured, then it was a short distance until they could link up with the old Burma Road at Lashio (01:39:31:00) o The Burma Road represented a land-link to China that would save six hundred miles on the journey to China (01:39:46:00) o Pahl ended up going down to Maungmoo directly, although he did receive a Bronze Star for his actions during the Myitkyina campaign (01:39:58:00) o However, he had to stay back in Kanjikoah with a detachment because they still had work to do in that area (01:40:15:00) o He ended up going down to Maungmoo for a few months where he received another Bronze Star; the men actually did have occasions to do some shooting to protect themselves (01:40:35:00)  The Japanese had snipers in the jungle and all sorts of things; the men never knew when something would happen (01:41:10:00)  The men were advancing in force along the roads but sometimes, they would still be attacked, even by air (01:41:19:00)  Pahl never actually went into the jungle and hunted for the Japanese; he was protecting the radar units (01:41:30:00) Pahl’s unit stayed at Myitkyina for three months and it took another couple of months to capture Maungmoo, after which the unit went down and installed a radar center there (01:41:47:00) o They had gotten a few extra radar controllers but the advance was still making it so that they only had three controllers at a base, although they could not run much of a base with only three controllers (01:42:01:00) Eventually, Pahl got over his jungle rot after about three months; as it turned out, Pahl’s roommate at Kanjikoah was the unit’s surgeon and he wanted to amputate the foot to save Pahl but Pahl said no (01:42:13:00) o He was born with two feet and he wanted to be buried with two feet (01:42:29:00) o To cure the jungle rot, Pahl had to bathe his foot twice a day for fifteen minutes in the strongest disinfectant he could find to kill the fungus (01:42:43:00) o Jungle rot was a serious disease and a lot of men ended up losing limbs because of it; Pahl had trimmed his toe nail to closely and cut himself, which gave him the fungus (01:42:57:00) The men on the base also had trouble with malaria; when the unit first got to India, their malaria rate was one hundred and fourteen percent (01:43:23:00) o Pahl never had malaria which meant that some unlike man got the disease twice (01:43:34:00) o The men developed several ways to combat the disease: before the engineers became too involved in rebuilding the roads, they went around and sprayed for mosquitoes and the malaria rate went down; if the men took their atabrine tablets everyday, it also helped (01:43:40:00) o Some of the men never recovered from the disease and they were sent back to the United States (01:44:24:00) When it got down to three controllers per shift, the men had eight hour shifts plus their extra duties; Pahl served as the supply officer, transportation officer and mess officer at different times (01:44:32:00) o As the mess officer, Pahl hade to make a menu that worked for Hindus, Muslims, and Christians and his quartermaster training came in at this point because he was able to squeeze out some extra items that were not on the menu (01:45:05:00) o They had a mess sergeant who was American but did not speak Hindi; the sergeant wrote out the menu, Pahl translated for the cooks and the Hindus follow it (01:45:48:00) �    Because he spoke Hindi, several other jobs opened up for Pahl (01:46:13:00) o One job involved going to get the rations every day at nine in the morning, including fresh fruits; while he was waiting, Pahl would listen to the conversations of the merchants (01:46:18:00) Pahl was also involved in counter-espionage and he would report to intelligence what the people in the market were saying (01:46:39:00) o For the counter-espionage, Pahl had one other man assigned to help him; he did not know any of the other men involved in counter-espionage in case he was captured (01:47:05:00) o Pahl did not know what the other men were doing until after the war; in any case, he was having fun doing the job (01:47:14:00)  On occasion, Pahl would drop a select piece of information deliberately to offset the enemy intelligence (01:47:33:00)  Saigon Sal and Tokyo Rose would broadcast everyday and tell the soldiers what they were going to do (01:47:46:00) o The mess sergeant that Pahl worked with could not cook but he could forge orders and pick locks and he would help Pahl in his counter-espionage (01:47:57:00)  On occasion, Pahl would remark that they had to get back to the base early to go bomb Mandalay; someone would pick up on the intelligence, take it to the Japanese and soon, the Americans would hear Saigon Sal talking about the mission, although the actual mission was not even near Mandalay (01:48:20:00) o Whatever information Pahl heard, he turned in; for example, the civilians would tip him off to troop movements happening in the area, especially once they got down into Burma (01:49:09:00) When the war ended, Pahl was at Myitkyina (01:49:47:00) o He had managed to get an impacted wisdom tooth which moved him back; once he finished up a Maungmoo, his CO decided that he should go back to Myitkyina where they had a dental unit, the only one in Burma (01:49:53:00) o When Pahl’s CO ordered him back to Myitkyina, there was a supply convoy leaving from Maungmoo to go to Myitkyina, so he order Pahl to lead the convoy (01:50:33:00)  The journey was not easy because it was only a two lane road; about half way to Myitkyina, Pahl’s convoy meet a Chinese convoy that had the side of the road towards the mountain and was playing chicken with Pahl’s convoy (01:50:58:00)  Pahl was in the front jeep and the Chinese were bumping the jeep with their trucks; luckily, Pahl’s driver was good and when he realized what they were doing, Pahl aimed his carbine at the Chinese driver and they did not bother him any more (01:51:34:00)  The Chinese driver did not know it, but the soldiers did not have any ammo with them when they were traveling (01:52:13:00) o Pahl eventually went back to Myitkyina for about six weeks to get his tooth fixed; he could not get the tooth fixed right away (01:52:45:00) Just after he got back to Myitkyina, his unit received orders to reassemble because another radar unit had come to relieve them (01:53:09:00) o They had a unit at Myitkyina, a unit at Maungmoo, and at unit at Kanjikoah (01:53:34:00) o The unit was supposed to get back together and go to China, although the men did not understand what was going on; they received the order to go to China at the end of July 1945 (01:53:43:00) o The men did not realize it, but the Air Force had been building airfields in India and Burma for B-29s that were doing heavy bombing in Burma and Siam (01:53:57:00) �They were equipped to handle the “A”-Bomb so that if the situation on Iwo Jima did not work out, then they could use the bases in Burma (01:54:25:00)  The men did not know about the “A”-bomb until after it had happened (01:54:46:00) Pahl’s unit returned to the United States by ship (01:55:00:00) o It initially took them a few weeks to get from Myitkyina to Kanjikoah to be signed out; all the supplies that the unit was issued had to be accounted for (01:55:04:00) o From Kanjikoah, they went to an airbase in India, where they stayed for a couple of weeks and managed to pick up dysentery (01:55:31:00) o The men eventually sailed on December 10, 1945 from Karachi on the General Ballou, a large hospital ship (01:56:05:00)  The ship had a couple thousand men on it and it went through the Suez Canal and a path that had been cleared through the mine fields (01:56:27:00) o It was a delightful ride back until they reached Gibraltar; once they reached Gibraltar, a massive storm kicked up on the Atlantic, so large that even the aircraft carriers were sent back to port (01:56:45:00)  However, the Scotch captain of the ship wanted to get home, so the ship kept going; they managed at one point to get a hole in the bow, so on one of the quieter days of the storm, they lowered some welders over the side to fix it (01:57:07:00) o The ship arrived in New York on the evening of December 31st and they had to lay on the outside of the harbor; at the time, there was a pilot strike and they could not bring the large ships in without a harbor pilot (01:57:43:00) o On January 1st, the captain steamed into the outer harbor and as part of a tradition, every boat signaled to it as part of the new year (01:58:07:00)  As a result of the signaling, the ship lost all of its steam before it reached the inner harbor, so it had to wait to build up steam; in the end, the captain brought the ship in and docked on Manhattan island by himself (01:58:37:00) o If they had to wait for the strike to end, then bodily harm might have come from the soldiers towards the striking harbor pilots (01:58:55:00) As soon as the men got off of the ship, they were sent to Camp Kilmer in New Jersey and from there, each man was sent to the camp nearest his home, which for Pahl meant Camp Atterbury in Indiana (01:59:25:00) o Pahl’s actual discharge is dated March 12, 1946 when in actuality, he was already home by January; he got home fairly early on, just three days after the ship had docked in New York (01:59:54:00) o When he got home, Pahl discovered that they had on-leave promotions, so he came home a captain, which was the rank he had when he went into the Korean War (02:00:22:00) o   The Korean War (02:00:45:00)  During the Korean War, Pahl was a senior controller and at the time, the military was very concerned that Russia would aid the North Koreans (02:00:45:00) o If Russia did help the North, then the military knew that the Russians had planes that could reach the United States (02:01:01:00) o Pahl was recalled immediately, he did not even have a two-week notice (02:01:14:00)  Because he was a senior controller and former teacher, Pahl was in the 752nd ACNW squadron and was sent to Empire, Michigan, which was twenty-two miles from Traverse City, Michigan (02:01:24:00) �At Empire, he was training radar controllers and units; the military sent them doublestrengthed units, which meant that they were giving both basic training and instruction for radar crews going to Korea (02:01:42:00) Pahl never actually went to Korea, he was just and instructor; during the war, he served a little over twelve months, from 1950 to 1951 (02:01:59:00) o Pahl’s wife was very angry at the time (02:02:18:00) Pahl and his wife married in 1948 and Pahl says that he got his license to fight twice on the same day, July 28th; that date was when he got his officers commission and when he got married (02:02:21:00) o Pahl’s wife disliked the phrase so she made a deal with him (02:02:42:00) o When he was originally recalled, Pahl reported to Selfridge Air Force Base because that was where his unit was formed; after that, the unit was ordered to Empire and they ended up helping to finish constructing the base (02:03:25:00) Pahl and his wife had an argument because Pahl had been in the reserves when he was recalled (02:03:37:00) o Pahl’s wife drank coffee and Pahl did not, he did not like it, so in the middle of August, she meet Pahl at the door with a yellow piece of paper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other and she told Pahl to drink the coffee; Pahl had lost the bet (02:03:55:00) All the officers in the unit were reservists, except the colonel; all the other men were controllers from different parts of the world (02:04:23:00) For the training, Pahl and the other men had to give the trainees basic training; Pahl and the other instructors were all captains and apart from the basic training, they also had to calibrate the radar center (02:04:49:00) o At one point, Pahl was giving some of the enlisted men march orders on the lower level because most the men were not cleared to go to the top level (02:05:47:00) o Finally, Pahl decided he had to do something because he kept hearing some men behind him complaining, so he marched them to the base of a large dune and told them that they were going to run up the hill, he was going to time them, and he was going to lead them (02:06:11:00) o When they got to the top of the hill, Pahl looked at his watch and said that they could do five seconds faster and they were going to march down and do it again (02:06:53:00)  It was barely five years after he was discharged and Pahl was still in top physical shape (02:07:11:00) The communists were very active in trying to find out the capabilities of the radar stations; the Americans had great radar but the communists had no idea what its qualifications were nor how accurate it was (02:07:37:00) o The spies also wanted to learn about the size of the base and the range of the radar (02:08:05:00) o The FBI told the men which bars the spies hung out in and the men eventually found locations where the spies attempted to sneak into the base; the men eventually made daily walks around the perimeter looking for the locations but as far as they know, no one got in (02:08:17:00) o They thought one did because one night, one of the officers was walking home from his duties in winter and as he was walking home half-asleep, a man wearing a fur coat and hat was walking beside him (02:08:51:00)  The officer tried to talk to the man, but the man would not talk back and eventually the man walked into the woods; the officer reported the incident the next day to the colonel and the men went out and looked for tracks (02:09:34:00)  As it turned out, the man had been walking with a bear (02:09:53:00) o       �Post-Military Life (02:10:27:00)  When he got back after World War II, Pahl’s teaching certificate was still valid and he had signed a contract to teach, but at that time, teachers only worked for nine months out of the year and they did odd jobs in the summer (02:10:27:00) o In Pahl’s summer, he worked at a land-title business and at the court house in the register’s office, so he was familiar with land-title work (02:10:46:00)  After the war, Pahl had three months of terminal leave when he did not have to work but one day, the owner of the land-title office came and asked Pahl if he would come down and manage the officer (02:11:00:00) o Pahl originally said no, he was just resting and enjoying it; the owner said that everything was a mess because during the war, they could not get trained help and there was a large backlog (02:11:28:00) o The man said that Pahl had been a captain, which meant that he had some executive ability; Pahl wavered and said that it would be nice to earn a little extra money, but that he had a contract to teach the following September (02:11:57:00)  Pahl was supposed to teach history, which had been his major and was the job he wanted (02:12:25:00) o The man said that he understood but that September was seven months away and Pahl could at least get the office straightened around by then (02:12:51:00) o Pahl finally agreed but said that come September, he was going to leave; when September did come, Pahl’s nerves were in a jangle and he did not want to be in an enclosed classroom with kids because order had disappeared (02:13:06:00) o The man said that he would not hold it against Pahl if he left and maybe he could come down for the summers, but the man said that he would like Pahl to be there all the time and he would give Pahl an option to buy the office in the future (02:13:45:00)  Pahl said that he would give the job a try and he ended up working in the land-title business for sixty-seven years; he was the oldest land-title man still working when he retired in 2005 (02:14:24:00)  Occasionally, they still have to call Pahl because some pieces of information were not put into the computer (02:14:53:00) o At one point a while back, some men were planning to build a jail and they were discussing whether the county actually owned the title to a certain bog; they went to the register-of-deed’s office, which Pahl knew inside and out, and one of the girls called and asked if there was a recorded deed to the courthouse (02:15:03:00) o Pahl said that there was and the girl asked him where she could find it; Pahl told her exactly where to look for the deeds to both the village and the county (02:15:40:00)  The clock on Pahl’s only tells the time in military time (02:16:39:00)  There are certain things that Pahl does that are because of the military; for example, the only time Pahl struck his wife was one time (02:16:50:00) o There is a certain clap of thunder that when it goes off, it sounds exactly like a 109 gun; he and his wife were sleeping one night and the thunder clapped; Pahl sat right up in bed and asked who was shooting (02:17:11:00) o Pahl’s wife sat up, asked what he had said and Pahl hit her with the back of his hand and told her to get down because they were being shelled (02:17:41:00) o There were certain things that reminded Pahl of being in the service (02:17:55:00) o Another time, there was an alarm signal on the fire station that was the exact same as the air raid siren in India and every time they sounded the siren, Pahl would start count: one, �   two, three, four, five, six, “FIRE THE GUN”; after six seconds, they fired a minute gun to warn to civilian population (02:18:03:00) When he had time off, Pahl would go and work occasionally with the AA and it was then that he could hear artillery (02:18:59:00) Another one of his jobs while in India was acting as a liaison between the British Highland unit and Pahl’s unit (02:19:16:00) o At one point, Pahl’s commander, a general, called Pahl in and appointed him to be the American liaison to the British headquarters; Pahl and the British liaison become good friends (02:19:35:00) o The British unit was manning the AA and Pahl and the British liaison would go out and listen to the guns; Pahl got to the point that he could identify the caliber of the gun just by hearing it fire (02:20:35:00) o One time, the Highland unit had received some replacements from the British Military Academy at Sandhurst and one of the new officers was directing men who had been in India for three years on how the build a gun emplacement (02:20:50:00)  After a while, the officer came up to the British liaison and said that he wanted the liaison to court-marshal the gun crew; the liaison officer was skeptical and asked what the gun crew had done (02:21:33:00)  The officer said that he was explaining how to build the gun emplacement when the gun crew’s sergeant stood up and told him to go to hell, which was derogatory to the officer’s rank; the liaison officer thought for minute and told the officer to calm down, he did not have to go (02:22:03:00) Pahl tried to learn as much as he could because he knew that he could never afford to go to all the other locations or that he might not be asked to do certain things again (02:22:36:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PahlJ Title A name given to the resource Pahl, John (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pahl, John Description An account of the resource John Pahl was born in Fennville, Michigan and grew up in Allegan, Michigan. As a teacher during the early parts of World War II, he and his class would follow the war on a map. When the Army drafted him, Pahl received training as a quartermaster. Following graduation, Pahl volunteered for the Air Force, where he received a commission and training as a radar controller. Following his deployment to India, Pahl served as a radar controller for the Tenth Air Force in India and Burma. After the war, Pahl returned to the United States, but the Air Force recalled him during the Korean War. During the Korean War, Pahl trained younger men in how to be radar controllers. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Forces 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 2010-07-09 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/c42990a60e86b7dbe4c108c04c63ad47.m4v fa659475ddcb289600fe23ea8a2316ee https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f56e382575eb4a2579dcb68f799e8216.pdf 72a3ca60a73aaccde475c16f7454ebf0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University All American Girls Professional Baseball League Veterans History Project Interviewee’s Name: Toni Palermo Length of Interview: (01:00:14) Interviewed by: Gordon Olson GVSU Veterans History Project, September 26, 2009, Milwaukee, WI at the All American Girls Professional Baseball League reunion. Transcribed by: Joan Raymer, September 7, 2010 Interviewer: “Let’s start with some easy stuff, just some background, tell me a little bit about your family and where you grew up before professional baseball?” Yes, I grew up in Forest Park, Illinois and my parents were from Italy and I spoke no English when I went to school, so it took some doing. I had a lot of speech practice with speech in college to eradicate all the Italian mispronunciations and accent, but yes our family background was very poor and the other thing that I thought was very interesting—I never had to get permission from my parents to play ball. Today you almost have to have the legal system supporting you, so I thought that was quite interesting. Interviewer: “Did you play ball as a child?” 1:11 Yes, Interviewer: “With brothers and sisters?” No, I just played with the boys all the time; there were no you know. In Forest Park there was a “Parishey Bloomers Girls” professional softball team and they had a farm team and when I was, I think, ten years old my physical education teacher, who was a “Parishey Bloomer Girl” professional, retired, told me to try out for their farm team and then to eventually be on their team and I did and I made it. I was so small and everything that they had a special uniform for me. The others were black and white and they had a blue and gold thing that they could find to fit me, but I was strong and mighty, very strong. Small, but mighty. 1:58 Interviewer: “You looked more like their mascot than one of their players.” I know it, the glove was bigger than I was. Interviewer: “Now Parishey, was that a company?” He owned a construction company and then he owned the professional team. They were thee professional team, they were the champions of all champions. Interviewer: “To be selected that young to be trained for that.” 1 �I practiced, I shagged balls, I was out there all the time and it’s just I learned the game between being with the boys and the Parishey Bloomer girls, I learned the game and I was very fast, which was nice, so that was a big help too. I could shag more than the others 2:43 Interviewer: “As they say, and it’s said over and over in all levels of baseball or other sports, “you can’t teach speed”. If you’re fast--” You can work on it and improve it, yeah I agree. Interviewer: “It’s a great asset. How did you learn about, how did you get involved with the professional baseball league?” Well, they were scouting and they saw me play, I think when I was eleven, and they came up and asked me to go to Cuba to do spring training. I really thought they had—I just thought that they weren’t for real, truly. I was so young and I thought, “why would they want me to go to Cuba?” And to think that I was good enough. I knew I loved it, but I had no concept if I was good, bad or different, I just loved the game. They said they would get tutors for me and this, that and the other and that’s where “Lefty” came from, I didn’t know if you know Alvarez, Lefty Alvarez and Maita, they all came from Cuba. 3:50 I opt not to do it, I don’t know, just because I didn’t believe it and it would have been nice to go and I would have found out that I actually belonged there too. Interviewer: “But they kept watching you.” They kept pursuing me and then Mr. Parishey pursued me when I was thirteen, so I was with them before that in what they called the farm team and then he signed me when I was thirteen, then the league got in touch with me and I got excited about it and on my own at age fourteen, I can’t believe I did this, got off, got onto the El, got off at Canal Street, got on that train, went to South Bend, Indiana, nobody caring anything or babying anybody, got there and then found the ball park you know and I can’t—I think back and then I went to New York and met the team in New York on the flight, got on the plane and I look back at all that and I don’t know how I had courage and not been afraid. 4:53 You had a goal and I guess my goal was to get to the team and that took care of all the problems. Interviewer: “ You had to have some trust in where you were going and the people all around that you were going to make it ok?” Yeah, they gave the directions, here’s how you get there and I just used my brain and on I went. Interviewer: “Did you have a contract at that point?” Not yet, but I—when I went to South Bend, that was a training, and then when I went to, I think I must have signed the contract wither just before or when I got to New York. 5:27 2 �Interviewer: “When you signed there because, there are a couple of things here that are very interesting. The fact that you’re fourteen years old and your parents knew you were doing this.” Yes, but I never asked permission. Interviewer: “You just took off?” No, I think I just said that they wanted me to play and I was going to go. It wasn’t like today you know. It’s so legalistic today, but yeah, and I think that they were happy that I was happy and of course I really sent all my money back home, so I think that made them happy after the fact. 6:06 Interviewer: “How many brothers and sisters in your family?” I had one sister. Interviewer: “Before we abandon this line, what did your father—what was the line of work?” He was a salesman and my mother a stay at home, but he taught collage classes and that, he had a university degree, but he never questioned, he just—he saw that I was skilled and we were poor and he bought me a bike because I said I wanted a bike so I could go riding with the boys, so he bought me a boys bike and things like that. He just kind of supported what I wanted and must have thought I had some kind of skill or talent. 6:51 Interviewer: “And he had confidence that you would find your way to south Bend.” I don’t think that even bothered them and I think because I wasn’t afraid. Interviewer: “What do you recall about the tryout and the training that you did there?” Oh, I loved it, just loved it and again I wasn’t apprehensive. I had confidence and I guess I didn’t realize that they were going to test me out and decide whether to take me or not. I just assumed that I was in. You know, I went there, they were going to take me, and it wasn’t like a question, so I just loved it and they gave tips. For a while there I was being hit all the time, hit in the arm by the pitches and one time I lost my temper and I threw the bat and angry that they’re just killing me and then the coach came up and said, “be angry with yourself, you’re the one stepping into the ball”, he said, “you’re supposed to avoid the pitch”. 7:49 He said, “you’re running right into the ball”, and he told me that you have to hit ahead because if you wait for that pitch and it’s curving it’s going to hit you every time. He said, “I don’t want to see that anger at all again or that temper or whatever it was, you find a way of keeping out of the way of the ball”. That was a good lesson learned. Interviewer: “How many were there at this tryout? It was a tryout and you just didn’t know it.” It was packed all over the field and I don’t recall how many. 3 �Interviewer: “A lot.” Yes, and I know we were at Wrigley Field also. For whatever reason, I remember either working out or trying out there a lot in that Chicago area. 8:35 Interviewer: “Ultimately you’re selected?” Yes Interviewer: “At this point it’s not to play in the all American Girls League. They had another—they had a barnstorming team.” Yes, that’s correct. Interviewer: “Tell me about that.” That was something else and I didn’t know the difference anyhow whatever it was. It was called the touring team and we were to be the P.R. people to like introducing it all over the United States and also kind of finding talent, so in every state that we played there were tryouts. And that’s how Sue Kidd got in, I don’t know if she’s been interviewed, but she was picked up in Arkansas and the caliber—there were a lot of players who had been in the leagues and a few of the teams had broken up or they weren’t making it financially, so they then came on the touring teams, so we had these veterans with us and ourselves. We had--Max Carey came out and he showed me how to initiate a double play like everybody to this day if I were out in the field people are like in awe and it’s beautiful, how to time it, hit the corner of the bad and get off, and people would just awe you know. 9:50 That all came from Max Carey and how to—at first, you know the people who field the grounders, kids are fielding them down here and they don’t reach out and get them, and he said to all of us, “none of you know how to field a grounder”, and evidently we were all doing that and I took offense to that inside and thought, “uh, I’m playing all this time and he’s telling me I don’t know how to field a grounder”, and I never committed errors, but I took it to heart and it made sense to reach out, and I use to say, “reach out and touch someone”, you know, reach out and get it. Then you get to the ball earlier and you have more time to get them and so his help was very helpful and you know, batting, bunting, we practiced in the sand, sliding in the sand, you know sliding in the sand. They would time our bat swing, so you’re up there and they had a flashlight, and they would flash the light and you would swing and the timing of that, so everybody after the league ended, I would play in the summer leagues in Madison, they would say, “oh you have the fastest swing, the fastest swing”, and I thought that all came from the coaching and the training. 11:00 Interviewer: “You’re talking of things that youngsters playing and getting to the majors too quick don’t know. They talk about young people with what they call the long swing and it’s the opposite of what you’re describing. It’s a big looping swing and a good pitcher will take advantage of it, but a short quick swing is not nearly as easy to get the ball past.” Yes, and it’s extending, It’s not just a little thing like this, you really are extending, but it did the job because, see you had more time to adjust the pitches too. If you had a quick 4 �swing, it’s a curve you can reach out, if it’s a fastball you’re not going to be that late on it, where the slower swing people were caught all the time. 11:46 It was an advantage and we had all these coaches and managers that really taught—if you were coachable, and throughout my life I’ve been coachable, and that’s the key. I really love learning. Interviewer: “It’s about attitude.” Yes, attitude. Interviewer: “Now, this is—you were obviously very naturally skilled and what you’re talking about it the first time you were really formally taught the game, so you spent how many years with the barnstorming team?” Two, Two years with the barnstorming team. The interesting thing too is being the P.R. people, every state we had all these parades and we would be on the fire trucks, we would be in the airplanes, we were all over and they would have big bands and we would go into the town. 12:45 We also played Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field, those two places and I was in the dugout with Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto and he let me use his glove and we were on theirs and then the Eagles, no not the Eagles, the Phillies, I think they were called the Phillies, Connie Mack’s team, they were in the other dugout and so we had a lot of plus opportunities. Interviewer: “Who were your opponents?” Each other, we had—it was Chicago Colleens and Springfield Sallies and there was a bonus, whoever won at the end, the most games, got a higher percentage of the money. It was a big incentive. We played against each other and then we rode on the bus together, played against each other and we were tough against each other, but we really respected each other after the fact. 13:34 Interviewer: “Did they come out pretty even at the end of the year?” Yes, The first we won, I was a Chicago Colleen, then the next year I came back as a Chicago Colleen and the teams were unbalanced, we were winning too much, so the coach came up to me and said, “Toni, I don’t want to spoil your game or your rhythm and you’re doing so well, but we need to put you on the other team, on the Springfield Sallyies, so that we can balance it better”. It was just too lopsided, so I agreed to it and It’s interesting because the shortstop on the other team, who I thought was excellent, she had long arms and she could—I thought to myself, I had to run ten steps to her one and she had a beautiful throwing arm, so it was interesting in my mind I thought, “why would—what difference does it make when she’s so good?” I didn’t think that I was that much better, but I got to thinking afterwards, “I have an attitude and a spirit that she didn’t have”. We may have been comparable in skill, I was faster and sometimes when you have these long—but she was excellent, and I got to thinking that I was inspired more because I would just dive for every ball and I had kind of an energy and she was laid back kind of from the south you know. 14:58 That was my assessment because I couldn’t reconcile why I was going to make a difference and it did make a difference. I 5 �think the team got together and we won. We won by two games at the end. Came from way back behind and it was nice, it was nice. Interviewer: “Very satisfying. Did they take then some players from each year from the barnstorming teams up to the--?” Yes, and even during this. They were going to take me the first year and then just as I was about to leave they decided they—not thinking age, decided, “We’ll give her another year”, but at that time, I stole the most bases and I had the highest on base batting average, says the coach to me you know, and I was leadoff batter, so I don’t know, it would have been interesting to see how I would have kind of compared when I got there. 15:55 Were they stronger women because they were they older and more experience? Twice I was supposed to go up and twice it was rescinded and I think basically it was they wanted to give me more age time. Interviewer: “After two years you’re only sixteen or seventeen years old.” Yes, fourteen, fifteen, just going on sixteen, yeah. Interviewer: “Just reaching the point where—“ It’s interesting because they knew I was going to steal and I got to steal every time I got on and I got on a lot because I had a very good eye, so I seldom struck out and I hit with authority. It seemed like when I hit it was a bullet. They weren’t big home runs, but I hit really strong, so they had a hard time handling my ball and then I was fast, so the steal and I said to the coach, “they’re all waiting for me”. I was so tired of sliding and you know they had lye on the bases and lye on the base and I was just raw all the time, hook sliding, hook sliding, and he said, “never mind, never mind”, and the other thing is when I got on first, if there was a hit and run, I had better get to third. 17:03 That was a given, you just don’t stop you just swish and get all the way to third, so there were challenges, you know it was exciting, but heart throbbing. Interviewer: “It sound like you had a coach who was he?” At that time I think it was Lenny, Lenny Lesnick and then Mitch, Mitch was the second year. Interviewer: “It sounds like these were guys whose idea was to take the game to the opposition to push them all the time.” Yeah, you had--a lot with the mind, when you were--say a runner on first, what do you do when the runners on first? Before the ball’s even pitched, what are you saying to yourself? Well, you had to say to yourself, “well, if it’s a fast runner on first, you have to know your pitcher, outside, inside, whatever they normally pitch, so you keep that in mind. If that’s a fast runner, “will there be a double play?” You have to instinctively prepare that if it’s a ball hit fast to you, you have a chance, if it’s a slow roller, you’re not going to get her at second, if she’s a slow runner then you have more options. 18:11 That went through my mind every pitch. I don’t know if the kids do that today, I don’t 6 �know if ball players do that. You had to think every pitch and you had to know your pitcher. I remember one of the older players and she said, “I can’t get over”, and I was telling her where to be on the field, over there, over there, move in, move out and I never thought that I was a little shrimp bossing anybody around or whatever, it just—I was in the game and I would see she was not playing where she should have been and positioned and I would just say—and one time she came over and said, “I can’t get over, how do you know where they’re going to hit?” It was the studying of the pitchers, some pitchers pitch outside a lot, so then obviously they’re not going to zing them right to you, they’re going to skew away from you, so all those things were on my brain and age fourteen and fifteen. 19:05 Well, I’m grateful that God endowed me with a great mind, but you know, it was exciting. Interviewer: “I think I’m getting a clue as to why they moved you to the other team. It had to do, not only with your ability, but what you were going to bring to the other player. You’re right a little bit of a spark plug, but also you were going to set an example.” The coach, Mitch, he said, “Toni came here to play ball”, so evidently, I have a feeling, there were a few slacking a little just because he said, “she’s out there and she came to play ball, and what about the rest of you?” I t was quite a challenge. 19:46 Interviewer: “Once again, attitude. You mentioned a couple of the managers, any other coaches or managers that come to mind that you remember yet?” Yeah, our chaperones were really good, yeah and contrary to the movie, you know how they went out drinking and this and that, we were so protected. I don’t know if anybody went out drinking and I don’t know how they could have, but the example—you had to be setting an example, set an example, you’re out here introducing baseball to people and they have never seen women play and it’s very important our image to them. We had to be ladylike, always in the skirts even though you finish the game and shower and always with the skirts though hardly anyone would see us that hour of the night you know. Everything was important as to how we presented and their image of women in sports or women in baseball. 20:42 Interviewer: “I know that in some cases there were actually classes or a bit of training for the girls on how to comport themselves, even up to how to fix their hair and everything else. Did you encounter any of that?” No, I’m glad—that would have been something, but I think I would have gone with the flow too and would have been part of it. We had to have our hair a little longer, now mine was never long, but they didn’t want us looking masculine. Everything was important to look feminine and still be ball players. Interviewer: “Not always easy.” Once I was out there, who thought of it right? With the little skirt, sliding into the bases, skirts flying up, it must have been quite exciting. 7 �Interviewer: “It sold tickets. Now, I keep thinking of that particular image, sliding into the bases. Now, what did those uniforms look like? You had shorts on underneath and then a skirt, but there was bare skin and the fields you were playing on sometimes had some pebbles and things?” 21:50 Oh yeah, except when we toured and played in the stadiums, which was really nice, we played in the minor league stadiums that was good, but yeah, other places there were pebbles and you really--it’s interesting, you really adjust to the ground like a golfer does. Interviewer: “Go out and groom your area a little bit if there’s stones out there, get them out of there.” Yeah, and you know they said, “there’s no crying in baseball”, but I have to say, we wouldn’t have thought to cry. I never saw a woman cry there ever, but I’m going to tell you, those strawberries and reopening them, because I was on base every night, that was not an easy thing, but it’s interesting, you didn’t think of it until after you slid and “oww”, you could hardly get up, but you took it , you toughened. 22:46 In fact, when I had my knee surgery five weeks ago the doctor said, “you are really tough Toni, you are tough”, and it all carries through from all that time of being—taking pain and learning to take pain, you’re not born taking it. 23:00 Being a strong person and adversity. Interviewer: “You were athletes and if your teammates are dealing with pain, you better too.” There was no complaining, moaning, groaning, and no gossiping. For women, think of all those women together, it could be men too, they could be talkers too, but when I think of it, with the conditions, no air conditioning, you’re on the bus sweltering, clothes hanging in your face drying out, and trying to sleep on the bus, taking turns using one another’s laps as head rests, feet up in the air and then switching off and not being crabby, that’s amazing, and we would play at night, games over, shower, back into the bus all dressed, back into the bus and then we would travel all night, get up at eight. 24:01 Probably come in about 2:00 or 3:00 o’clock in the morning and get up at 8:00 and we were practicing on the field until noon. And practicing, running the bases, let me tell you, they stood on the base path, you know were you make the cut, well, God help you if you—they were there and they weren’t going to move and you learned to make that cut. Interviewer: “Hit the inside of the base and cross over.” That’s right, and they stood there, they stood there protecting themselves, but you would get the worst end of it and that was all before the game. You did that until noon and then we had a little respite time, get dressed and off to the game and when we had double headers it was nice because you had an extra night to stay, you know to stay. We traveled sometimes—the bus all the time and then trains. We went to Canada that was by train then back to the U.S. We were in thirty-three states in the summer the whole time and then I would go off to high school and come back. 25:03 8 �Interviewer: ‘Very few days off I would think.” Only when it rained, it was wonderful in Florida; it loves to rain, and pour, pour, pour then we would have that day off. It was nice because you had a little rest. Interviewer: “Did you ever play, like a local team or even a men’s team as an exhibition?” No, I think they were trying to do a men’s team, but I don’t think—they wouldn’t have women’s teams at that level, so it would be men, but that seemed to fall through. 25:45 Interviewer: “No men’s team wanted to get beat.” That could be, yeah. Interviewer: “How about some of the opposition, are there specific players that stand out that you either respected or didn’t like in some cases for their attitude toward the game?” I think the interesting thing is , I was, I don’t know about the others, I was so involved in the game that I didn’t have a problem—I didn’t see like imperfections or if they didn’t have a good attitude or this, that, or the other thing, because on my team they seemed to—when the coach said to them, ”Toni’s here to play ball and she has a great attitude”, I didn’t spot them as not having a good attitude and I think he was thinking at a deeper level, they didn’t have that extra that you need to win. There was this one that I didn’t like and I dearly love today, but I think I was a jealous little kid, I truly do, and it wasn’t anything to do with the game itself, she just was more outspoken and kind of so self assured and I thought she was cocky and you know, you’re raised to be kind of simple and humble and I just didn’t like that in her. 27:02 She reminded me one time and she said, “you got mad at me”. I use to set her hair, I use to set everybody’s hair, I was like a little cosmetologist, cut hair and set them, I just taught myself and one time I was so angry with her I wouldn’t set her hair and she told me that, reminded me. Interviewer: “I think I know who that was.” You’d like her. She’s brilliant and really, I look back and I know it was a jealousy of— she was do self assured and what I thought was cocky was not and to this day she’s creative and out there doing things. Interviewer: “Did you ever set her hair again?” Oh yes, the day after, the day after, but I don’t know if there were people that didn’t like one another because you didn’t feel it in tensions or the like. 27:54 More respect and very close to one another, it’s amazing on both teams. Interviewer: “How about the fans, what’s your recollection of the fans?” 9 �Oh, they were wonderful, they were wonderful, they were concerned sometimes—there was a boy that liked me and he followed to different towns. Oh my little heart, and he held my hand one time and then the bus driver said, “you better watch your step Toni the ones that are here and fly out, that are here today and then gone tomorrow”, and I didn’t know what he was talking about. I was so innocent and I was just ignorant of anything and I was just so flattered that he liked me. They kind of had to watch that because you know we were young and they were followers of that. I just remember that incident and he kind of followed, followed, followed and then would write to the hotel and things like that. 28:57 But he was a nice kid and he wasn’t aggressive, but I think of this of our bus driver, I was so lean and tiny and he would say, “tiny little waistline you have there Toni, tiny little waistline”, and I often think today Oh Harold you should see me now. It’s better now, but when I was injured I—you do gain once in a while. Interviewer: “They do follow the game and they do follow the players and they do want to get close to the players.” Yeah, the fans really, really liked us and I think they were in awe because before the game they would announce us and our ages and I think it just kind of floored them you know that most of us—like half were—I was probably—two of us were fourteen I think and the rest were older, but it was still relatively young if they were up to twenty and then the older ball players that had been in the league and back and forth were older, twentyfive or whatever. 30:00 The fans were impressed and, I think, very, very floored that we were as good as we were. We were very tough out there, I mean cleats and all, I mean the game was played tough. I think they saw that and we didn’t throw like little girls or whatever they say, in fact they filmed my throw at the University of Wisconsin and I had one of the fastest women’s throw and that’s after the league. I still have that little film. Interviewer: “I have to tell you, I played on a co-ed team at one point and one of the best shortstops I ever played with was a young woman an incredible thrower and exceptionally good fielder, so you learn to respect after you watch and see how well they can play and that’s what your fans were seeing as well.” 30:50 Yeah, they did and I think they were just floored. They came out of curiosity and they went away—we had just a lot of positive feedback in the newspapers and then more fans came, they seemed to tell other towns, we had big crowds and they came. Interviewer: “Did you have thousands?” I’m not sure, I just know it was filled, so I don’t know what the capacity was and I noticed to in the south, I was so ignorant, I grew up with a father who had such equal respect for people and so we had—when my mother died we had a woman named Queenie and she took care of us and we loved her, we loved her like our own mother and she was African, so I’m in the south now and I went and sat, god forbid, on the bus I don’t remember if they sat in the back, probably, and I went to sit in the back. Immediately the bus driver stops the bus and said, “you have to come up here”, and I didn’t. I did not budge, I just thought it was not right in my heart and finally he just 10 �moved the bus and I sat there and moved on. 32:01 That bothered me and the other thing that bothered me, and I can see how prejudice is learned, the drinking fountains— there was one for the whites and one for the and I don’t know if at that time they were called Negroes, but it made you think that they had some disease or something and that really bothered me because it was like teaching something that was very foreign to me, so that’s what I noticed in the south. I also notice that we had no black players either. Interviewer: “I was going to ask you about that?” I didn’t see the tryouts, but obviously there were some excellent players around and I think it was just not open. Interviewer: “As far as I know the league never had any African American women players. It’s interesting to me because this is just at the time that Jackie Robinson is breaking the major league color line for the first time.” 32.57 He came right after— Interviewer: “forty-seven he came.” Yeah ok and I was in forty-nine, all right. Yeah see, that should have helped, but not women probably and it wasn’t easy for him, you read those stories and you know, nobody liking him and the fans, but that hit me, that really struck me. If you come from the north and I was raised so respectful, I just had so much love in my heart, I went to a school that was all white, Negro’s weren’t allowed in the grade school, but in my high school there were. I remember giving a picture, my picture, to one of the black men and oh, the repercussion, all my friends would come up to me and say, ”do you realize he’s going to show it to all his friends and they’re going to thing you’re boy friend and girl friend”, and blah, blah blah, so those things were eye openers and I’m glad that I had my positive experience because maybe I stood for something in the south at that one bus thing and once in the hotel too. 34:10 I remember taking some of my money and giving money to the maid that was there because I appreciated what she did and those things bothered me. Interviewer: “It was a time when the United States was going through a transition and it was not going to be an easy one we know that and we’re still grappling with the issue, quite frankly to this day.” Yeah, yeah Interviewer: “Two years in the instructional league we’ll call it, or better the barnstorming.” No, no, instructional in a sense that they had that throughout the league. No, I think we were sent there on a mission, a P.R. promotion, introducing it and they were selective. It wasn’t just little nobodies, it was the cream of the crop of players and you had to be chosen for that. The ones from the league, where they disbanded and that, they brought special people there that would be an example and were excellent players, so it wasn’t 11 �minor. 35:10 I think we could have played against anybody in the leagues at south and given them a run for their money. Interviewer: “You never got a chance to play against any of the other teams?” No, no Interviewer: “That would have been fun. Two years and you decided--at this time you’re just about ready to graduate from high school?” Yes, then Parishey Bloomer Girls were knocking on the door again, so I went to play with them and then I was on several professional softball teams I remember at the time. I don’t know if one was named the Chicks or what, but they were trying to build, they were trying to build their teams, so they asked Mr. Parishey if I could go on loan because they needed to build more players, so I did that and then I was called, South Bend wanted me, I think to play with South Bend. I think it was a team that had won one of the championships and I don’t know if it was the South Bend Blue Sox or whatever, but it was in South Bend. 36:13 At the time, I went for spring training and I was going at it and I was going to enter the convent that September. Interviewer: “You had made that decision already?” Oh yeah, I had made that decision two years prior to that, but I was wanting to help my father financially and do things, so I waited and did my thing and anyhow, while I was playing out there it was like a haunting feeling that if I stayed I was not going to enter because I had such a love for that game. All of a sudden out of the clear blue sky, I was tormented, I was tortured there, I decided that I had to go home because if I stayed I never would have left baseball. I didn’t know it was on its way out in the next two years after that or one year really. I feel I signed a contract, but I at least was close or had signed it and informed them that I had to go because I was afraid I would not enter the convent and I made a commitment and that’s one thing I think I learned young on, when you’re in sports, if you’re truly involved and committed, your word is your bond. 37:21 You don’t mess around, if you say you’re going to do something you do it. I said, “I’m doing it and I felt I needed to keep my word and I didn’t think I could if I stayed on because my heart was—I ate, slept and drank baseball. Interviewer: “You had two loves and they weren’t compatible.” Yeah, they wouldn’t have been at that time, so then I entered the convent. Interviewer: “Where?” Right in Milwaukee, St. Joseph’s Convent and I’m in fifty-five years now believe it or not. Interviewer: “And along the way you picked up additional education, additional degrees.” 12 �I got a degree from Alverno College in English, history, math and education, minor with math; they kind of mixed that in. That arose out of need, I was supposed to be a high school teacher, so that was the English, history, and math. 38.13 Then there was a shortage of elementary, first grade, so they sent me back to get the educational for primary and I was sent to first grade instead of high school and spent six years doing that. Then I went on, I wanted to do physical ed and finally they allowed me to do summer school physical ed. I was going to get a doctorate in physical ed and back tracked on that and completed a masters in that and then completed a doctorate in six departments and meanwhile I got the masters, the doctorate and another masters and got all three almost simultaneously. 38:57 That comes too in baseball, not only did I have intelligence, but I had—they said they couldn’t keep up with my energy, so you really had work ethic, so I completed three things, I did the two masters, I did my prelims for my PhD, and three chapters, all kind of together and the professor said I had too much energy and too much blah, blah, or something for them to keep up with me, but they were happy to have me. 39:25 From there I completed a masters in psychiatric social work and mental health and ended up with three masters, the doctorate, the bachelors, and I could have had four masters, but I decided not to do it because If I had to take another test it would have been comps again, but I still might do that one. What I really want to do is study law and help the cause, save the poor. Interviewer: “I have a feeling you’ll do it.” 39:52 Yeah, I will Interviewer: “Now, for you’re your PhD you went to the University of Wisconsin?” Yes, the three masters and the PhD all from Wisconsin and I also taught there. I taught there for four years. Interviewer: “Did you—what was your involvement in sports during this time? Did you stay involved in some way, coaching or playing at some point?” Yes, in Madison they had all these leagues and I was in the league called the Major Major, so I played in that and what was interesting, there were two all American professional ball players that had been observing and they had to choose, they had to choose one player for recognition and I forgot, it was an all Madison bla, bla, bla and it was quite an honor and these two, Rusty was one of their names, and they chose me, which was interesting because they didn’t know I had played. 40:51 They saw my playing ability and then was honored and the Mayor was there and all the politicians played, we had two teams, and I got to play out there and was helping them with how to bat, some of them. Those things happened in Madison and I played every year and then I was in a serious car accident and I was a passenger. While rehabbing, for three years my back was in a brace and I had no use of this right leg, all of a sudden this tennis coach from China came up to me and said, “Toni, Toni, I teach you tennis”, and I said, “Oh, Mr. Chung”, and I was still in my brace you know, “I can’t” and he said, “Oh, no, no, no, I teach you tennis”, and I picked it up and I was so good at it that—I tried taking beginning classes and they kept putting me in advanced classes and what it was, was my hand eye coordination and I was very fast. 41:43 I just could outrun anything. 13 �Technically I didn’t think I was that great, but I would enter all kinds of tournaments and I would end up winning some of them, I mean I beat some number one people that were so skilled and so beautiful, they would hit the ball and pose and while they’re posing I’m running like some maniac hacking away keeping the ball in play. Anyhow, I got to love tennis and then I worked so hard at it and ended up being ranked in the state, 2nd in singles, 2nd in doubles, and 3rd in singles also, thought the years. Then I played national tennis tournaments and loved it, loved it, loved it and I never got ranked nationally because, even like Billie Jean King the retired pros enter that, so I played some of the pros that had been at Wimbledon and that and I can still see myself, I said, “Toni you have the reputation, your job is to wait, they would always say “good wheels, good wheels Toni”, your job is to be the retriever, the Golden Retriever, for all the balls they hit and to build them up”, anyhow they knew I was out there. 42:57 Interviewer: “If there’s anything another player hates, it’s the opponent that won’t give up.” That’s right, that’s true and one time the man observing and he said, my deportment was exemplary, he said anyone else would have run off the tennis court. I playing the number one seed and said, “you would have thought she was losing”, my attitude was so—I mean I was out there and if she lost a point to me, I hardly won a point I kid you not, if she lost a point she was devastated and here I was this happy little thing—people walking by, they thought I was winning half the time and here—I learned something, she was so miserable after the thing was over I said, “maybe you ought to think about not playing tennis for a while”, because she was just an unhappy person. Yeah, people couldn’t tell if I was winning or losing, but I never gave up. 43:55 Interviewer: “While you’re doing all this, getting your degrees, continuing to play softball, playing other sports, people didn’t know that you had been a professional baseball player at one point. Was it the movie that changed the recognition?” It was after the movie. Interviewer: “the movie we’re talking about is “A League of Their Own”.” “A League of Their Own”, and I did not see the movie until in the year 2000. I didn’t even know it existed. Like you said, “what had I done?” I was busy like really teaching a lot of children, helping anywhere I could help, in all kinds of things, sports, everything and also, did a lot with the poor, conducted workshops all over the country, I was flying all over the place giving talks and this and that, so I didn’t keep up with watching TV or anything and one day I’m watching this TV and I see this movie and I hear them singing our song and I thought, “my God that’s our group”, and I recognized some of the people, our players, at the end who were in the movie. 44:58 That was my first inkling of it and that was like in 2000 and they hadn’t found me, they didn’t know where I was. Interviewer: “Your name was different, you were a Sister.” 14 �Yes, Toni Ann Palermo and Sister—I think those who knew I entered probably thought that I could never come out and you know, come to anything and that I was gone forever Interviewer: “Incarceration” Yeah, so that first experience was, I think it might be seven years now that I was really found, found, but I forgot, was there a part of a question that I missed? Interviewer: “I’m asking, and you’re talking about it, that the movie end up changing your life thereafter. Once you were found.” Yes, all of a sudden one time on television, I saw this Mary O’Meara. Mary O’Meara was Mary Froning, who was a ball player on the, I think, the Blue Sox, a South Bend team, and she was in Madison and I was in Madison. 45.14 I played on her co-ed team and she had about seven or eight children, so that comprised her co-ed team, plus Mary, plus myself. I think there were nine or ten plus her husband and that was the team. I recognized her in tournaments, she was not on the same team I was on, in fact she was in a lower league. I don’t know how she managed to be down there, but she was in a lower league. We played against her and I recognized how smart she was out there and we just took to each other, but never, never sharing that we had played, so I played on her co-ed team, I taught her some tennis, she got involved in tennis and years go by. One day at church she sees me, Rockford was having a mini-reunion, she seed me and said,” Toni have you ever played professional ball?” I said, “yes”, and she said, “well, they’re looking for you”, and I said, “oh”. All those years we knew each other and she was going to all these reunions and never said a word because she didn’t connect it. 47:04 Interviewer: “Never put it all together.” Excuse me for scratching my nose, but that’s how and once they found me—so that’s how and I’m so grateful to be here with you and this beautiful group and have this privilege. Interviewer: “You get, I’m sure you get invitations now to speak?” Yeah Interviewer: “And a chance to teach?” Yes, yes and Jackie Baumgart and I were just honored at Alverno College because she graduated from Alverno and I graduated from Alverno and we were both in A League of Their Own or The American Girls Professional League and it was a sports orientation or fundraiser and we were honored and it was just about maybe a month ago or two months ago. Interviewer: “Do you get requests for autographs or stuff in the mail?” Oh, signing all the time, yes a lot. People are in awe, which it really touches you because it’s I don’t know, I’m humbled by it. I’m really humbled by it because it touches my heart that they think enough to want our autographs at something that we love so and we 15 �were privileged to do. 48:09 I grew up where women didn’t have the opportunities. However, in Forest Park, Chicago we had more opportunities than all these other states. Wisconsin was way behind, so I never felt the stigma that I was a girl and couldn’t do this and couldn’t do that. I was at every sport possible and anything I did I always succeeded. Swimming, number three in the state and half drowning some of the time you know, I was in everything and that’s because we had no limitations set on us and we were privileged, but other places were not. 48:52 Interviewer: “Women had a lot of limitations, that’s for sure. As you look now from the time you began as a professional athlete and you have a chance now to see the changes that have gone on in sports and in women professional athletes, do have some thoughts that you would like to share with us on what’s happened and where we are today?” Yeah, I’m in awe at the quality, the quality of, say in all sports, with the women. In awe with it, because when I came up to Wisconsin I was shocked at the level, it was so bad. I would go to the women’s basketball and it was so bad. I played before the Harlem Globe Trotters, that’s how good we were. We had the same teams that were during the summer, we played basketball and men’s rules at that time was, and girls rules were half court, and we played men’s rules and we played in front of all these crowds before the Harlem Globe Trotters. 49:57 Interviewer: “So you were a traveling basketball team?” Yeah, and we were quality you know, nothing bad. But I came up here and I would go to the games and I could hardly take it, it was bad, they shot poorly, they didn’t have that technique, nothing was there, and I have watched them through the years. I am in awe; I mean they are skilled today. I came up in 1970 and then 1970 to 1980 it wasn’t good and yet I could see them improving, improving and I see the volleyball the same, the basketball, softball, it is outstanding, I mean they are excellent and tough. I watch all the time, I watch all the top teams, Tennessee and all and UConn and the women, the level you know and I am really—I—they wouldn’t be there, something was lifted for them you know. 50:56 Interviewer: “I’m going to ask you the question I’ve asked others and you’re kind of leading into it, it is this. At the time, did you have an awareness that you were pioneering as a feminist in a sense, or a female athlete and now that you have a chance to look back, do you see that you were?” I don’t know how many thought that because we were put into it, we were focused and we loved it and we were so happy to be doing it that I don’t—maybe those that did not have as much as I did in Forest Park, I had no limitations, they maybe felt like they were pioneering, I did not think I was pioneering because I always did it, but as I look back now it absolutely opened doors and I think and the movie, even though it was 1992, it should have come a lot sooner to help some of the causes and I think it helped men to. 51:56 It helped young men, I think, believe in themselves and do more than they have 16 �ever done and help those that were skilled enough to get to a higher level. Now I see us as pioneers and definitely inspired some people. I get letters from young women and it’s touching, it’s touching and then when I meet someone and I’m signing up and it’s a little thirteen year old and say, “you know I was playing professional softball when I was thirteen. Now, I’m going to put a challenge to you bla, bla, bla,”, because let them see, let them hear--here’s this little person, tiny little thing and they’re coming and I was playing ball and I was getting at one time $75.00 a week, that was big-time. Interviewer: “At that time it was good money and you sent most of that home?” Oh yeah, and the coach, Norma Whitney and I, she was the second baseman and I was shortstop, she and I were, and I don’t know if there were others, but we would send our monies home and the coach said, “you know Toni I have to tell you, while you’re eating hot dogs and burgers, all the others are eating steaks and why aren’t you spending money on yourself?” 53.09 First of all I grew up with the mentality of poverty, so I didn’t think I was starving and it was important for me to send that home. My mother had died, my father was so distraught, and I just—it was not an issue. Yes, that was big money, seventy-five a week for a little fourteen, fifteen year old was very respectable. All and all the experience in the league and what it did for us personally, also, the women that you see here, they’re tough cookies you know, so they had that mentality. A lot of them went into professions, they were teachers, many of them were teachers, so can you imagine what people all got? 53:56 I had that same mentality, never do things by halves, not to be a quitter. There’s nothing like winning, I know they all say “put your guts into it “, but if you have been in sports there is nothing like winning, I’m telling you. Like you play three sets in tennis, killing yourself and then they say, ”well you got to the finals and went three sets”, but I’ll tell you, losing as opposed to winning, there’s nothing like winning that and I use to say, “why not, why not be able to win it?” What I did learn is, in softball too when I was coaching that, don’t say, “oh, if I can only get a hit”, I said say, “I’m going four for four tonight”, you know, shoot high. If you go four for four mentally, you might get three hits, but if you say, “if I only get one hit”, you’re lucky if you get a hit and that’s the same way—you know they say in tennis and in other sports, people, play not to lose, play to win, and when you play not to lose it’s a different game. 55:05 It’s too careful, and I remember, I was in this tennis tournament and I was winning, 5-2 and I only had two more sets to go and I remember saying, “Toni, only two more, one at a time, only two more”, and I lost 7-5 because I altered my game. I played not to lose and I thought just play one at a time and no, I had to have that same drive, that same intensity. What it teaches you in life, and it’s really interesting to me, is you have to maintain that intensity. If you watch football games and that, they can’t go four quarters, they fade out in the fourth quarter, so the name of the game is, you have to consistently hold it. I remember one time a ref was watching me play tennis and I was out against the number one player in a big national tournament and running my behinder off and I remember so distinctly that I wanted a point and it was spectacular, bam, bam, bam, and I won the point and then afterwards the referee said, “Toni, you know what? You have the ability to really be a winner in this, but what happens, you don’t consistently play every point the way you played that one point”. 56:26 So, I play that one point and maybe lose the next three and then zoom in there, so it teaches you 17 �discipline, and it really is a lost art today. The discipline of keeping going, keeping going, not settling for less and not giving in to that, you know, that’s life. All those principles that—you know life is not easy, right? Basically if you have the attitude and you have the consistency of discipline, life is a lot easier and you can take the bumps and you can kind of take the hard things and survive them and you move on, you move on. 57:02 Say, “I’ve been given this much time in life and I’m not going to let it drain me”, we move on. Interviewer: “I was just thinking, as an athlete, as someone who did succeed, you can say that to others and they will listen and in that sense the league helped you, it gave you credentials that you could use.” Yes, yes, that’s well said. It gave me the credentials and gave this belief that we are special and it’s imparted to the people, so we are recipients of that wonderful, wonderful gift that people have given to us. Interviewer: “And then you can pass it on.” I can pass it on. Interviewer: “Now, I think I have run out of questions, do any of the rest of you have thoughts or areas we should cover?” We want to give a standing ovation, clap, clap, and clap. Interviewer: “A wonderful job, a tremendous job.” I feel so privileged that I got to do this, really. 58:11 Interviewer: “I thought of one thing, I haven’t asked anybody about the umpires. Do you have some thoughts on umpiring?” Oh, let me think a minute. Of course you’re never too happy with umpping. Interviewer: “Who were the umpires?” They were always from the minor leagues. Interviewer: “The umpires traveled with you?” No, they were there. Interviewer: “They were from the neighborhood?” Yeah, I don’t think at that time—we were so disciplined at keeping your mouth shut that we didn’t—you know the chaperones could do the arguing, but I do remember one time they called a—I thought it was a balk, so I’m hollering balk, balk and thinking I should be awarded second base and meanwhile at the fourth they called me out because they’re tagging me out and I’m calling bla, bla, bla, I was so upset and that was the one and only time and I really argued. 59:00 I really had an I and I just knew and I called it. Well, you can’t call it the ump has to call it, so while I’m calling it their tagging me out and I’m 18 �just not about to move because they were in the wrong and there wasn’t a lot of arguing, I think because we were just like a—I was thinking, Jackie Robinson, he was told to zip it and we were told like that too because people would not have liked us if we were combative. I think they would have liked a spirit of maybe once and a while, but it’s a good question. Interviewer: “I’ve seen a couple pictures-- there where a couple at the league level that went after the umpires pretty good.” Yeah, and I believe they did. I think we just had to for the P.R. Interviewer: “You were ambassadors.” 60:00 Ambassadors, yeah, truly Interviewer: “Ok” Think of us highly now. Interviewer: “I will never say instructional again.” Never again and thank you so much Interviewer: “Thank you” 19 �20 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Interviews Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was started by Philip Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, during World War II to fill the void left by the departure of most of the best male baseball players for military service. Players were recruited from across the country, and the league was successful enough to be able to continue on after the war. The league had teams based in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and operated between 1943 and 1954. The 1954 season ended with only the Fort Wayne, South Bend, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Rockford teams remaining. The League gave over 600 women athletes the opportunity to play professional baseball. Many of the players went on to successful careers, and the league itself provided an important precedent for later efforts to promote women's sports. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/484">All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, (RHC-58)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Sports for women World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American All-American Girls Professional Baseball League--Personal narratives Oral history Baseball players--Minnesota Baseball players--Indiana Baseball players--Wisconsin Baseball players--Michigan Baseball players--Illinois Baseball for women--United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-58 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-10-02 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) 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-58_TPalermo Title A name given to the resource Palermo, Toni (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Palermo, Toni Description An account of the resource Toni Palermo was born and grew up in Forest Park, Illinois. When she was ten, her P.E. teacher encouraged her to try out for a professional softball league in Chicago. She played for a farm team until she turned fourteen when she joined the professional team. She was recruited into the All American Girls Professional Baseball League shortly afterward, and played two years with their barnstorming teams, the Chicago Colleens and the Springfield Sallies. Over the next several years she alternated between playing on AAGPBL teams and a Chicago softball team. She played shortstop throughout her career. She went on to become a nun as well as a teacher, and remained active in competitive sports. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Olson, Gordon (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings All-American Girls Professional Baseball League--Personal narratives Baseball for women--United States Baseball Sports for women World War, 1939-1945 Baseball players--Illinois Women 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 2009-09-26 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/484">All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, (RHC-55)</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/5da76090163deecf8c2d83d698d0be95.mp4 555850c3d945b8dbceefa674b40406cf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d94419efba90b7ab0b1f90dac4d6b40c.pdf 84897d45463a877fd018e8aafc44500f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Donnally Palmer World War II 1 hour 46 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on June 6, 1918 in South Dakota -Lived there until he was ten years old -His father was a rancher -Had to change jobs when drought hit the area -Family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and his father got a manufacturing job -Eventually got assigned to Grand Rapids, Michigan -His father had work throughout the Great Depression -Things went well until the mid-1930s -Eventually went to work in a factory and own a farm on the edge of Grand Rapids -He was thirteen when his family moved to Grand Rapids -Graduated from high school in 1936 -Worked at Grand Rapids Metalcraft for three years before getting drafted -He worked in the paint department then was promoted to engineering -He was doing drafting and design -Learned how to do this on his own (00:03:08) Getting Drafted and Basic Training -He received his draft notice in 1941 prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor -He had paid attention to the news about the war in Europe -He didn’t think about the war, just thought about doing service to his country -He was sent to Camp Roberts by train -He was originally placed in the intelligence unit -He had been screened and tested and was selected to go into intelligence -His training for intelligence gathering was done at night -Learning how to work undercover behind enemy lines -He received some of the basic discipline training and rifle training -Training lasted thirteen weeks (00:06:44) Start of the War and Transfer to Signal Corps -Pearl Harbor happened after basic training was completed -He was placed on a train and was sent to Camp Haan, California -He was transferred to the Signal Corps -He was made the company clerk at first and didn’t enjoy that -Was assigned to be the corporal in charge of supplies -His unit became the 582nd Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion near the end of the war -He was in the Headquarters Company -His job was to make sure that everyone was supplied (00:09:35) Deployment Pt. 1 -From Camp Haan they were sent to Tampa, Florida -Continued supply operations there �-Taken by trucks to a warehouse -Believes that some material was being sent home to soldiers’ families -Understood that because people were still suffering from the Depression (00:10:38) Downtime in the United States -He got to see Los Angeles and visit his aunt and uncle while in California -He didn’t get much downtime when he was in Florida (00:11:40) Organization of the Unit -By the time they got overseas they had full companies with clear duties -Wire company, HQ Company, plotting company, and a radar company -Job was to help guide planes and assist in communication -Did this by coordinating information with the Army Air Force -They developed this duty after they went overseas (00:12:46) Deployment Pt. 2 -Some of their equipment was lost at sea -When they got to England they were attached to a British company -He was impressed by the British troops -They left the United States in September 1942 out of Tampa -Sailed to Ireland, then to England -Stayed on the English Isles for three weeks -Sailed aboard the Queen Mary -The voyage was rough -They sailed alone until they reached Greenland -At that point four escort ships joined them -After the ships joined them there was a collision with the HMS Curacao -The ship sank and 239 men were lost at sea -A lot of men got seasick (00:15:43) Stationed in England -There were blackouts every night while they were in England -They bivouacked in Ireland and England -They were equipped with light clothing, heavy clothing, and impregnated clothing -Impregnated clothing: specialized clothing in the event of a gas attack -Had to wear this type of clothing during the invasion of North Africa -They were stationed in the countryside of Ireland and England (00:17:56) Invasion of North Africa -Boarded the Batory (a Polish ship) -Stayed on it for forty days sailing towards North Africa -They were fed mutton, bread, butter, and marmalade -He was assigned to an actual room aboard the ship because he was a supply sergeant -He had signed up for Officer’s Training in the States -Didn’t receive the approval letter until he was sailing towards North Africa -Landed at Oran, Algeria at night in November 1942 -Passed through the Straits of Gibraltar -Had a few U-Boat scares on the way to North Africa -They landed at Oran a few days after the invasion had begun -There were still snipers in the area that posed a threat to them �(00:20:49) Stationed in Algeria -From Oran they traveled to a nearby airport -He didn’t see any of the Vichy French forces -A friend of his accidentally killed a French pedestrian and was arrested by the French -He was placed in a prison run by the Vichy French -He was in squalid conditions, looked like an animal in a cage -By now they were guiding back ships that were damaged to the port -German aircraft were strafing their positions -They were living in tents and make-shift shelters -The nights were cold -Stayed in Oran for a couple months (00:24:47) Advancing across North Africa -They moved forward, and then had to fall back in February 1943 -This was because of the German offensive at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia -He had finally gotten to meet his commanding officer while he was in Oran -From Oran they had moved to Tebessa, Algeria -As they advanced they had to wait for the majority of the supplies to catch up with them -The radar was mounted on trucks and could advance with them -Even in 1942/1943 there was a sense that the Allies would win the war -The question was just how long it would actually take to reach victory -They weren’t taking many casualties at this time -During his time in Africa he encountered Arabs -They had been treated like second class citizens under the French -They were friendly and regularly traded with the Americans -His unit was moved around as needed -From Tebessa they moved to Bizerte, Tunisia near Carthage -This would become the staging area for their next invasion (00:30:54) Invasion of Sicily -The next step was the invasion of Sicily -He prepared his jeep for driving underwater -Thought that he would have to drive from the landing craft to the beachhead -Had to wait another day after the invasion before going ashore -The Germans tried to repel the invasion by strafing and bombing the beachhead -The Allies and the Germans were exchanging artillery fire when he landed -He was only about ½ mile from the frontline (00:32:37) Stationed in Sicily -Established operations radar and communication -They were beginning to take casualties, but not many -He had a few close calls while in Sicily -He and a friend had confiscated some German cots to sleep in -That night a bomb landed close to them -During the advance tanks were moving towards the front -At one point tanks rolled by him and missed him by only a few feet -They followed units as they advanced -They were following the 7th Army, and possibly the 1st Infantry Division -He remembers seeing Patton’s tank and saluting it �-It was mountainous and hilly, but there were few signs of damage from the war -The Sicilians were happy to see them -Slept in tents and foxholes -He saw Mount Etna -He remembers hearing a BBC broadcast that Italy surrendered and troops were celebrating -There were no celebrations that he knew of (00:37:32) Invasion of Italy -Despite Italy surrendering there were still large numbers of Germans resisting the invasion -At Salerno, German tanks were advancing toward his position -All he had to defend his position was a Thompson submachine gun -Fortunately the tanks never came -The Germans were bombing the Allied ships during the invasion of Italy -He landed within a day or two of the initial invasion -The German aircraft were still strafing and bombing the area -Job was to get communications established -It took three weeks for the fighting to stop near the beachhead (00:39:53) Stationed in Italy -Eventually the British linked up with them and helped advance towards Rome -He was set up in a schoolyard -There was a period when they weren’t advancing too much -Coordinating with air units to plot movements and targets -During the invasion some of their wire was lost -He later found a warehouse full of wire and reported it back to his colonel -Given a truck and told to collect the wire and had to do this at night -Also had to do this while tanks were fighting in the area -He stayed in the schoolyard through the winter of 1943 -One of his lieutenants was dating an Italian girl from a nearby town -The Italians seemed grateful that the Americans had driven out the Germans -He didn’t see any problems with black market trading -Got close to the Cassino Line near Monte Cassino -His duties remained the same -Heard the news of the invasion at Anzio -The battalion was supporting the entire 5th Army -By the end of May/early June 1944 the German line was broken and Rome was liberated -Rome was liberated on June 4, 1944 -He got to see the Coliseum and the Vatican (00:49:10) Invasion of Southern France and Returning Home -He was allowed an R&R at the island of Capri for one week -He participated in the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 -It was an easy invasion and there was very little resistance from the Germans -By his time in Europe ended he was near the German border -In the fall of 1944 he was sent back to the United States for Stateside duty (00:51:57) Loss of Position -During his time in Sicily he got sick and was eventually placed in a medical tent in Italy -He lost his command because a subordinate sergeant usurped his authority -Became the supply sergeant instead of Donnally �-His commanding officer was not aware of the insubordination -This sergeant was new, but the rest of the men were good (00:54:34) Serving in the United States -There wasn’t much fighting in France while he was there -He was picked to go home because he had enough “points” to leave Europe -He was placed on a ship and taken back to the United States -Remembers seeing the Statue of Liberty -Still moves him to tears to think about that moment -His job was to start Supply Schools around the United States for the Army -He kept getting moved without ever getting a chance to accomplish his task -He had gotten married while he was in the Army -Wife was able to stay with him in Geneva, Nebraska when he was stationed there -He was stationed in Geneva, Nebraska; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; other parts of the country -Wasn’t concerned about getting sent to Japan or the Pacific Theatre -Spent most of his time in Geneva in charge of supplies -While living in Geneva he and his wife lived with four other Army couples (00:59:08) End of the War -He was in Geneva when Japan surrendered -Remembers that there were celebrations all over the country -They celebrated with a bonfire -He was sent to Chicago and was discharged in September 1945 (00:59:54) Life after the War -He went to the University of Michigan on the GI Bill and studied architecture -He had an architecture office in Grand Rapids -He retired from architecture and went on to develop two large pieces of land -After architecture and land development he pursued painting � 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_PalmerD1738V Title A name given to the resource Palmer, Donnally (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-03-31 Description An account of the resource Donnally Palmer was born in 1918 in South Dakota. Growing up he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated from high school in 1936 and was drafted into the Army in mid-1941. He received basic training and intelligence gathering training at Camp Roberts, California. At the end of his training Pearl Harbor was bombed and he was sent to Camp Haan, California and was transferred to the Army Signal Corps. He was placed in the unit that would eventually become the 582nd Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion. His initial duty was to oversee supplies, but that duty was changed overseas to guide ships and aircraft that were damaged, as well as keep track of Allied and enemy aircraft, and targets. He sailed overseas aboard the Queen Mary and saw the sinking of the HMS Curacao. He took part in the invasion of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Southern France. In fall 1944 he was sent back to the United States for Stateside duty and was discharged from the Army in September 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Palmer, Donnally Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c021a0c5f4af0b17d117e6ae25a1da66.mp4 a2049261506de5583abb3e29b8705e72 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3973b5635237019ab95b29091d871cf7.pdf d2919ffb462479ebccb883184f118da3 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Philip Palmer Cold War and Vietnam War 2 hours 24 minutes 33 seconds (00:00:09) Early Life -Born on May 23, 1933 in Lansing, Michigan -Grew up in Lansing -His father collected utility bills from companies and brought them downtown to be paid -Father had steady work during the Great Depression -Everyone was equally poor, so poverty wasn't noticed -Considered rich if you had a job, so his family was considered rich (00:01:12) World War II -He was eight years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese -Knew something important had happened, but didn't understand it -Remembers that there were a lot of war movies -In gas stations they had aircraft identification cards -Taught civilians how to recognize friendly and enemy aircraft -Started to understand the war more after he read Guadalcanal Diary (Richard Tregaskis) -Saw the newsreels in the movies that told about the progress of the war -Remembers Victory in Europe Day and Victory in Japan Day (00:02:34) Joining Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps -Graduated from high school in June 1951 -Korean War had started by now -During his senior year there was a memorial for the male students killed in WWII -In 1951 his father and principal both talked to him about his future -Neither one wanted him to go work for General Motors -He didn't have the money for college though -Had a four year scholarship for Michigan Tech, but it still would've been difficult -Assistant principal was a commander in the Naval Reserve -Said that there was a Navy ROTC scholarship available if you qualified -Took the Competitive Entrance Exam and qualified (00:05:00) University of Wisconsin Naval ROTC Pt. 1 -Didn't think that he would be drafted for the Korean War since he was going to college -When he got to college he met a lot of men that went to college to avoid the draft -Attended the University of Wisconsin -Part of the University of Wisconsin Navy ROTC -Had drills twice a week if the weather was good enough -Had classroom work during the winter -Three days each week of formal classes -Graduated with two degrees -Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering �-Bachelor's degree in naval science -If he got the bachelor's degree in naval science he may have been called to duty -Meaning he would not have been allowed to finish his other degree (00:07:00) Summer Training -During the summers between each year he would go on summer cruises -First cruise was aboard the light cruiser the USS Roanoke -Went to Lisbon, Portugal and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -Third cruise was aboard the USS William R Rush -Went to Dublin, Ireland -Got sick and had a high fever so he missed out on seeing Paris, France -Second "cruise" was actually training in Virginia and Texas -Went to Little Creek, Virginia first for amphibious training -Went to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas -Half of the nation wide ROTC class went to Virginia, then the other half went to Texas -The half that went to Texas was en route to Virginia from Florida -One plane crashed shortly after take off killing 38 ROTC, and 5 crewmen -At Little Creek he got to climb down a cargo net into a landing craft -Flew in the SNJ in Corpus Christi as part of the naval aviation program -One of those planes crashed killing a Naval ROTC midshipman -This was shortly after hearing that the plane was impossible to crash -On the USS Roanoke he stood watch with other enlisted men -Rotated through the watch stations -Slept in the cramped enlisted quarters -On the USS William R Rush he followed an officer around -Helping assign watches to enlisted men -Both cruises were excellent for training (00:12:10) University of Wisconsin Naval ROTC Pt. 2 -Learned how to march -Learned about the Manual of the Sword -Got to be the Officer of the Deck during a commissioning ceremony for a ship -Graduated from college and was commissioned on September 22, 1955 (00:13:15) First Assignment-USS Strickland -He was allowed to request his first assignment -Navy only gave it to you if they thought you were ready for that assignment -He attended a ten week training course to prepare for his assignment -Atomic, Biological, and Chemical (ABC) Damage Control -Took the course at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard -Sent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard -Helping to put destroyer escorts into commission to patrol the North Atlantic Ocean �-Eventually assigned to the USS Strickland -The ten week long training course proved to be very useful coupled with his two degrees -Got to see Eugene Ormandy conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia -At the time of joining the USS Strickland it was being overhauled -Took about one month for the process to be completed -When the ship was ready they sailed to Goat Island, Newport, Rhode Island -There was a ferry that you could take to the mainland -Newport was fascinating -Went to the Tennis Museum and toured the mansions (00:16:51) USS Strickland-Distant Early Warning Line -Went out to take their station on the Distant Early Warning Line -Fifty mile diameter area in the North Atlantic/Arctic Ocean -Saw icebergs and ice floes -It was terribly cold in the winter -There was little protection from the wind and cold on the bridge -Had a canvas "roof" and some windshields set up -A destroyer escort like the Strickland was about 300 feet long and had been used in WWII -It had been overhauled to have modern electronics -Top heavy and rolled from side to side in rough seas -The cruise aboard the Strickland was not enjoyable -Looking for Soviet bombers and submarines -Never saw any -Had drills with friendly bombers and submarines to test their preparedness -Ships were graded on their performance -Would go out for three weeks and then come back to port for two weeks -Difficult for the married men -Knew that there was a possible Soviet threat, but wasn't too concerned -They had an excellent, long range detection system to look for Soviet aircraft -Also had radar information coming in from American aircraft on patrol -Would have noticed Soviet planes or subs long before they reached America -His first job was given to him by the executive officer -Told that he was to take command of the ship fitter operation -In charge of the men that were supposed to be laying down new deck -They were older and more experienced, but lower in rank than he was -Won them over by showing them respect and leadership (00:23:12) Assignment to the USS Hissem -He received orders to go to the USS Hissem -Named after a torpedo pilot that was killed in action in WWII -He was made the damage control assistant and did paperwork for the ship in Boston -Recommissioned the ship at the Boston Navy Yard -Part of the recommissioning ceremony -Parents were allowed to attend the ceremony -He eventually became the chief engineer -Went on to work in the Combat Information Center (CIC) �-Became the third officer in charge -Got promoted quickly aboard the ship -This was due to a high turnover rate as crewmen left the ship -Went on a shakedown cruise in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -Graded by fleet officials on performance -Went up to Goat Island, Newport, Rhode Island -Went out on the Distant Early Warning Line again in the North Atlantic/Arctic Ocean -Got to see Santiago, Cuba where the Cuban Revolution began -Saw the slogan, "Yankee Go Home!" everywhere -Soon after the visit, the revolution grew in the mountains -The Hissem had been electronically upgraded like the Strickland -He was also sent to New London, Connecticut to learn more about diesel engines -It was a submarine base, but they used the same diesel engines as the Hissem (00:28:46) Assignment to the University of Michigan -After a year and a half his obligated service had been completed -Could stay in, or go on inactive reserve -Requested Naval ROTC instructor duty -Could still be a reserve officer without having to go on cruises -Wanted to go back to the University of Wisconsin -Naval ROTC policy did not allow for him to go back to where he trained though -Instead, he chose the University of Michigan so he could be close to his parents -Sent to the University of Michigan for two years -Made an assistant professor so that he could be on the teacher committee -Not allowed to draw pay from the school due to Navy policy though -It was a difficult job -Exhausted by the end of the week -He was teaching naval engineering and damage control -Also got selected to teach a course on leadership and justice -American prisoners had collaborated with their captors during the Korean War -In response to that, the Navy created General Order 21 -Part of establishing moral leadership in the Navy -One of the first to teach the class -Audited a course on leadership at the University of Michigan -Eventually made it into an ethics course -Created theoretical case studies that dealt with ethical decisions -Assigned to the University of Michigan from 1958-1960 -Civilian life resumed at this point -Wanted a wife and a family -Married a schoolteacher and they have been married for 53 years (as of 2015) (00:35:31) Return to Active Duty -In 1959 he applied to return to active duty -Marine officer saw that he had a bright future in the Navy �-Encouraged him to go back on active duty -The executive officer of the Naval ROTC at Michigan also motivated him -He was able to get him command at sea duty (00:37:03) Assignment to the USS Meadowlark -His next assignment was as a commanding officer aboard the USS Meadowlark -A minesweeper based out of Charleston, South Carolina -It was an amazing experience -He was in command of the ship and the crew -Most of the crew was on independent duty most of the time -Only did formation maneuvers for training purposes -The officers aboard were adept -Also had experience enlisted men working for him -The crew had been put together by the Bureau of Naval Personnel -Assigned to the ship based on experience and skills -Had two different tours aboard the Meadowlark -One year they did a lot of training -Also took part in the Swan Island Patrol off the coast of Honduras -Trained for a competition involving several other ships -Motivation to be a better crow -The Swan Island Patrol was very interesting -It was part of the 1961 Bay of Pigs operation -Sailed to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico -From there sailed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to receive orders -Orders were in a sealed envelope -Ordered to repel an invasion by any means necessary -Only armed with a 20mm cannon and a few automatic rifles -From Cuba they sailed to Swan Island and went ashore to greet the personnel -Told that it was a radio station for Gibraltar Steamship Company -Later learned that it was a CIA radio station -Using it to broadcast anti-communist propaganda to Cuba -Inspire the Cubans to aid in the Bay of Pigs invasion -Returned from that tour and got married in Ann Arbor, Michigan -Honeymoon was driving back to Charleston -Stopped in Stratford, Ontario, Canada for the Shakespeare Festival -His wife was able to get a teaching job in Charleston -Teaching the children of personnel at a nearby base -He began to do more work in Charleston as opposed to going to sea (00:47:51) US Naval Postgraduate School/Ohio State University -Got assigned to go to the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California -Studied there for a year -Wanted to learn more about how to prevent corrosion on ships -Applied to MIT and Ohio State University -Got accepted by both �-Offered a stipend by MIT if he attended -Wouldn't have been allowed to take it though due to Navy protocol -Decided to attend Ohio State University -Meant that he would be closer to family in Michigan -In Monterrey he studied the weapons systems curriculum -Also received language training -Initially took German, but had trouble with it -Moved on to studying scientific Russian -Also read Russian literature (ex. The Queen of Spades) -All of the speakers had to be native speakers -One speaker had been in the Red Army, but defected -Another speaker had lost his arm as a child during a pre-Soviet uprising -At Ohio State he chose to challenge a scientific article about static electricity -Developed a device to prove his claim -Allowed to have his own lab space and all the materials that he needed -He was asked to submit his work to the Journal of Polymer Science -Rejected because one of the peer reviewers was the author of that article -Also learned more about corrosion and why ships were structurally weakened at sea -By now it was 1965 (00:56:14) Cold War Developments -Very aware of what was happening with the Cold War -Aware that he could become involved in a conflict -Frustrated that he wasn't able to be at sea more (00:57:07) Nuclear Reactor Training -Ordered to report for an interview with Admiral Rickover -There was a need for personnel for the Navy's nuclear power program -Allowed to complete his degree at Ohio State first -Received the order while he was on a fishing trip with his father in northern Michigan -Reported for the interview and briefed by the Chief of Naval Personnel -From there he was interviewed by Admiral Rickover -Remembers that he was a unique, larger than life man -He wasn't eligible to work on a submarine which disappointed the admiral -Could work on the USS Truxtun, Enterprise, or Bainbridge -Interview didn't go well, but he was selected for the program anyway -Sent to the Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland -Eight hours of school a day, five days a week -Also expected to study on the weekends -Studied with intelligent and driven personnel -Remembers one classmate went on to become a doctor -Remarked that medical school was boring and easy after that -Studied physics, chemistry, metallurgy, and engineering -Learning how to safely operate a nuclear reactor �-Course lasted six months -Sent to one of three different nuclear reactor sites -There was one for destroyers, one for subs, and one for aircraft carriers and cruisers -He was sent to Idaho Falls, Idaho -Prototype reactor for the USS Enterprise and USS Long Beach -The reactors were called A1W and A2W -He qualified on both of them -The reactors were fifty miles from the city -Training there lasted six months -Allowed to have his own room -Would stay at the reactors for three days at a time -Had to learn everything about the reactors and how they worked on the ships -Once he was qualified with the reactors he was allowed to stand watch -The dangers of radiation were known and safeguarded against -Closely monitored the amount of radiation that he was exposed to -Wife travelled with him and taught wherever they went -Eventually got out of teaching due to union politics (01:11:23) Assignment to the USS Enterprise -Received orders to go aboard the USS Enterprise (aircraft carrier) -There was no other type of ship at the time which meant very little career mobility -He was assigned to be the main propulsion assistant -Responsible for the main propulsion plant aboard the ship -Part of the nuclear department, but not in the reactor -Aboard the Enterprise he would work for more than fourteen hours a day -Stood watches, oversaw maintenance, train personnel, and receive training -First two thirds of his first deployment was spent on training -Joined the Enterprise at Alameda, California -Spent a lot of time at Subic Bay, Philippines (01:14:02) Vietnam War -Sent to the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin at Yankee Station -Off the coast of North Vietnam -He was aboard the Enterprise from 1966-1968 -Had one eight month deployment -Had a six month deployment -There was a third deployment scheduled that wound up getting cancelled -Would have gone from Thanksgiving through Independence Day -They would sail out to Yankee Station for thirty days then return to Subic Bay -Visited Hong Kong and Sasebo, Japan during his time aboard the Enterprise -Would go to Subic Bay to get resupplied -The aircraft on the Enterprise were flying bombing missions into North Vietnam -Knew that a lot of the naval aviators weren't going to return -Tried not to make friends with them because of this -Had a Marine offficer detachment aboard �-Their job was to guard nuclear weapons that may, or may not have, been aboard -Knew one of those officers that used his leave to go ashore in Vietnam and fight -He was aware of the Tet Offensive in early 1968 -Received daily reports about the progress of the war -Flew over Vietnam during the war with his wife -Confident that America had achieved near total air superiority (01:19:56) Visiting Ports on the Enterprise -Subic Bay was not just for the supplies, but a place for the crew to rest and relax -There were a lot of prostitutes as well as local girls -Some of the sailors would fall in love and want to get married -Venereal disease was common -Went to Hong Kong for sightseeing, shopping, and eating -Had custom made uniforms made -Bought gifts for family members -Went to the border and looked across the fence into the People's Republic of China -Wasn't impressive to him -Anything bought in Hong Kong could not have come from China -Visited Sasebo, Japan on his second tour -Had to anchor off shore because the harbor wasn't big enough -Allowed to go ashore -Not much to do there though -The Japanese weren't welcoming and did not want the Americans there -There were protests about the U.S. presence -When he went to shore he got tear gassed (01:25:02) USS Pueblo Incident -They were en route to Singapore and got orders to go to the Sea of Japan -The USS Pueblo had been captured by North Korean ships -The Enterprise was ordered to go into North Korean waters -Could prompt an attack from North Korean air craft -Something the Enterprise was not equipped to handle -The captain requested the ship to be transferred -His request went unanswered -In response to that he ordered the ship to sail to Yankee Station (01:27:11) Life aboard the USS Enterprise -The Enterprise was effectively a small city of 5,500 sailors -Most of the crew being eighteen to twenty two years old -Some accidents happened -In the tire shop a tire was over inflated which caused it to explode -Led to a sailor needing both of his hands amputated -There was a firefighting detachment to battle fires -There was fire somewhere on the ship every day -Morale was great -Had great respect for Commanding Office James Holloway III -Commanding Officer Kent Lee was also an excellent leader �-Both of the commanding officers managed the ship differently -Holloway was more personable and took time to be with the enlisted men -Lee was efficient, but more distant -There were no race problems while he was aboard the ship (01:31:45) Office of Naval Research -After his time aboard the Enterprise ended in 1968 he took the Reactor Safeguard Exam -He was sent to the Office of Naval Research in Washington D.C. -Managed university research contracts -Also using research funds to boost engineering programs at universities -Enjoyed his assignment to the Office of Naval Research -Worked with great people, especially those from Scripps Research Institute -Also worked with personnel from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution -Worked with a young Robert Ballard -Later made famous for finding shipwrecks, namely, the RMS Titanic -He made the rank of commander while he was there -Stationed there for three years -His wife got involved with the officers' wives' club -Able to go to the theatre and to the Kennedy Center -While he was stationed there the ARPANET project was underway -The goal was to create a computer network for universities to use to communicate -ARPANET would eventually evolve and become the internet -By now it was 1971 (01:35:45) WestPac Assignment Pt. 1 -He received a call concerning his next assignment -Thought that after his time at the Office of Naval Research he would retire -Offered an assignment that was equivalent to command at sea aboard a destroyer -In other words, the assignment would be similar to commanding a destroyer -It was a WestPac assignment and it would be overseas -Could bring his family with him -He and his wife had just adopted their seven month old son -The assignment was for Naval Magazine Subic, Subic Bay, Philippines (01:39:29) Social Unrest in the U.S. -Anti-war protests and racial violence was flaring in the United States -While stationed in Washington D.C. he would have to cross the Potomac Bridge -There were machine gun emplacements on the bridge and on the capitol steps -There were civilian snipers at housing projects shooting at Marines (01:41:17) WestPac Assignment Pt. 2 -Had to report for duty in the Philippines in June 1971 -Wife and son were able to join him in July 1971 -It was a three year tour and a challenging one -The first two years he could get any supplies that he needed to fight the war -With the U.S. involvement in Vietnam ending in 1973 his supplies were cut -Living in the Philippines wasn't difficult �-Had a live-in maid, a nurse, and a groundskeeper -It was like being royalty -Supplied the mines for the mining of Haiphong -During that time they were hit with a rain storm that lasted 103 days -Able to move 103,000 tons of sea mines and other ordnance -Had a request from an Air Force commander for bombs for the bombing of Cambodia -He refused to give him the bombs -They were bombs designed for Navy aircraft, not Air Force aircraft -He received a medal, and the base received a commendation, for his leadership in 1973 (01:47:12) Naval Surface Warfare Center -In 1974 he was selected to go to Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center -Located in Potomac, Maryland -Bought a home in Calverton, Maryland -Lived there with his family until family quarters became available at the Center -He became the Ordnance Application Officer -Working with civilian researchers -If they had a question about how their idea could be applied to the Navy they asked him -Very rarely got asked any questions though -Tended to be a dead end for a career in the Navy -He wasn't ready to retire, and didn't want to sit in an office for two years doing nothing -He convinced his commanding officer that he (the CO) should have some oversight -Approved to create a review process for projects -He held the first review and selected the project that seemed to be the best -Wound up being a failure and the project lead getting fired -Got passed over to be promoted to captain -Dissapointing, but not surprising -Offered a few options for his next assignment -Decided to stay there and continue trying to do the best that he could (01:53:58) Naval Sea Systems Command -Eventually asked by one of his old executive officers to join him at Naval Sea Systems Command -Needed someone to be a Weapons Systems Acquisition Manager -Would buy the weapons systems being produced in New Jersey -Outfitting ships with the Aegis Combat System -Made ships capable of handling numerous targets simultaneously -Fully integrated, computerized weapons system -First ships were cruisers -Subsequent class of ships were destroyers -Many of them are still in service today as of 2015 -Capable of defending against land based and air based missiles -Based in Washington D.C. -Did that from 1977-1979 (01:57:45) Naval Weapons Station Earle �-There was a need for a commanding officer at Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey -Accepted that position -Essentially doing the same thing that he had done in Subic Bay -Had a one mile long pier, and two three mile long piers being built -This was to keep munitions laden ships away from civilians in case anything happened -Piers had been built in response to the SS El Estero incident in 1943 -A ship carrying Hedgehogs (anti-submarine weapons) caught fire at a civilian pier -Had they exploded it would have caused a massive loss of life -During WWII had been the main staging area for munitions for the Normandy invasion -Stationed there from 1979-1982 -Found New Jersey to be a very welcoming state -Met a lot of good people, both Navy and civilian -Went to New York City with his wife and saw Broadway shows -Visited museums -Went to the top of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center -Saw the Statue of Liberty -The post-Vietnam atmosphere didn't have much of an effect on him -The Navy had better personnel management than the Army -But believes that this is because the Navy was smaller than the Army -Didn't see any officers being forced into retirement like in the Army -Completed that assignment in 1982 (02:07:18) John Hopkins University -Requested to be assigned to Washington D.C. -Wanted to be assigned to the Applied Physics Laboratory at John Hopkins University -Granted that assignment -Had to get different resources from different sponsors from projects -The sponsors would always ask to see the projects before they gave further resources (02:09:59) Retirement -Retired one year early -Bothered by the culture of the Navy where certain stations were left neglected -Ex. Inland stations were treated better than waterfront stations -Wanted the final assignment to John Hopkins so he didn't become irrelevant over night -Saw a lot of officers retire from a good station, and then be forgotten -While at Naval Weapons Station Earle he was trying to change the aforementioned Naval culture -Ex. had the change of command ceremony at the waterfront station -Not in front of the Officers' Club -This required an old train station to be refurbished for the ceremony -While at John Hopkins University he was told that charges were being filed against him -Believes that it was disgruntled civilian employees complaining about him �-Didn't give them paid leave whenever they wanted it, for frivolous reasons -He was charged with dereliction of duty and misappropriation of funds -Went before a non-judicial board of captains for his administrative punishment -The admiral dismissed the charges and allowed him to resume his job -Although the charges were dropped it motivated him to retire from the Navy (02:17:42) Life after the Navy -Took his retirement trip with his family to New Orleans for the 1984 Louisiana World Expo -Toured the South -Visited his parents who had retired to Florida -Visited Disney World -Went back up to Bay View, Michigan for the rest of the summer -Put in his application to work for the Vitro Corporation -Defense contractor that worked with the Navy -Had dealt with them before while he was at John Hopkins University -Worked for them for about twelve and a half years -Eventually returned to the Lansing/Ann Arbor area to be closer to family (02:19:20) Reflections on Service and the Navy -Believes that it was beneficial to him in every way as a person -Helped him get a career after he retired from the Navy -Believes that the Navy has improved since he left -When he entered the Navy it had low morale and poor funding -Improved during the Vietnam years, but then faltered due to low public support -Believes that a draft would be beneficial -Would curb military adventurism -Came to the conclusion that the Vietnam War was largely an effort in futility -Attended commissioning ceremonies for ships and met some new junior officers -Impressed by how motivated and dedicated the new officers were � 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_PalmerP1724V Title A name given to the resource Palmer, Philip Maynard (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-01-22 Description An account of the resource Philip Palmer was born on May 23, 1933 in Lansing, Michigan. After high school he joined the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps and studied at the University of Wisconsin, receiving training aboard the USS Roanoke, USS William R Rush, and at Little Creek, Virginia and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. He graduated and was commissioned in 1955 with a degree in chemical engineering and a degree in naval science. He served aboard the USS Strickland and the USS Hissem and served as a Navy ROTC instructor at the University of Michigan. He served aboard the USS Meadowlark during the Bay of Pigs invasion. He studied at the US Naval Postgraduate School and at Ohio State University and received nuclear reactor training in Bainbridge, Maryland and Idaho Falls, Idaho. He served aboard the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam War from 1966-1968, afterwards being assigned to the Office of Naval Research. In 1971 he reported for duty at Naval Magazine Subic in Subic Bay, Philippines and served there until 1974 when he was reassigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Potomac, Maryland. He then served at Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington D.C. and then at Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey. His final assignment was at the Applied Physics Laboratory at John Hopkins University and he retired from that in 1984. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Palmer, Philip Maynard Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy 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/94813e0af72015b27fc8ea48a5de719c.jpg 1056a1a6bc1acb70b585a18439985a7f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Decorated Publishers' Bindings Subject The topic of the resource Book covers Covers (Illustration) Graphic arts Publishers and publishing Pictorial bindings Description An account of the resource From the early 1870s to roughly 1930, many publishers issued their commercial book covers with a remarkable variety of graphic designs and illustrations. This sixty-year period saw many artists and designers contributing to this art form. While some can be identified from their style or initials, others remain unknown. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seidman Rare Books Collection Michigan Novels Collection Regional Historical Collection Lincoln and the Civil War Collection Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-08-30 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>, <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-01 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source Seidman Rare Books. PS1064.B3 D74 1899 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-01_Bindings0157 Title A name given to the resource The Dreamers: A Club Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Panfield, Edward Description An account of the resource Binding of The Dreamers: A Club, by John Kendrick Bangs, published by Harper & Brothers, 1899. Subject The topic of the resource Book covers Covers (Illustration) Graphic arts Publishers and publishing Pictorial bindings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1899 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/9f37669df2951f13309cac7b5b716295.pdf 3b2779d0a55dba700b08f8bbfccc4c95 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Incunabula Description An account of the resource The term incunabula refers to books printed between 1450 and 1500, approximately the first fifty years following the invention, by Johann Gutenberg of Mainz, of printing from moveable type. Our collection includes over 200 volumes and numerous unbound leaves from books printed during this period. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1450/1500 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Incunabula Collection (DC-03) 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 </a> Subject The topic of the resource Incunabula Printing 1450-1500 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource text Language A language of the resource eng it la nl de 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/. Title A name given to the resource Lectura super V libris Decretalium [folium 24] Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-03_024Tudeschis1477 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Panormitanus de Tudeschis, Nicolaus, 1386-1445 Description An account of the resource One leaf of Lectura super V libris Decretalium by Nicolaus Panormitanus de Tudeschis. Printed in Basel by Michael Wenssler, Berthold Ruppel and Bernard Richel in 1477. Illustrated with red and blue rubricated initials. [GW M47806; ISTC ip00045000] Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Basel: Michael Wenssler, Berthold Ruppel and Bernard Richel Subject The topic of the resource Incunabula Printing 1450-1500 Language A language of the resource la 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 application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1477 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seidman Rare Books Collection Type The nature or genre of the resource Text https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/510f26999489c3a69b95a2a1307821a2.mp4 720a48abcc25714c7e051440dc462a8d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/be3bb564b9a9802d34ac5ed17b04817b.pdf b504a48b6b4a05154998fbc0e3d1ff77 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Elaine Panzone (00:23:32) The interview is of Elaine Panzone life starting when she was born, progressing through her experiences in World War II and also about some of her later life after World War II. The interview is conducted by Charles Collins. So what is your full name, Elaine? (00:51) Elaine Natceros (maiden name), married is Panzone. Panzone is Italian Where were you born? Kankakee, IL What was your birth date? 1916 Were you drafted Elaine? No, they didn’t draft nurses at that time. So you enlisted didn’t you? I sure did. Where did you enlist? In Kankakee, Il …no I didn’t either. No…no..up here in Grand Rapids, MI Okay, so you enlisted in Grand Rapids, and in what branch of the service were in. Army Nurse Corps. Where did you take your initial training? (01:54) Right there in Kankakee, IL, at St. Mary’s Hospital. After you were inducted and took your training, where were you stationed then? 1 �CampEllis. That is where I went first. The first part of it was training and then we worked there for a while. Where was Camp Ellis, what state? Illinois Where did you go after you left Camp Ellis? Overseas. During the time you were at Camp Ellis, did you have the opportunity to see any entertainment as for an example, Bob Hope, or any people that were going around during the war entertaining.? I don’t think I recall any of that because they kept us so busy with the basic training, because we had to do the exercises and we had to get uniforms and we had to …..you know what I mean and we had to have orientation to the hospital there and so forth. We were really quite busy.. What did your basic training consist of? (03:22) Oh it had to do with exercises like volleyball and other exercises. And your training during that period of time? It had to do with Army stuff, etiquette and that sort of stuff. Then hospital stuff, that came along later. Were you a nurse before you enlisted? Oh…yes. You see when I found out I wanted to go into the Army, I found out that I was one hundred pounds (100 lbs.) overweight. So I had to lose it. How long did it take you to do that? From about, I think, it was about February until September. Okay, so what was the date that you enlisted? I think it was September or something. Do you know if the year was 1941 or 1942? (04:38) Oh no, it was later than that. I think it was 1942. 2 �As you took your nurse’s training, you obviously knew much of the training as far as nursing was concerned because you was one already. So what new things did you train for as far as… Well, I recall that the first thing they found out about me was that I had not had any psychiatric nursing experience, so where did they assign me. Psychiatric ward I am sure…….(laughing) That is typical isn’t. But on the ward where I worked, I remember, how valuable the corpsmen were for being helpful. I was very grateful for that. Now while you were at Camp Ellis, you were stationed at the Psychiatric Ward and who were they treating in that ward, fellows that had been overseas? Yes. So they had some real problems as far as war was concerned? (05:56) Oh yeah. Do you remember any of those particular occasions in that ward? No. As I recall, it was a very short assignment. Do you remember anything humorous that occurred during that assignment? I wanted to tell you this because it happened just before we got to Camp Ellis. I was on a train going from Chicago down there to Camp Ellis and I went into the bathroom to wash my hands and I was in there and I looked in the mirror and there was a young lady next me and she said to me, just like this, “Are you a nurse?” I said, “Yeah, why?” She said I saw your watch. She then said, Are you going to Camp Ellis too. I said, “Yes.” Well, she was from Chicago and her name was Russian so we got to become good friends on the train and later we were assigned to the same unit. And she met a fellow later and he was an infantryman and she met him and later they decided to get married in the Philippines, and I was her maid-of-honor. She was a very good friend. Over there in the Philippines there were a bunch of nuns up in a place in the mountains called Balio. In the summer time that is where a lot of wealthy people went because it was a little cooler. And so, they got married up there in Balio, and the bunch of nuns up there helped them. Well, that was interesting. That was quite a pleasant experience then wasn’t it. Oh well, it was beautiful. It was really beautiful. So after leaving Camp Ellis, how did you get overseas? (07:59) 3 �On the train from there to California, and then we had some kind of a thing they had to do to get us ready to go overseas. I think there was something in the line of medications and stuff. Because there was a bunch of tropical diseases to be concerned about over there, so they oriented us in that kind of stuff. I was glad for that So that was after you got to California? Yup. So that before you went overseas in California, you had an orientation? Yes How long did that last? It seems to me that it was about a week. Then we boarded a big ship, I think at that time it was called West Point. West Point was the name of the ship. I think so. They had changed the name for military use. As you went overseas on the ship, do you remember anything particular that happened on the ship, what kind of food you had, how they treated you? Well, that was very nice, and the ship was very clean and of course it was very full. It carried a lot of people. How were you stationed there….where did you stay on the ship? (09:54) I think we had two to a room. So you had a pleasant trip over. How was the weather? The weather, of course, was warming up considerably. It was beautiful. The ship we were on had to zig zag of course. We were allowed to go up on deck some times. A few at a time to go up there and look around. At one point, I saw some kind of a ship, I didn’t know what it was, but this ship was going a crossed our path and I looked at the number on it, and I had a cousin on board that ship. Really? That is interesting isn’t it. So I was down here sitting on this step, and yelling…Well, right above us was the Captain and he was listening in on this, and it didn’t take very long, then he had this cousin of mine climbing aboard our ship. 4 �Really So he came over for a little visit. Was your cousin a lady or a man? (11:43) A man. That was some kind of a submarine. So he got to visit you while you were on the ship? Yeah. Isn’t that something? Yes. Now how was the weather as you went over there? Obviously…… It was hot. Was the ocean kind of smooth? Yes. There was nothing in line of turmoil. You didn’t get sea sick or anything like that huh? No..no. That’s lucky then…it is almost as good as a cruise ship isn’t it. Yeah…yeah..only we didn’t have to pay for it. So then when you arrived overseas, what area did you disembark or unload at? New Guinea. And they had tents set up for us. They had to show you about your cot and the mosquito netting and all that stuff and where is the showers and how many showers you can take in a week, you know. They had everything right down pat..didn’t they? (12:55) Oh, they sure did. Then they had this real big nurse, I don’t remember her name, but she was a big girl though. She stood up there in front of us in her slacks and stuff. Her suntan shirts and slacks and stood up there in front of us and said, “This is what you are going to be wearing.” I never was one for wearing slacks, and after I got out of the service, I was never one for wearing slacks either. This was strictly for PT. Well anyhow, she gave us all that sort of stuff and then we went to work, and got involved with the various doctors and the services we were offered there. 5 �So your tour of duty was mostly in New Guinea? No, about half and half. So while you were in New Guinea, did you have any particular experiences that you can recall. Well, there was one experience; I had dengue fever. I had never heard of it over here. It was a tropical disease like malaria. So they took care of that. I never had a recurrence. It was all okay. That was the only illness I had. During the time that you were there in New Guinea, who were you treating? Was it soldiers that were coming back from the Pacific? And then when we got over in the Philippines, they would bring us in especially at night some Japanese POWs. They weren’t ill, they weren’t to be taken care of. They were just to be confined until they could move them the next day. I think that was the way it was. Any how, they would bring like six (6) or eight (8) at a time, but then they would put a corpsman over there. It really wasn’t up to us. “Holy smokes!” we couldn’t handle the names. Did you learn any Japanese while you were there? Oh no….we didn’t come that close….(laughing) Do you recall any particular experiences with fellows that were coming back, that you treated that was unique? (15:17) Well, I remember one man was in bed and he was an American. I had been taking care of him something like three (3) or four (4) days in a row, and I don’t recall what his diagnosis was or anything like that, but eventually you get to the point where you start talking about where is your home town……so he asked me where my home town, and I told him Grand Rapids, and he said, “here!”, and he handed me a handful of Grand Rapids presses. I thought that was pretty nice. Of course I soaked them all up. I thought that was really marvelous. So he somehow had gotten the Grand Rapids Press? They had sent them to him because he was from there too. So I thought that was nice. A lot of people that I met, I thought were really marvelous. How about your commanders and the people that were above you…the doctors …do you recall anything particular about those people? 6 �I just remember that it was pointed out to us that the doctors were specialists in various fields, like orthopedists and plastic surgeons. And remember, way back then, these specialties were in their infancy and so they did their very very best. It was just early. So I assume the plastic surgeons and those fellows would have a real time in putting together and repairing the guys’ wounds and so on? (17:09) Oh yes…yeah. That must have been a really hard job for them. And after a certain period of healing, then they would be shipped to some other hospital. I don’t know if it was a general hospital later on or where it was, but they were shipped on to more formalized care. So you were really in one of the hospital that would be called like a front line hospital. That is why we were called a field hospital. The 43rd Field Hospital. And when we moved on into the Philippines, up there, it was a matter of setting up and the fellows had to precede us, so they set up the hospital and when they set up the hospital, they set up the stage, and then they set up a place for a lot of chairs. But when you went to the various programs, you took your own chair…a folding chair you know. I remember when they had Bob Hope there that day. I think we were one of the first at that time. You took your own chair. Another nurse and I were walking down the isle to get to our seats and he looked up and he said, “come on ladies, we are waiting for you……..” So we got down there and we got seated and I thought he was marvelous at the time, and I have been very interested in him ever since. So I saw his last few programs here, and now I am sorry he is gone. He sure did a great job. He was one of the great entertainers? Really. So you had the opportunity to see one of his programs. (19:15) Oh absolutely. Were they as good as they always said they were? Oh absolutely. I think you could always say that his programs were always clean. And he didn’t work them to death, you know. The people that he had with him like Francis Langford, Jerry (can’t remember) (short break) 7 �Now we were just talking about you going to the Philippines and you were mentioning some of the doctors and the specialties that they had there. Do you recall any other instances where maybe you got in some wounded that needed taking care of really bad or anything like that? I don’t remember that as much as I remember the part of that whole thing that had to do with tropical diseases….you know like Typhus. Now I had read about Typhus in a book, but I certainly had never seen it. Here I had a patient right here in the ward with Typhus. There were various kinds of that came up. Not very many of the nurses knew much about so we learned. (21:20) In a hurry, I’ll bet. Yes. Now how long were you in the Philippines? I think it was approximately a year. A year. And which year was that… do you remember? No I don’t….that bothers me. I wish I could tell you. That is okay…we’ll figure it out somehow. Okay. Now you saw Bob Hope in the Philippines? Yes. So obviously you got a chance to go to some entertainment. You were not married at the time, is that right? No…no… So you could go out with the boys and see what was going on or not? Yeah, but I didn’t do that …….we didn’t do that. We didn’t do that huh. We had a regulation that we didn’t leave the area without being two (2) or three (3) nurses, with two (2) or three (3) escorts. You did not do any of that “Johnson” around. That just wasn’t being done. 8 �I’ll be darn. That was to bad isn’t it. (22:27) You’re looking at it from today’s point of view. Yes….I know. As you was in the Philippines and you obviously worked very hard then, what kind of hours did you have? As I recalled we had about a six (6) hour shift, you know like 6 in the morning to twelve (12) noon, twelve (12) noon until six (6), and they a night shift. So you had one shift a day. One a day. So one six (6) hour shift a day. Well that was pretty good, wasn’t it. Yes is was, but due to the fact that you were trying to get used to the climate and the working and getting to understand all these various things, it was quite a deal, and especially when it came time to get over there to your quarters and get your mosquito netting down and all that stuff and cleaned up. You heard about and I saw cartoons about people who took a shower in a helmet full of water. We found out how that went. You learned how to do that did you? Absolutely. That must have been interesting. (23:58) Oh. Boy! While you were in the Philippines did you meet any of the generals like General MacArthur? No. You obviously saw him because you recognized his pictures. Can you remember any time that you may have remembered any of the high up officers. No As you left the Philippines, how did you get home? Well, we came back to California. 9 �On a ship? (24:40) Wait a minute…wait a minute….we went to New Guinea. We went back to New Guinea then. I think I led you crooked here. We went first New Guinea and then to the Philippines, and then home…..yeah. As you got home was the war over at that time? (25:10) Not quite. So had VE Day happened? No. After we got home and saw the news and all that stuff it happened after we got back here. Where did you go from then? We went back to California to Camp Stoneman. We went there and started up the process of discharge. Then we got back on another train to come back this way. Did you have any special experiences when you were at Camp Stoneman? Are you talking about romantic or anything? Have if you had some….(laughing). happened, you know. No..I was really talking about whatever No it was just a matter of getting this job done. So they still made you do things while you were at that camp? Oh yes…oh yes….by all means. Then from Camp Stoneman you traveled by train where were you discharged? (26:27) In Chicago. In Chicago. How did you get home from Chicago then? Well the train service worked pretty good so I came back on the train. 10 �After you got home do you remember what year that was? I assume that was around 1945. I think so. I probably have it written down in some of my books. I don’t have it in my new one. Well, there are a lot of stuff not in my noodle anymore either so I can understand that. Well, Elaine, I really thank you for your time. You have been just the sweetest lady to talk to. I have one other little incident that really pleased me. Please tell us. It was after I was out of the service and I went to Chicago shopping. Do you go to Chicago at all? Sure..sure. Do you know State Street and where Marshall Field’s is? Yes. Well, I am crossing the street. I got right in the middle of the street where all the trains were. And here is all the buses and stuff going by and I look at this fellow and I say, “Hello Mike!” and he said, “Do you know me?” and I said yes, you’re Mike Tierney. He said, “I don’t remember you.” Well, I had a change of clothing and stuff. I said, “Well, you were one of my patients.” So where was he one of your patients at? (28:32) Battle Creek, but I was only there for a short while. Over there at Battle Creek. He was real surprised too. But I was delighted to see him. Anyway he came back to Battle Creek because he was waiting to come out. That was a pretty big place at that time. This was out in the country. Not the one down town so we talked a little bit as we could right there and then we went on our way. And I got to thinking afterwards that I had wished I had a chance to talk to him because there wasn’t a chance, but I was really impressed. No when you were in Battle Creek, were you in the service then? No. That was afterwards. It is why I was in a change of clothing. How would he know me..he wouldn’t….just wouldn’t. Well, I don’t know, a nice looking woman like you were. 11 �Well, Elaine it has been a pleasure talking to you. And thank you very much. 12 � 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 PanzoneE Title A name given to the resource Panzone, Elaine (Interview transcript and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Panzone, Elaine Description An account of the resource Elaine Panzone served as an army nurse from 1942 to 1945. She had already trained as nurse in civilian life before enlisting. After training in Illinois, she went to the Pacific and served in hospitals on New Guinea and the Philippines. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Women 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 2007-05-15 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/77e6e17a4c1c22841d957adfea729bf0.mp4 2dab610a96ab976f9e1f0d7bd5a51c87 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/34579cace399c4ee672b29d8674d5f3a.pdf 2cb53b7df861f1ed42cfd12333d08d55 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Robert Park World War II 56 minutes 12 seconds (00:18) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1925 -Grew up in Grand Rapids -Attended Alger Elementary School -Burton Junior High -South High School -Lived in Seymour Square/South High School area -Father worked for a Chrysler dealer -Test driver, put heaters and radios into cars, picked up cars from Detroit -Lost job during the Great Depression -Originally lived near the old Grand Rapids Airport near 32nd Street -Lost that house during the Depression -Rented after that -Only had a sister -Father began to find work during the late 1930s (02:15) Pre-Enlistment War Activity -Remembers hearing about Pearl Harbor on the radio -Did not think he would have to fight -School became active in the war effort -War bond drives, volunteerism -Did not know much about the German or Japanese expansion before Pearl Harbor -Several friends enlisted when they were old enough or were drafted (03:32) Getting Drafted -Had been born at the end of August -Held back a year before Kindergarten -This led to being drafted while still in school -Received a draft notice in summer of 1943 during senior year -Stayed in school until induction into the Reserve in November, 1943 -Called up for active duty December 18, 1943 (04:40) Basic Training Overview -Reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois -Transferred via troop train to Camp Roberts, California -Train ride was enjoyable -Saw beautiful scenery -Considerably long trip -Camp Roberts -Large base -Crucial place for artillery training -Took a series of tests during training �-Had taken a lot of math courses in high school which led to his placement -Placed in the Instrument and Survey School involved with the artillery (07:00) Basic Training Specifics -Initial basic training -Strong emphasis on discipline -Recruits did not wash out -Diverse array of men that had been drafted -Vigorous gym courses had prepared him physically -Old men were not in shape -Drill sergeants were fairly rough with the trainees -Lasted seventeen weeks (09:05) Instrument and Survey School Training -Technical school involved learning about instruments and using math for artillery -Taught artillery procedure concerning actual loading and firing of the guns -Instruments -Aiming circle (reticle on a tripod) -Battery commander’s telescope (complex binoculars that could be split in two) -Range finder (calculated range) -Taught how to use slide rules and calculate angles involving geometry (11:21) Deployment-Pre Departure -After basic training was given a furlough home -Told to report to Camp Bowie, Texas -13th Armored Division was located there -Huge base -Attached units, support units were stationed there -Had a massive training reservation for artillery maneuvers -Assigned to firing battery of the 498th Armored Field Artillery Battalion of the 13th Armored -Consisted of: HQ battery, A, B, C battery, and a maintenance unit -Used M7 self-propelled 105mm howitzer -Made an observer -Traveled in a halftrack or a jeep -Part of a recon section -Attached to tanks and infantry near the frontline -13th Armored Division was a young division that had been formed in 1942 per Patton’s request (15:55) Deployment-Departure -Left Camp Bowie in January, 1945 via a troop train -Went to Fort Dix, New Jersey and boarded an Army transport ship -Heard naval escorts firing on U-Boats -German Luftwaffe (air force) was still a threat -Had three naval ships protecting them -Weather was cold, but not bad -No one got sick on the trip over -Took about seven to ten days to land in Europe �(19:04) Arrival in European Theatre -Landed in Southampton, England and stayed over night -Traveled to France next -Landed at Le Havre -Boarded another troop train -Rode in boxcars without heat -Taken to a farm in Normandy, France -Assembled division there (20:40) Saar River Action -Had to march into Northern France, specifically near the Saar River -Fired over the river into German territory -He was not considered “active” yet -German retaliation was weak -Stars and Stripes newspaper provided a little information about the war’s progress -Stayed in that area for a while (23:10) Ruhr Pocket Action -Moved to Belgian border area -Did not have to fight on the Siegfried Line -Montgomery and Patton had an allied rivalry on reaching Berlin -This led to the 13th Armored Division fighting in the Ruhr Pocket -The troops weren’t getting enough sleep; they were stressed, and freezing -Slept on the ground -Subject to German artillery harassment -Ruhr Pocket was heavily defended -Required multiple divisions to break through -Provided a straight shot to Berlin -Germans only fought as long as they had food -Took a lot of German prisoners of war -Defeated, hungry, and ready to quit -Saw children mixed in with their infantry -Had been armed with bazooka/RPG style weapon -Battery took some casualties from German retaliation -Germans knew the area extremely well and had trained in it (31:40) Details about Combat in the Ruhr Pocket -Did not see much in the way of German aircraft -Got strafed by a German fighter only once -Never saw one of their jet fighters -Germany’s running out of fuel led to a lack of air raids -Had American air support -Had to establish observation points -Looked for high ground or tall buildings -Carried 20x telescope along with binoculars -Used observation points to coordinate artillery fire -Tremendous firepower was provided by three artillery battalions -Used a Posit (proximity) Fuse (secret technology at the time) which allowed for shells to airburst �(34:31) Bavarian Territory during War -Didn’t see many civilians -Some were fleeing the warzone -Secured Ruhr Pocket and moved into Bavaria -Encountered some resistance moving into Austria -Very few Germans at this point -Random pockets of dug in German resistance -Was in Austria during VE Day (36:10) Bavarian Territory after War -After Potsdam Conference and Agreements zones of occupation were established -Set up outposts in the Bavarian Territory -Saw lots of German refugees fleeing the Soviet advance -Russian atrocities terrified the civilians -Large group tried to cross a freezing river -Not technically allowed to let them cross, but allowed it anyway -Heard “things” about the Russians, but never saw them -Heard about revenge against the German populace -Stayed in Bavarian Territory until being moved back to a staging area -Got a tour of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (mountaintop retreat) -Got a pass to Paris -Plan was to move the 13th Armored Division back to U.S. for Japanese invasion training (40:06) Coming Home for Training -Got home in late July/early August of 1945 -Return voyage was bad because of storms -Everyone, sailors included, got sick -Landed at Norfolk, Virginia -First sight was a Red Cross woman with a glass of milk -Got treated to a nice dinner -Got to go home for a furlough -Told to report back to Camp Roberts for amphibious training for invasion of Japan -Japan surrendered during furlough -Still had to report to California -Troops in training were ecstatic about the war’s end (43:40) Duty after the War -Stayed in California for some training -Given passes to Los Angeles and San Francisco th -13 Armored Division was deactivated -Transferred temporarily into the 20th Armored Division until their deactivation -Did not have enough points to be released -Got moved to the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas -Did more training there -Had to participate in the Army Day Parade in San Antonio in April, 1946 -Parade marshal was Jonathan Wainwright -Major general captured by the Japanese after the Fall of Bataan -After that was released from the military �(46:00) After the Army -Lost a bit of hearing and hair -Abrasive soap and helmets contributed to hair loss -Explosions were to blame for hearing loss -Filed for unemployment -Found a job a couple months later -Worked in a mill supply house -Packed up machines and light tools then shipped them around Grand Rapids -Enrolled in junior college (community college) -Business administration and literary arts -Met future wife at this time -Got engaged to her after one year -Took a factory job to support wife and prepare for coming baby -Went to Davenport College a few times -Got some college credit and some math credit from Army training -Regrets not finishing college -Did get high school diploma while in Germany (50:56) Reflections on Service -Believes that he was fortunate during his time in the Army and the war -Being young, fit, single, and well trained was instrumental in survival -Getting to avoid frontline fighting helped longevity -“Aged ten years” from being in combat -Division later formed its own organization for reunions -Was asked by a former teacher to write a story about the war for a student -Wrote about the humorous things that happened during his service -Pig falling into the latrine in France -Spiders and snakes in Texas � 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 ParkR1472V Title A name given to the resource Park, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2013 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Park, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Park was born in 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was drafted in 1943 and trained at Camp Roberts, California, and Camp Bowie, Texas, with the 13th Armored Division in a firing battery of the 498th Armored Field Artillery Battalion and was deployed to the European Theatre as an artillery observer in January, 1945. He saw action at the Saar River, in the Ruhr Pocket, and in Bavaria. After the war's end he served out his enlistment at Fort Hood, Texas, and was discharged in 1946. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-01-17 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives