92
24
26018
-
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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
Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183).
Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023.
Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960-2011
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Subject
The topic of the resource
Photographs
Photography -- United States
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
RHC-183
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-183_I155-0026
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1968-08-08
Title
A name given to the resource
Bonhoeffer burial site, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
Description
An account of the resource
Black and white photograph of the exterior of the church where a relative of Karl Bonhoeffer's burial site is located in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Bonhoeffer was the father of of German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Scanned from the negative.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bonhoeffer, Karl, 1868-1948
Schwäbisch Hall (Germany)
Burial--Germany--Schwäbisch Hall
Black-and-white photography
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a>
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
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1960s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
-
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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
Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183).
Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023.
Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960-2011
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Subject
The topic of the resource
Photographs
Photography -- United States
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
RHC-183
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-183_I156-0015
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1968-08-08
Title
A name given to the resource
Bonhoeffer burial site, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
Description
An account of the resource
Black and white photograph of the interior of the church where a relative of Karl Bonhoeffer's burial site is located in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Bonhoeffer was the father of of German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Scanned from the negative.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bonhoeffer, Karl, 1868-1948
Schwäbisch Hall (Germany)
Burial--Germany--Schwäbisch Hall
Black-and-white photography
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a>
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
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1960s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
-
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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
Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183).
Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023.
Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960-2011
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Subject
The topic of the resource
Photographs
Photography -- United States
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
RHC-183
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-183_I157-0003
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1968-08-08
Title
A name given to the resource
Bonhoeffer burial site, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
Description
An account of the resource
Black and white photograph of the exterior of the church where a relative of Karl Bonhoeffer's burial site is located in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Bonhoeffer was the father of of German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Scanned from the negative.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bonhoeffer, Karl, 1868-1948
Schwäbisch Hall (Germany)
Burial--Germany--Schwäbisch Hall
Black-and-white photography
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a>
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
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1960s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
-
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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
Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183).
Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023.
Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960-2011
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Subject
The topic of the resource
Photographs
Photography -- United States
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
RHC-183
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-183_I109-0010
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Gilbert, Douglas R.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1968-07-31
Title
A name given to the resource
Bonhoeffer House in Berlin, Germany
Description
An account of the resource
Black and white photograph of the Bonhoeffer House located in Berlin, Germany. In the photograph, the exterior of the house is seen through a grove of apple trees framing the building. The house was built in 1935 as the retirement home of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s parents, Professor Dr. Karl Bonhoeffer and his wife, Paula, and later became a place of historic significance due to the family's involvement with the German resistance. A permanent exhibition of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and work was established at the Bonhoeffer House in 1987. Scanned from the negative.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bonhoeffer-Haus (Organization)
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, 1906-1945
Berlin (Germany)
Black-and-white photography
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a>
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
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1960s
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/3ca49895acfbc87124d8270a6723137b.mp4
cbf737c7d1efcbfc593b65b8f53b08bd
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/56f869786401b0f75a5e618c79dcd07f.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans History Project Interview
Interviewee’s Name: Robert Bonner
Name of War: Vietnam War
Length of Interview: (00:27:42)
(00:10) Background Information
Robert was born on December 29, 1950 and was in the Navy during the war in Vietnam
Robert grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan
His father worked a couple of different jobs and his mother stayed at home
Robert had 2 uncles that had fought in the Korean War whom he admired and influenced
his decision to enlist in the Navy
When he was younger he was interested in rockets and jets; he sent the Air Force many
letters requesting pictures and diagrams and they always replied to him
Robert spent 3 years in Army ROTC while in high school and was also in boy scouts
when he was younger
While in ROTC Robert learned about weapons and uniforms and did very well
(3:25) Training
Robert turned 18 in 1968 and then went to a Air Force recruiting center, but the men in
the office seemed lazy and he did not like them
He then went to a Navy center and liked the men there and decided to enlist in the Navy
In April of 1969 Robert was sent to Detroit for physicals and then was sent to Great
Lakes Naval Academy in Chicago
Training was not hard for him because of his ROTC experience; he made company
commander right away
2 weeks into training Robert was promoted to be a drill instructor to teach other
commanders
Because of his promotion Robert was able to avoid a lot of hard physical training
He was later moved to the Naval Training Academy in Chicago to train to be a Navy
engine man and spent another 20 weeks training
Robert really enjoyed training in Chicago
(8:00) Philippines
After training in Chicago Robert was sent to the Philippines where he worked at the
Subic Bay Naval Station
He was assigned to a service craft and worked with a harbor tug
It was during the height of the Vietnam war and they were busy 24/7 in the bay pushing
ships in and out and transferring barges
�
It was very hard physical work, but also fun working with the large aircraft carriers and
barges
Robert worked on the boat during 3 different typhoons and thought it was thrilling
(9:40) San Diego
Robert was transferred to work at an amphibious base in California and began working
for Boat Support Unit 1
Robert drove and maintained boats for the Navy Seals
They were all very high tech boats and Robert spent most of his time on the water
Robert later took a boat and group of Seals to Okinawa and he was stationed there for a
few months working on boats
He was then sent to the Philippines again where he worked for 13 months training locals
(12:05) Men in Service
Robert made a few good friends in Chicago who worked at other bases with him
He had a good friend in San Diego and they later moved into an apartment off base
Robert had made the rank of E5 and he was making more money
(14:30) Motorcycle
Robert bought a motorcycle while in the Philippines, a large Honda 750 and he spent a
lot of time riding it
The area of the base had a lot of mountains and nice scenery; he enjoyed riding the bike
around the area
Robert had a lot of adventures with the motorcycle, but he eventually crashed the bike
He got it fixed for a very low price and then brought the bike back to California
Robert took many trips while in California to the zoo, Las Angeles, different hotels and
beaches
(17:00) End of Service
Robert shipped his motorcycle back to Michigan and cleaned out his apartment before he
moved back
He was discharged on March 3, 1973 and had a fun goodbye party in California
Robert took a plane to Michigan and had plans to do more traveling on his bike across the
country
His mom met him at the airport and said she already had a good job lined up for him, so
he decided not to do any traveling
Robert had never liked repairing boats and getting dirty all the time
He had taken tests that suggested repairing boats would be a good job for him; they also
recommended that he work as an interpreter or in communications
�(23:01) Civilian Life
It was hard for Robert to re-adjust to civilian life without ranking status and paying for
things again
He eventually angered his parents and had to move out on his own
Robert was no longer allowed to travel and was stuck in a boring job so he decided to go
back to college
�
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/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bonner, Robert Allen (Interview outline and video), 2009
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bonner, Robert Allen
Description
An account of the resource
Robert Bonner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 29, 1950 and enlisted in the Navy as soon as he turned 18. He did well in basic training thanks to his ROTC experience, and then trained to service engines. He served at bases in California, the Philippines and Okinawa, repairing aircraft carriers, barges, tugs and other naval craft. He also worked in an amphibious base in San Diego before he was discharged in March of 1973.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Bonner, Alexander (Interviewer)
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
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
2009-05-29
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BonnerR
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/4a7a1b5b5f30aa6001a5ddd32b8d3b25.jpg
d599f66827fcd5351428976cae4943a7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Grand Valley State University Photographs
Subject
The topic of the resource
Aerial photographs
Universities and colleges
Michigan
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Allendale (Mich.)
Building
Facilities
Dormitories
Students
Events
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Description
An account of the resource
People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
News & Information Services. University Communications
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News & Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-03-03
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a>
Format
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image/jpg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
image
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-01
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1960s-2000s
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Local Subject
Subject headings specific to a particular image collection
1960s
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/.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1969
Title
A name given to the resource
Bonnie L. Alverson, GVSC teacher aide
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-01_UAPhotos_001627
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News & Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a>
Description
An account of the resource
Bonnie L. Alverson, GVSC teacher aide helping with class review at Burton Junior High School, Grand Rapids.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
Michigan
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Universities and colleges
Education
Students
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In copyright - Non-commercial use permitted.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
black and white photo
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9917bc544919f52ae16207a3582018d4.jpg
fc88b96963a6bf6358be1ddd14ccdd33
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
Ronald Oakes collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Oakes, Ronald
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of photographs by Ronald Oakes, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and in the U.S. National Guard in the Iraq War.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1968/2005
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/628">Ronald Oakes Vietnam and Iraq war photographs (RHC-80)</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
Iraq War, 2003-2011
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Veterans
Photographs
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project interviews, RHC-27
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-80
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-80_Oakes-Vietnam-Scan-080728-0004
Title
A name given to the resource
Booby-trapped U.S. 105 mm howitzer round that Oakes stepped on
Subject
The topic of the resource
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
United States--History, Military
Marine Corps
Military life
Soldiers
Photographs
Description
An account of the resource
Booby-trapped U.S. 105 mm howitzer round that Oakes stepped on. The round failed to detonate because the dirt around it gave way.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Oakes, Ronald
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ronald Oakes Vietnam and Iraq photographs (RHC-80)
Veterans History Project interviews, RHC-27
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Vietnam War
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>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e6751a689fa04fcd2ae3380fc4f51639.jpg
914136b1c3f7d835e0d351d8ae077de7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-03
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BookerDennis
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
A name given to the resource
Booker, Dennis
Description
An account of the resource
Dennis Booker, Financial Aid
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College administrators
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/25f41aa2f3509aca711ad09734d2e734.mp4
dd9a743384bcbf98296b40a63f282072
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8cfc74728fcac15f447fe14c6303a9bf.pdf
39ff3485b8cdf32178db8115ce8c8e31
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans History Project
Lyle Edward Booth
(00:20:20)
(0:53) The draft
• Just turned 18 and then drafted into the Army
• Left hometown of Onaway, MI for Detroit where passed a physical and was
inducted into the Army on April 10, 1945
• From Detroit went to Fort Sheridan, IL where received gear
o There for 7 days
• Went to a fort in Texas for infantry training
o Learned to fire an M-16 [M-1] rifle
• Went to Fort McClellan, AL
o Trained in Heavy Weapons Field Artillery
105- Howitzer, known as “the big guns”
Here for a few weeks and then had a 10 day leave home
(3:12) Politics
• Shortly after back from leave, FDR died and Truman became president
o Authorized the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
o Signed peace treaty on a ship in Yokohama
(4:10) October 1945
• Booth and men sent to Japan
• 3,300 men sailed from California for 21 days to get to Yokohama harbor, Japan
• Arrived in Yokohama on October 31, 1945
• Involved in police action
o Main objective was to gather up all unused ammunition, guns, air planes,
and other war materials and destroy them
(4:44) November 1945
• Booth traveled to Hiroshima to see the aftermath of the atomic bomb
o “something to see”
o As far as the eye could see in every direction was rubble with an
occasional tree stump or smokestack
o Vast destruction
(6:10) 77th Artillery Division
• Went to Sapporo, Japan
• Joined up with the 77th Artillery Division, who had been fighting in the
Philippines
o Those men shared many stories
• Spring 1946, 77th Artillery Division was disbanded; men with enough points
could go home
o Booth did not have enough points so he had to stay
• Went to Kyushu for rest and relaxation
(7:12) Military police duty
�•
Given the choice to either join the Air Force or the 1st Cavalry Division
o To join the Air Force, need to complete 50 jumps from a plane
Booth did not want to do that so joined the 1st Cavalry Division
• Went to Tokyo for military police duty
o Spent the rest of time in service doing police action, road checkpoints, and
inspections
(8:14) Home
• Went from California to Fort Sheridan, IL, where Booth was discharged
• Spent a total of 2 years in the service
(8:39) Opinions on the atomic bomb
• By authorizing the atomic bombs, believes Truman saved his life
o Strongly believes that he would not be here today at 80 years old had it not
been for the atomic bomb
• When see people today holding demonstrations about the innocent lives lost at
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Booth wants to say that he was an innocent person too
and didn’t want to go yet either.
• Felt the atomic bomb was an answer to a prayer
(9:58) More about being drafted
• When 18, had to register
• If physically fit, got a greeting from the government
(10:46) Most memorable moment while in Japan
• Destruction saw at Hiroshima and the people
o The people of Japan were so poor – they literally had nothing
o The cities were bombed out so badly; there was no food
o Terrible to see the extreme poverty
o Many times, would see old Japanese men with coffee cans standing at the
end of the chow lines in the mess hall. Usually when soldiers finish a
meal, they scrape the left over food from their mess tin into a barrel and
then rinse the tin in another barrel of hot soapy water. Instead of scraping
it into the barrel, the old men would stand there with their coffee cans and
soldiers would scrape their leftovers into the coffee cans. When the cans
were full, the old men would run off, bringing the food to their families.
(12:57) Japanese reaction to American troops after the war
• Welcomed Americans with open arms
• A majority of Japanese people didn’t want a war any more than America did
(13:35) Homecoming
• Felt served country well
• Very welcomed and well received, even upon returning a year and half after the
war had ended
• A band was playing the soldiers off the ship when they arrived in California
• Men in uniform were always sent to the front of lines and treated with great
respect
(14:44) Boot camp
• Did a lot of training with M-16 [M-1] rifles
o Fields, woods, day and night, for many days at a time
�o First experience crawling with backpack and rifle through field happened
while shooting over them with big guns
Guns sounded like rattling a brown paper bag
Machine guns used tracer bullets where came awfully close to the
soldiers
• Field artillery training meant working with the big guns
o Shells 6 inches in diameter
(17:37) Japan
• Felt safe when there
• One of first groups there after the war
• No casualties in unit
(18:22) Other family members who served
• Older brother, Harvey
o 2 years older
o Served in the European Theatre
Was in the Battle of the Bulge
Served under General Patton and General Eisenhower
o Booth and Harvey wrote back and forth during the war
o After the war, they would swap/compare stories
Harvey received the Purple Heart and had shrapnel in his shoulder
until the day he died
����������
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/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Booth, Lyle Edward (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2007
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Booth, Lyle Edward
Description
An account of the resource
Lyle Edward Booth is a WWII Veteran who served in the United States Army from April 10, 1945 to March 30, 1946 in Yokohama, Japan. Although he was stationed in Japan after the end of the war, Booth's experience gives a clear description of the immense poverty and destruction present in Japan by 1945. In November 1945, Booth saw first-hand the aftermath of Hiroshima, which he describes in this interview. Booth shares how older Japanese men had resorted to standing at the end of the soldier's chow lines, quietly begging for scrapes. This interview captures not only the daily struggles facing the American soldiers serving in Japan but also that of the Japanese civilians. Photographs appended to interview outline.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Booth, Kelsey (Interviewer)
Forest Hills Eastern High School (Ada, Mich.)
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
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
2007-05-31
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BoothL
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/8a83b985a92f7fdf28350f44992d11ea.mp4
1867053afab357a25883e13b90b20a0b
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fade5a4b3fd1447564aadb4f16f2debf.pdf
4cfd55cee8a97f528eaead39497a9564
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans History Project Interview
Interviewee’s Name: Mike Borah
Name of War: Vietnam War
Length: (00:44:35)
(00:00) Background Information
Mike Borah was a sergeant in the Vietnam War and served there from 1969-70 in the
central highlands
Mike worked in heavy weapons infantry, working with basically anything that someone
could carry on their back, such as M-16s, shot guns, 12 gauges, 45 calibers and pistols
He also worked with a mortar platoon that was heavily camouflaged
(1:55) Living Conditions
The conditions in Vietnam were horrible and they had to sleep outside every night in the
bush
They were not able to sleep in sleeping backs because they were outside for the “element
of surprise” and the bags made too much noise
They got up early every day and their squad leaders met with the captain of the company
They then received their orders to move to a certain location, set up ambushes on the way
and sent out patrols
A good day was coming off a mission from being out in the bush from anywhere from a
week to a month
It was very hot weather, like stepping into hell when they got off the plane
It was always well over 100 degrees with terrible humidity that was unbearable and many
men got heat stroke
(7:25) Leaving Vietnam
Everyone was always excited to go home as soon as possible and keeping track of their
time left on the calendar
Mike could not wait to go home and everyone else hated being in Vietnam also
It was very hard to leave through because he knew he would be leaving some men that
would never make it home
No one was aware of all the negative feelings American citizens were harboring for the
troops and it was a complete surprise coming home
Mike was spit on when he returned and refused from many bars, called names
(14:00) Bad Conditions
�
Mike was in the First Air Cavalry Division working on combat assaults and often getting
rides on helicopters
They usually walked 1-3 miles a day through swamps and rivers
Mike thought the medevac workers they worked with were amazing and always there to
help no matter how terrible the conditions were
They always put their life on the line and the men really looked up to them
While in Vietnam Mike missed bullets going through his backpack, the heels of his boots,
but did catch malaria twice
He was often near the spraying of Agent Orange, but has not experienced any side effects
(26:00) Changing of America
Mike feels that the US government has gotten weaker and would have never been afraid
to torture terrorists 40 years ago
He feels that there is not more pride or patriotism and the country is headed in the wrong
directions, though it is neither the fault of Republicans nor Democrats
More and more freedom is being taken away from Americans and they are losing more
rights every day
(31:15) Working in Vietnam
The conflict in Vietnam was not declared an actual war for a long time, even after
Americans were stationed there
Some areas of the country where Americans were stationed were not even paying combat
pay
While in Vietnam the men were never harassed by Officers they way they were in the US
He was often on guard duty for 2 hours a night and then went to sleep
Mike enjoyed receiving letters from home and cherished the packages he received from
his mother
(39:10) Looking Back
Mike had enlisted in the Army with the hopes of getting into something better then the
infantry
He ended up much worse, with heavy weapons infantry
Mike really enjoyed being in the Army, but did not enjoy his time in Vietnam
After working in Vietnam he was sent to Fort Hood, Texas and many tried to convince
him to re-enlist
Mike was interested in continuing with the Army, but was told that if he did re-enlist he
would be sent back to Vietnam right away, so he chose not 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
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/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Borah, Mike (Interview outline and video), 2009
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Borah, Mike
Description
An account of the resource
Mike Borah served as a sergeant in the US Army during the war in Vietnam from 1969 through 1970. He enlisted in the US Army with the hopes of getting a better assignment than he would get if he waited to be drafted, but things did not work out that way, and he spent his year in Vietnam with a weapons company in the First Cavalry Division and spent a lot of time in combat in the jungle. Mike enjoyed working in the US Army, but really hated his time in Vietnam and was even more displeased with the welcome he received from US citizens when he returned from the war.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Allen, Mark (Interviewer)
Kelloggsville High School (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2009-05-29
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BorahM
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/d8df16d69419265a18e63cefaf7dfc7e.jpg
45eadd4aa17b0765ca9f9857a6575cc5
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
Robert H. Merrill photographs
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1909/1950
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-222
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family.
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Merrill_FilmPacks_V_26_005
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1939-04-21
Title
A name given to the resource
Borax Lake looking SE
Description
An account of the resource
Black and white photograph of a lake from a hillside. Trees can be seen surrounding the lake and in the background.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Borax Lake (Calif.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222)
Rights
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In Copyright
Type
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Image
Format
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image/jpg
Language
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eng
Creator
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Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aa2f94fc02164710db46b97d48cfd191.mp4
c949f5637086a15f8599867d056fa302
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e41976f9e0c8cb07461c57b0518744e7.pdf
d086562a2140f1bf42eb594e536cb600
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans History Project Interview
World War II
Eugene Borek
Total Time – (01:26:41)
Background
He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on January 27, 1925 (00:27)
His parents were Polish immigrants
His father was a farmer until they lost their farms in the Great Depression (00:51)
o His father ended up as a carpenter – he worked in the furniture factory
o His mother would clean offices (01:14)
There were five children in the family that she had to work to help
support (01:19)
He attended a parochial school – St. Adalbert until the ninth grade (01:28)
o After St. Adalbert, he went to Davis Tech. (01:48)
At Davis Tech. he studied machine shop
Recruitment/Training – (02:00)
When he was in the eleventh grade, he was walking home and stopped in a
recruiting station (02:15)
o The recruiter asked him how old he was. When he said he had just turned
18, the recruiter showed him where to sign
He signed with the recruiter in 1943 (02:47)
He remembers hearing of Pearl Harbor when he was roller skating at the park
(02:59)
Before Pearl Harbor, he knew of the war in Europe because of his family that
lived in Poland (03:45)
o The Germans attacked his family – his cousin was captured in Warsaw,
Poland
He was a POW for seven years (04:02)
o He felt a familial responsibility to do something in the war effort
o At one point he told his mother that he was going to join the Polish Army
(04:13)
His mother told him, “No” (04:25)
After he processed in Battle Creek, Michigan, he was sent by train to Camp
Grant, Illinois for Basic Training (04:47)
�
From Camp Grant, he was sent to the 78th Division at Camp Butner, North
Carolina (05:15)
o He spent roughly one year at Camp Butner
Camp Butner was a tobacco plantation at one time (05:43)
o It was a nice camp and a good division
There were southern Sergeants and the new recruits were all Yankees (06:06)
o The soldiers were given “certain chores”
Training was very interesting and he enjoyed what he was doing (07:05)
He was in Company Headquarters for some time – when he was with them they
were in maneuvers in the Smoky Mountains
He learned how to take care of himself in training (08:32)
He knew after training that he was going to be in the mortar division
Part of his training was learning how to run with the supplies, living in the
mountains, etc. (09:16)
o He believed that he was supposed to be going to the Pacific
He heard that MacArthur did not like the 5th Army – that was why
they did not go to the Pacific (09:30)
When he went on furlough and came back, he found out that he was in another
division headed to Europe (10:04)
During Basic Training he was able to go Durham, North Carolina and other areas
where larger universities were (10:50)
When he was at Camp Butner, he learned how to dig a lot of holes (12:00)
o They thought it was pointless, but when they got to Europe they realized
how important they were
When he joined the 83rd Division, he was just another soldier in the E Company in
Mortar Section (12:32)
o The 83rd Division was short people when they got to Fort Pickett, Virginia
(12:52)
The 78th had to be broken up
He was happy going to Europe instead of the Pacific
Active Duty – Part I – Carentan & Hedgerows – (13:17)
The trip to Europe was on a cruise ship (13:22)
o He had to sleep in a hammock that was hung in the dining room (13:43)
o The trip took 17 days
o They were in a 100 ship convoy (14:03)
o The trip was in April of 1944
o The weather was rough the entire time (14:42)
o The food on the ship was terrible (15:15)
o He preferred to spend his time up on the deck (15:40)
When he got to Europe, he landed in Liverpool, England (15:51)
o It was completely dark in Liverpool when they arrived
o They were fed when they first arrived
�
From Liverpool he was sent to Wrexham, Wales (16:57)
o General Patton was in Wrexham, Wales with the 3rd Army (17:05)
The soldiers did not dare walking out of their tents without having their gear on
Close to the invasion of Normandy, France, he was reassigned to the 1st Army
with General Omar Bradley (17:42)
o He remembers watching the airplanes flying overhead just before the
invasion
He was then sent on a train from Wrexham, Wales to Portsmouth, England
(18:20)
o They traveled on a boat that held the entire Company
o On their route to the mainland, they had to turn around and go back
because of weather
o They then boarded LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) (19:12)
They landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France (20:04)
o They landed in the latter part of June, 1944
The job of his division was to fight there way through to Carentan, France (21:02)
o Carentan had already been taken by the American forces
He spent some time in Carentan (21:49)
There were a lot of paratroopers that were scattered around because they had been
dropped in the wrong places
He can remember one spot where they were cleaning out houses – two men would
go in to clear a house – one would go upstairs and the other would go downstairs
(22:52)
o He would often go downstairs where there was no light (22:58)
He would have to go and feel around
It was scary, but it had to be done (23:38)
They would sometimes wonder why they were sticking around in that area
(25:31)
o He was not simply clearing out rear areas, but they are also trying to move
forward
The hedgerows were terrible because soldiers never knew what to expect (25:56)
o At one time, after they had just gotten new recruits, a new guy threw a
hand grenade over the hedgerow – the grenade came flying back at them
They all hit the ground – the Sergeant told the new recruit to hold
the grenade for three seconds after pulling the pin, then throw it
(26:21)
o The hedgerows were typically chest high
They varied based on the farmer (27:04)
o The Americans lost more people in the hedgerow fighting than anywhere
else (27:45)
The Germans defended the hedgerows by using rifles, screaming mimi’s
[Nebelwerfer rocket launchers], and other artillery and weapons (28:35)
Fighting made the soldiers feel like they were not simply friends, but brothers
(28:50)
o Every time a soldier was killed, they not only lost a friend but they also
lost someone to help them (29:11)
�
For the majority of the time, he stayed fighting in the same place and did not
advance much farther or capture any territory
o He remembers looking at a map at one point that showed one of their
objectives to be Saint-Lo, France (29:50)
o The infantry was making a push to the peninsula so that they would have
open country ahead of them
They occasionally encountered German tanks (30:39)
o There was often not enough room for the German tanks to pass
o The tanks' turrents did not traverse like the American tanks (30:50)
At one point he looked down the barrel of a German tank (31:22)
o He was ordered to take a look around the corner and he saw the tank
When they were in the bocage country, they slept outdoors (32:13)
o He had very little sleep while he was there
o At Camp Butner he learned that he should not sleep a lot (32:31)
There were planes that would come through and try to drop bombs on them
o When a scouting plane flew over them, a new guy shot at him and gave
away their positioning (34:07)
Active Duty – Part II – First Injury/Problems With the Sergeant – (34:29)
The day he got wounded was the day that they were making a big push to get to
[out of?] the Cotentin Peninsula (34:36)
o They were all ready with their ammo and guns when the Sergeant told
them to go back and get some more
o The Sergeant said it was time for him to go in front since others had gone
in front before (35:17)
o When they were running through a field, he was the last one to run – he
was halfway through the field when he was shot
o The bullet must have been an armor-piercing bullet instead of lead (36:12)
The bullet missed his spine by a quarter of an inch (36:24)
It missed his heart by an inch and a half
He felt like he hit a wall
He yelled for a medic when he was down
o He pulled out his micro-morphine shot (37:02)
o He took seven sulfa pills without water (37:20)
When he was picked up by the medics, the German took another shot at him and
it grazed the front of his jacket
o The medics dropped him and he hit the ground (37:50)
When he go to the hedgerow he was put on a jeep and taken back to Omaha
Beach
o He had to go cross-country because the roads would have taken too long
(38:37)
When he arrived at Omaha Beach, the medics were great
o He laid next to a tanker that was on his twelfth pint of blood (38:54)
o The nurses were great – they were always there for him
�
o The girls were just like infantry soldiers – the nurses deserve a lot of honor
for their service (39:14)
He was then put on an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) and tied down
He ended up in a hospital in Birmingham, England (39:50)
He was taken in very quickly and lined up like a food line
He spent roughly one month in a bed (40:54)
There was one nurse that he did not like and he would try to avoid her by hiding
underneath his bed (41:23)
He was one of the first people in the Army to receive penicillin (41:52)
o It was always cold because it had to be stored in the refrigerator
When a new doctor looked at his records, he said some smart remark and told him
that he was going back to war (42:50)
o His wound was still not healed
When he was discharged out of the hospital, he was taken on a train to Le Havre,
France (43:44)
o Every time they stopped he had to have his bandage replaced
He was expecting to go back to the 83rd Division (44:15)
o He did not know where they were
The train would only go as far as Aachen, Germany and he would have find his
own way from there (44:25)
o The Hitler Highway went from Aachen to Berlin (44:41)
Once he got to Aachen, he went to a replacement depot that told him he was not
going back to the 83rd Division
o He said that he did not want to go to any other division, he wanted to be
back with the 83rd (45:18)
o They told him that he was going to go with another outfit and be squad
leaders
They were squad leaders without rank (45:35)
He was never given the rank
o The Sergeant that was in charge of him was “a horse's behind” (45:57)
They did not like one another
The Sergeant was killing people because of his stupidity (46:05)
o His men liked Borekbecause he did not ask them to do anything he would
not do himself
They went on one mission where he and the Sergeant split – they ended up back
together and he had all of his men while the Sergeant had only half of his men left
(46:52)
o The Sergeant was upset and reported him – he was taken off of squad
leader and put in the Sergeants squad
There were a lot of instances where new men would get others killed for
unnecessary reasons (48:20)
At one time the Sergeant decided that they were going to march down the railroad
tracks that had banks on each side (49:01)
o He told the Sergeant that the enemy was going to kill them
He joined the 104th Infantry Division in September of 1944 (50:20)
�
In November of 1944 he was not in an area with a lot of fire
o There was a lot of fighting during this time in the Hurtgen Forest (51:02)
o They got out of Hurtgen Forest as quick as they could
He had three brothers in the service – he saw his brother Vic while he was in the
field (51:36)
o They were going to celebrate Christmas together (51:50)
o When the Battle of the Bulge came, his brother had to go because he was
in a tank destroyer unit that was being sent to help stop the attack (52:19)
Active Duty – Part III – Second Injury/Remaining Military Service – (52:31)
The soldiers used to wade in the Ruhr [Roer?] River to check out the German
movements
When they got ready to move forward, the Germans blew up the dams and
significantly raised the water level of the river (52:45)
o The Navy then came in with their big boats – they ended up paddling
across the river
Once they crossed they went forward and took a town
o They set up on the main road going into the town (53:34)
He was in the forward position
The infantry was ahead of everyone else (54:09)
o He was wounded in the attack, roughly an hour and a half after the battle
started (55:11)
Once it got dark that night, he was taken out and put on an
ambulance
o The men were in a butcher shop (55:52)
He was wounded when a shell hit the building – the ceiling came
down and everything collapsed
He was hit with shrapnel all over his body (56:26)
His face is still loaded with it
“He keeps it for souvenirs”
One of his friends was hit as well
He had four kids at home (57:14)
He does not remember much of what happened after he was hit
(58:26)
All he knows is that he was on an ambulance, headed for a
train
The train ride after he was injured took him a couple of days to go from Germany
to Paris (59:34)
When he arrived in Paris, he was sent to a hospital in Fontainebleau, France
(01:00:00)
o He was there for roughly two months (01:00:10)
o His older brother was stationed in Paris
His brother came to see him in the hospital (01:00:38)
The treatment in Paris was very good (01:01:13)
�
o The doctors were great as well
While he was in the hospital in Paris he was not allowed to move around in the
hospital at all (01:02:04)
o He could not get a shoe on because he had shrapnel in his ankle
There was one doctor that got a bunch of the soldiers together and told them that
if they get home, remember one thing: “talk about everything that you saw and
had happened to you. Don’t let it eat you.” (01:03:13)
o He always talked to his boys and girls about his experiences
o One person told him that he did not think that he was actually in the war
because he described everything so positively (01:04:29)
He told the man that he was there – that is why it is so positive
After he was able to walk, they would go out to the Red Cross and go into Paris
(01:05:36)
After he was released from the hospital he was getting ready to go back to the
104th when a Captain told him that he had been wounded too many times
o He was given the option of going back to the field or not (01:06:53)
o The Captain told him that he was done
He was then put in the Military Police (01:07:27)
o He spent his time chasing G.I.’s “that were naughty”
o He was able to travel around France a lot
o At one point he was in the Vosges Mountains, he saw castles built in the
mountains, etc. (01:07:55)
o He went wherever he was needed
o He never had to go back to any parts that he was wounded in (01:08:26)
o He spent time in Luxemburg, Belgium, and many other places
He spent a lot of time directing traffic and being on cathouse duty (01:09:27)
He was in about four or five different MP outfits
o A Captain told him that he would not go home until the war ended
(01:10:16)
He told them that they were renowned infantrymen
He spent a lot of time in Strasbourg, France
o Strasbourg was on the border with Germany (01:10:53)
o The German flag was out when the Germans were there and then the
French or American flag went up whenever they were there (01:11:02)
Switzerland was a leave center and the soldiers had to go through Strasbourg
There were a lot of Muslim, African soldiers [serving in the French army]
stationed around there (01:11:45)
o They had a lot of problems with them
There were Americans that would try to cheat Muslims out of their money
(01:13:02)
o They would sell them a carton of cigarettes with a block of wood in it
There was one story that was told by a French Foreign Legion Officer of a time
when four Muslims snuck up and cut off the heads of thirty German soldiers
(01:13:48)
The French people, after the war, were very happy
o He was able to make friends with some of them (01:14:38)
�
o They would sometimes give the French people some of their food
A lot of people in France had no use for the people in Paris (01:15:13)
o A lot of the people in Paris spoke English (01:15:28)
The Rhine River was a bad spot for the Americans to operate in
He remembers there being a lot of people that were forced labor workers
o They would always go to the military police and ask for directions
(01:16:30)
o In one area he served as a Polish interpreter
He had gone to a Polish school and learned the language there – he
is also Polish (01:17:29)
At this point he still did not know much of what was happening in Poland
His cousin was a POW in Germany for seven years – he was captured in 1939
(01:18:32)
Leaving Europe/After the Service – (01:18:50)
Going home, he left from an airport just outside of Marseilles, France (01:19:09)
o He went home on a boat in December of 1945
o He was on a Kaiser Liberty Ship (01:19:50)
There were 2,000 soldiers aboard
o They landed in January in Newport News, Virginia (01:20:42)
He left Newport News and went to Camp Atterbury, Indiana
o At Camp Atterbury he got a ticket home
He was 20 years old when he went home (01:21:28)
He got married in September of 1946
When he got back, he worked in a factory building door panels
He then switched careers and worked in a tool and die shop (01:22:07)
He eventually got into show business
o They ran nitrate film (01:23:03)
o He was the business agent for the local union
He met Lena Horne through working in show business (01:24:18)
o He also met Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney, and many others
When he went into the military he was a kid, when he came out, he was a man
(01:25:28)
o The service prepared him for future jobs
He was capable of making important decisions
�
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/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Borek, Eugene (Interview outline and video), 2011
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Borek, Eugene
Description
An account of the resource
Eugene Borek was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1925. He enlisted in the Army shortly after turning eighteen, and trained with the 78th Division at Camp Butner, North Carolina, until his unit was broken up and he was assigned to the 83rd Division. He sailed to England in April, 1944, and landed in Normandy in late June. He fought in the battles near St. Lo until he was wounded and sent to England. He was then sent as a replacement to the 104th Division in September, and fought near Aachen, in the Hurtgen Forest and western Germany until he was wounded again in early 1945. After that, he was assigned to a military police unit based in Strasbourg until he was sent home late in 1945.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
BCTV
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
United States. Army
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Type
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Moving Image
Text
Relation
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Date
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2011-05-11
Identifier
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BorekE1111V
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
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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/89162dba74b7052d86c46ea343dd7c12.m4v
81976db78846f78abee48e93dfd4e837
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3d2a68e38166ba62d7f78ff2a1ff49cf.pdf
f9dda5a2b031f688aad4e2cdd9e24270
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Robert Borey
World War II
1 hour 27 minutes 31 seconds
(00:00:14) Early Life
-Born in Flint, Michigan in 1920
-When he was an infant his family moved to Detroit
-Lived in Detroit for a while
-When he was in his teens his family moved back to Flint
-Attended high school there
-His father worked for General Motors
-Initially in the factory itself and then in the office
-He had one younger brother
-He graduated from high school in 1938
-Went to Flint Junior College part time
-Worked at AC Spark Plug (now ACDelco) for $0.65 an hour
(00:02:46) Start of the War
-Before Pearl Harbor he paid some attention to the war in Europe
-Remembers being out in the street playing touch football on December 7, 1941
-Someone came out and told them that Pearl Harbor had been bombed
-At didn’t time didn’t know the gravity of the situation
-Later learned how serious the attack had been
-When he was in the Navy he met some men who had been at Pearl Harbor that day
(00:04:56) Enlisting in the Navy and Basic Training
-He joined the Navy shortly after Christmas 1941
-He knew for sure that he didn’t want to get drafted into the Army
-Went to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training
-For him basic training was a culture shock
-First time that he had been subject to verbal abuse
-Had to adjust to getting up at 3 AM to go on marches
-He got sick in basic and had to go to the hospital for a couple weeks
-Learned about how to use and to maintain a rifle
-Learned general information about the Navy
-Got used to taking orders and being disciplined
-During the second of half of basic training you got weekends off and could visit Chicago
-In basic training he got paid $21 a month
-In Chicago the Navy provided you with free hotel lodging and baseball tickets
-One time when he was in Chicago on leave he missed the last metro train back to the base
-Cab driver helped get him back to base
-People in Chicago were incredibly supportive of military personnel
-Basic training lasted eight weeks
-Stayed a little longer at Great Lakes because of his hospital stay
�(00:12:55) Hospital Corps School
-He was waiting for an assignment at Great Lakes
-He was offered ten days of leave if he signed up for Hospital Corps School
-He signed up for that training and stayed at Great Lakes for the training
-He had classes all day
-The goal was to learn a lot about medicine in a short time
-That training lasted another eight weeks
-Received training on first aid, pharmaceuticals, and other general medicine
(00:15:28) Assignment to California
-He got assigned to the Navy hospital in San Francisco
-Got sent to California on an old train
-Slept in the chairs
-Stopped at a town in Nebraska where the people fed you
-They fed every troop train that came through their town
-Located at North Platte, Nebraska
-Lived in a tent on the hospital lawn initially
-Worked in a ward and met the men who had been at Pearl Harbor there
-Learned more about medicine in the hospital
-During down time would go and watch autopsies being performed
-Led to him getting into the surgical program
-Watched an operation and was advised to become an operating room technician
-Became close with a Dr. Ogden who was from Twin Cities, Minnesota
-One of the best surgeons he ever worked with in the Navy
(00:23:30) Pre-Deployment
-Prior to deployment went down to San Diego and then to Camp Pendleton
-Receiving preparatory training through the Marines
-Grueling physical training
-Had to qualify on the obstacle course to be able to deploy
-Went to the Navy hospital at Long Beach
-Bought a 1925 Buick in Long Beach
-He had nowhere to store the car when he was deployed
-So he found a good spot to park the car and he left it
-Before they deployed Dr. Ogden said they were short on surgical supplies
-So he and another sailor managed to find and steal some more surgical supplies
(00:30:02) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre
-Got attached to the 1st Marine Division
-Got on a ship in Long Beach
-During the voyage to the warzone he didn’t get seasick
(00:31:00) Guadalcanal
-First stop was in Guadalcanal
-First impression of the island was that it was hot
-When he arrived the Battle of Guadalcanal was largely over
-Spent the first night sleeping on the ground
-Took care of sick call for the Marines on the island
-Some Marines just didn’t want to work
-Some men were contracting tropical disease
�-Remembers one man coming in because of malaria and dying
-Took the drug, Atabrine, to prevent malaria
-After the Navy he came home and contracted malaria then
(00:36:22) Northern Solomon Islands
-After Guadalcanal went to a smaller island in the northern portion of the Solomon Islands
-The island was going to be used for an airstrip with which to attack Bougainville
-Boarded an LST (landing ship, tank) and sailed north for about two, or three, days
-He was told that they would have to invade the island
-Fortunately, he didn’t have to be in one of the first waves
-The invasion ultimately went off without any initial opposition
-Remembers when they ran into a Japanese machinegun nest
-One soldier with a bulldozer drove up and buried the nest destroying it
-The terrain was mostly jungle
-Had to sleep on the ground because there weren’t even tents
-Didn’t have any bathrooms, or outhouses, so they had to use the jungle
-Finally got assigned to a tent and met one of his best friends that way
-His friend wound up getting killed in the fighting on Okinawa
-When he went home he talked with his friend’s girlfriend at Michigan State
-He still feels bad about his friend’s death
-Once they were established they started receiving casualties from different forces
-Got men from the Air Corps, PT Boat crewmen, and Marines
-They had a small hospital on the island
-Saw some of the native populace
-Friendly towards Americans
-He got used to seeing native women that didn’t wear tops
-Remembers when President Roosevelt died there was a lot of apprehension
-No one knew how Truman would be as a president
(00:47:38) Interacting with Casualties
-He remembers when they brought in a soldier that had a serious head injury
-The man’s brain was exposed
-Called over a doctor and immediately he said the man was a goner
-He remembers when an Army casualty was brought in
-Told them that he was glad to be in the Navy’s hands
-Said that the Army doctors were worthless
(00:51:10) Downtime and Contact with Home
-Movies were shown on their island a couple nights each week
-They were B-Rated movies (not top quality productions)
-They were fun to just laugh at and unwind with
-Once a month they were given two cans of beer
-Came from unknown breweries in the United States
-Cigarettes were free
-Spent a lot of time reading
-Read whatever books were available
-Also read the Stars & Stripes military newspaper
-He got letters from home
-He got care packages from home
�-It showed that people back home still cared
-Over time it just got to be incredibly boring
(00:54:58) End of the War
-The island he was on was essentially abandoned as the war moved closer to Japan
-He was given a thirty day leave to go home
-While on leave reported to a military office in Detroit for a psych evaluation
-Told the doctor that he wasn’t fit for military service
-Sent on a train to San Francisco and went to Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay
-He was placed on a ship and sailed to Pearl Harbor
-When he arrived in Pearl Harbor he saw hundreds of ships
-Learned that they were massing there for the invasion of Japan
-Given manuals about what to do once Japan was invaded
-While he was waiting to invade the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan
-The second atomic bomb was dropped three days later and Japan surrendered
-He was relieved that he wouldn’t have to take part in the invasion of Japan
-He never saw so many happy people
-Went to Sasebo, Japan (a naval base)
-Stayed there for a few days
-Went ashore and walked around the city
-The whole city was in ruins due to bombing
-Japanese people would not look at American soldiers
-Went into a destroyed naval building and looked around
-Ran into a Japanese man who ran away as soon as he saw him
(01:03:30) Coming Home
-Returned to his ship and was told that he had enough “points” to go home
-Points were given based on duration of service, combat, and dependents
-A ride was then arranged for him to get back to the United States
-He boarded a ship and sailed to the Philippines
-Stayed in the Philippines for a couple days
-Boarded another ship that was bound for the United States
-On the way home ran into a typhoon
-Helmsman did well in the storm and kept the ship level throughout it
-Pulled into the port in Seattle
-The helmsman who had done so well in the storm managed to crash into a dock
-Spent a few days in Seattle
-Went back to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois
-Spent a couple days there and then was discharged from the Navy
-Took the metro train to Chicago and then boarded another train and went home
(01:07:40) Life after the War
-Took a couple weeks off
-Went back to work for AC Spark Plug
-Attended the General Motors Institute, which was an engineering school, on the GI Bill
-Met a girl and got engaged to her on the third date
-Took his engineering courses and wanted to specialize in tool design
-In his third year there he decided to drop out
-He got into sales and worked at a small spring company
�-On his very first sales call he made a sale
-The next fifty sales were not as successful
-Eventually got good at sales and made a good living off of it
-Got married to the girl that he was engaged to
-They had three children together
-Lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood in Flint, Michigan
-After his children were grown and out of college his wife got cancer
-Spent $80,000 fighting the illness, but she eventually succumbed to it
-After his wife died he was overwhelmingly depressed
-On top of that he lost his job and had to sell the house to pay off the debt
-His son worked for American Seating in Grand Rapids, Michigan
-Wound up moving to Grand Rapids to be closer to his son there
-Got a job at the Grand Rapids Public Museum
-Started to enjoy his life again
(01:21:23) Reflections on Service
-The Navy definitely changed his life
-At the end of his service several men told him how much they had appreciated him
-He didn’t dislike his service, but was glad to get out
-He had had good and bad experiences in the Navy
-He learned to get along with people in the Navy
-War made him mature quickly and showed how people really were
-Showed the total selflessness and selfishness of people
�
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_BoreyR1659V
Title
A name given to the resource
Borey, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2014
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2014-07-24
Description
An account of the resource
Robert Borey was born in Flint, Michigan in 1920. He finished high school in 1938 and went to work, and enlisted in the Navy right after Pearl Harbor. He trained at Great Lakes, Illinois, and became a hospital corpsman. He was assigned first to a Navy hospital in San Francisco, and then went to San Diego to train with the Marines. he deployed to Guadalcanal in 1943, and then his hospital moved into the Northern Solomon Islands. He served as a surgeon's assistant and helped treat many sick and wounded soldiers. He got leave home in 1945, and was on his way back when the war ended. After a brief stay in Sasebo, Japan, he came home and was discharged.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Borey, Robert
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
United States. Navy
United States. Marine Corps
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Moving Image
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
video/x-m4v
application/pdf
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/27ee1961d9b2bae7a199bd6723990cbb.pdf
a8e33e82bb4eb7a1e7ad7cf7b88fea5e
PDF Text
Text
38th
Annual Great lakes History Conference 2012
Born in Revolution: History, Gender. and the Power of Conflict
October 12 and 13. 21112 • LV. Eberhard Center· Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids campus
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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_2012_History-Gender-and-Power-Conflict.pdf
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Women's Center
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2012-10-12/2012-10-13
Title
A name given to the resource
Born in Revolution: History, Gender, and the Power of Conflict
Description
An account of the resource
Flyer of the 38th Annual Great Lakes History Conference taking place in 2012. The flyer has a synopsis of the different events, as well as the the time, date and location of each one.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Community centers
History
Great Lakes Region (North America)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity
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/62fcfcd77be67f46dac8b356d40cb13c.jpg
71d9d48e1a57c6bdc9f88f1e24b78b31
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Red-Misc-61
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1987-09-03
Title
A name given to the resource
Born Yesterday
Description
An account of the resource
An article from The Commercial Record titled "Born Yesterday Caps Fine Red Barn Summer," written by Yoli Broglio. It describes the production of Born Yesterday, and includes information about the plot and performances given by the cast. The article claims that the performances are riveting, and includes a candid photo of Joan Lettsom and Steven Hauck performing a scene.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Community theater
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file collected by the Kutsche Office of Local History from the Saugatuck Douglas History Center for the Stories of Summer project.
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/526568249bd5a237604f77a69b8a5a68.jpg
bf12833f12697dc2a1d950dee13a7d94
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-03
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BornhofenJohn_Photo1
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
A name given to the resource
Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7ac7ee68df2c2cc7417b92d568610b9e.jpg
7773cfc13dcf0797da682c8e0dd254cc
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-03
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BornhofenJohn_Photo2
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
A name given to the resource
Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/897eba211384bc4eeb95e73459f7f514.jpg
fa067712f96fedf4d5a9cb78e4033055
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-03
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BornhofenJohn_Photo3
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
A name given to the resource
Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/867cf559a2a9e466a31da29936f28b1f.jpg
9f22da9e64a65c0edff353165e0be315
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-03
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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BornhofenJohn_Photo4
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
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Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
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In Copyright
Type
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Image
Format
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image/jpeg
Language
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eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/061b40c16f8f934c38a205ed2e43aa05.jpg
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
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GV012-03
Format
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image/jpeg
Type
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Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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BornhofenJohn_Photo5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
A name given to the resource
Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copyright
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55ac1b96a13a80277615510d21198364.jpg
0de0c91dda9170b5bf0f813e265ded89
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
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GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
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GV012-03
Format
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image/jpeg
Type
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Image
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
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BornhofenJohn_Photo6
Creator
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Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
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Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
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In Copyright
Type
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Image
Format
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image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/32b1c8a7b47c1937f14bdca1345f51a4.jpg
e5cf80ed60942a85d7cc237d00c30b82
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Faces of Grand Valley
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
University Communications
Description
An account of the resource
A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1960s - 1990s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In Copryight
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University
College administrators
College teachers
Colleges and universities -- Faculty
Michigan
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
GV012-03
Format
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image/jpeg
Type
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Image
Language
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eng
Still Image
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Dublin Core
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Identifier
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BornhofenJohn_Photo7
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
Title
A name given to the resource
Bornhofen, John
Description
An account of the resource
John Bornhofen, Business
Subject
The topic of the resource
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Rights
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In Copyright
Type
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Image
Format
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image/jpeg
Language
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eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3a46a590e2738401fc66fe44ecbacc4f.mp4
9a57470f2865a9994dbc09be878ae66a
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3d7732fe864918d92d89045ecc9a33b7.pdf
6fca0abdf96a5f32f7af2f6491f31488
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans History Project Interview
Interviewee’s Name: Joseph Borst
Name of War: World War II
Length of Interview: (00:12:04)
(00:10) Background Information
Joseph was a sergeant in the United States Army during World War Two
After high school he had been working in a bakery before he was drafted into the Army
Training was not too hard on Joseph, but it was difficult for him to adjust to military life
After training he was sent to Europe where he fought in France, Germany, and
Luxembourg
Joseph did not like fighting in Europe and felt that no human being should go through
any war; it was very depressing
There were bodies everywhere and it took a lot of willpower to not go crazy
Joseph spent about 6 months fighting in Europe
(4:10) Military Life
Joseph was in charge of two machine gun crews and they both showed him a lot of
respect and followed orders well
He did not have much time to write letters and would have liked to receive more mail
He was in Luxembourg when the war ended and was then sent back to Grand Rapids,
Michigan that December
It was very hard for him to re-adjust to civilian life and his wife later left him because he
had become such a different person while in the war
(7:50) After Service
When Joseph returned to the United States they landed in Virginia and there were many
people there to greet the troops; it was the happiest day of his life
It took Joseph 10 years to adjust and get back to normal
He feels terrible for all the men that died in Europe that were not allowed to return home
�
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/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Borst, Joseph L. (Interview outline and video), 2009
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Borst, Joseph L.
Description
An account of the resource
Joseph Borst was drafted into the United States Army during World War II. He was sent to Europe after going through training and fought in France, Germany, and Luxembourg. Joseph spent about 6 months in Europe and had two different machine gun crews working under him. He did not enjoy fighting in Europe and had a difficult time working there. After the war Joseph returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan and it took him about 10 years to re-adjust to civilian life.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Van Dommelen, Kyle (Interviewer)
Kelloggsville High School (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
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
2009-05-27
Identifier
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BorstJ
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
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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/f91c6dac56213c60d637c3deaa9f9409.mp4
94288fce3dd98c846d89ba871ae8a984
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d8e41fd421049f5b32974037eccd8b16
PDF Text
Text
Bort, Frank
Grand Valley State University
Veterans History Project Interview
Name of War: Vietnam War
Interviewee’s Name: Frank Bort
Length of Interview: (01:23:20)
Interviewed by: James Smither
Transcribed by: Chelsea Chandler
Interviewer: “Okay, Frank. Give us some background on yourself, and to start with, where
and when were you born?”
Yes. I was born January 21st, 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio.
Interviewer: “And did you grow up there, or did you move around?”
Well, I was born and raised on a farm. It was my grandfather’s farm, and that was around
Canfield, Ohio. And anyway, I lived there until up to about age eighteen or age nineteen.
Interviewer: “Okay. Did you finish high school?”
Yes. I went to Cardinal Mooney High School. Catholic high school in Youngstown, Ohio.
Interviewer: “Okay, and what did you do after you graduated?”
After I graduated from high school, I filled out my application to be a Catholic priest. So
anyway, I went to St. Gregory’s Seminary in Cincinnati, and I was there for two years. (1:08)
First year was a lot of Latin. This was 1963, and this is before the Vatican II. We had a lot of
Latin, so the first year I was in—I was on there for two years, but a lot of it was learning Latin.
Interviewer: “Okay, and then after those two years, what did you do?”
After that, then I transferred to John Carroll University, a Jesuit college in Cleveland, and I was
there for three years. And then I graduated from John Carroll University. I majored in
psychology, and I was drafted shortly after that.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now had you decided by then not to become a priest?”
Well, yeah. I had decided in the seminary. Just wasn’t for me. It just—No, it wasn’t for me
because I had this great interest in women. I said, “This ain’t going to work.” I said—Yeah.
(2:02)
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “All right. So you went out. You got a psychology major. Of course, you have
a deferment through the time you’re in college, or at least you had four years of it.”
Five, actually, because two in the seminary and then three at John Carroll.
Interviewer: “Yeah. I think the government only normally let you have four though.”
But I think if you’re in the seminary, they add a—
Interviewer: “That could be it, but regardless, you did not get a draft notice until after you
graduated.”
Correct.
Interviewer: “Okay. So now at this point when you’ve got the draft notice, how much did
you know about Vietnam?”
Boy, that’s a good question. How much did I know about Vietnam? I had some knowledge
about—that they called the domino theory. There was this fear of communism coming down and
taking over. And I had been through what’s called ranger training at John Carroll University
because they had a big ROTC program. I was not part of ROTC, but I got involved with the
rangers. And yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now what did that actually consist of?”
Learning how to rappel down mountains and a lot of exercise. Running around the campus. And
I don’t recall a whole lot more than that, but yeah.
Interviewer: “All right. Okay. So then when do you actually start training?”
I’m sorry. Train? Okay. I started training—That would have been in September of 1968.
Interviewer: “Okay, and where were you doing your basic training?”
I did that at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and I was actually in the same barracks as Elvis Presley except
years later.
Interviewer: “All right, and now what did the basic training consist of?”
�Bort, Frank
As far as I can remember, I think it was twelve weeks. Well, a lot of running with the pack in
your back, and, I think, learning how to handle weapons. (4:10) Some—I don’t know—karate.
Different things. Different—I forget what they call them—confidence courses they would put
you through. Learn how to use a bayonet.
Interviewer: “How much emphasis was there on discipline?”
Quite a bit. Discipline was a major thing. If one man messed up, the whole company had to pay
for it. Just like if you were going to have a free weekend, if one man messed up—If he took an
extra piece of pie, you know. Whatever. Then the whole company paid for it. Yeah.
Interviewer: “All right, and how did the instructors treat you?”
I was fortunate where I was because I’ve always been kind of a sensitive guy. Somehow I feel
God gave me a great—what do you call those—not platoon sergeants, but the—
Interviewer: “Oh, drill instructors, or…?”
Yeah, yeah. Yes, so I had a real interesting drill instructor, and he seemed to understand me. And
so we got along quite well, but, I mean, it was all about discipline and so forth. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay, and so how easy or hard was it for you to adjust to military life?”
I think I kind of laughed my way through a lot of basic—I thought it was so funny. Some of the
stuff just made me laugh.
Interviewer: “Now did you understand what they were doing?”
No, I could understand what they were doing, but I just found it funny. Just funny. And anyway,
I used to make a—Well—Yeah, but I just found it funny as well. (6:05)
Interviewer: “Okay. Well, now you were probably older than a lot of the guys you were
training…?”
I was twenty-four. Yeah, so in many ways I got a kick out of it. I don’t know. I just did. It was
different than anything that was—So I—But it was. I enjoyed it. I don’t know. Plus, you had all
the camaraderie with all the guys you’re with, so it was—I didn’t mind it.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now you had a college degree. Did they encourage you to go to OCS or
NCO-School or anything else like that?”
�Bort, Frank
Well, let’s see. Okay. After basic training, then I went to advanced infantry, and that was in Fort
Polk, Louisiana. And anyway, I heard that was the toughest place as far as infantry goes. People
would sign up to get to Vietnam just to get out of Fort Polk. And so anyway, they had this place
called Tiger Village. Tiger Village at Fort Polk. But anyway, it’s not so much, I don’t think, that
they asked me. I think it was more they told me, “You’re going to NCO-School in Fort Benning,
Georgia.” And I said, “Fine.”
Interviewer: “All right. Now was that after Fort Polk?”
It was after, I think—I believe it was after—Yeah, after Fort Polk. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Now tell me a little bit more about what the training
program at Fort Polk was like.”
Yeah, that was a challenge. Fort Polk—They had a lot of snakes. They had a lot of snakes, and
so you had to watch out. You had to be careful. But I remember a lot of it was running with
packs. But I can remember just the strictness of it. (8:05) It was like the real army. I wouldn’t
know how to describe it. It was just—how do you say—It was just very professional army. It
was just very challenging. Very—what have you.
Interviewer: “How much of it was geared to Vietnam?”
I think almost all of it.
Interviewer: “Okay. Did they have Vietnam veterans training you?”
I don’t really remember, to be honest. At that point I just don’t remember.
Interviewer: “All right. Do you remember if they had anything like a mockup Vietnamese
village or things like that?”
Yes, they had those kind of things. They had those kind of things, and—Sorry. I don’t have a lot
of great reactions. Yeah.
Interviewer: “That’s okay. All right, but anyway, out of that then you get sent to NCOSchool.”
Right. At Fort Benning, Georgia. Yeah.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. Now what was that program like?”
Well, they call it Shake n’ Bakes. Shake n’ Bakes. And what was that program like? Well, that’s
where you’re learning more advanced things. How to use a compass. And, you know, in front of
you are the squad leaders, you know, leading men because the squad leader, you know, sergeant
like eighty-five, would have like—I think it was six or seven guys under you. So it was learning
how to lead troops, and they taught you more about weapons, I think, and so forth. Yeah. (10:02)
Interviewer: “Okay. Now was it a harder course than what you had at Fort Polk or about
the same level or…?”
It was a different kind of a thing. I think Polk was more intense. Yep, I mean, Polk was a real
army. It was just—Man, I remember people said, “Man, just get me out of here.” Because it was
so intense. “Sign me up for Vietnam.” You know, but—Pardon me. But anyway, Fort Benning as
I recall was more discipline, order, how you look in your uniform. Just a different experience.
Yeah.
Interviewer: “All right. Now do you think that that training did you any actual good when
you got to Vietnam?”
I think it did because they taught us leadership, and, you know, I knew I had that extra
experience because I was there, I then went through training, so I think I expected more out of
myself also. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. Now I think the standard procedure for a newly minted
sergeant or Shake n’ Bake as they call them was then to send them to a training unit
someplace to serve as a junior instructor and get some leadership experience before you go
to Vietnam. Did they do that with you?”
Yeah, what they did with me is they liked me so much that they actually sent me back to Fort
Polk, which they didn’t call Fort Polk. They used to call it Fort Puke.
Interviewer: “All right, and what was your job there?”
My job there was to train troops. I had, I guess, a platoon or something under me. A barracks,
you know. And they had the drill instructors there, but I was more just in charge of a platoon or
barracks. Whatever. (12:02) And so, I guess, to provide order. Just to make sure discipline was
supplied and so forth. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay, and just give you some practice giving orders and being in charge.”
�Bort, Frank
Yeah, because I was in charge of barracks. I was—You know. Whatever. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay, and how long did you stay there do you think?”
I think twelve weeks. I think so.
Interviewer: “Okay. I think a lot of the training cycles were usually eight weeks.”
Oh. The eight weeks. I forgot. Anyway, I forgot. Yeah.
Interviewer: “But basically you’re with one group for one training cycle.”
Yeah. Right.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now once you finish that, do you get a leave home, or do you just go
straight to Vietnam?”
After that, my—It may have been my—My thoughts are not that—That’s very possible. But then
I remember going to Fort Lewis, Washington, and that’s where I flew out of. Was Fort Lewis,
Washington.
Interviewer: “Okay, and do you remember the route you took or where you stopped along
the way?”
To Fort Lewis?
Interviewer: “Oh. From Fort Lewis. When you left Fort Lewis to go to Vietnam.”
Oh, yeah, yeah. From there my recollection is we flew to Hawaii and then Japan, but I remember
you were not allowed to get off the plane in Japan, which I found strange. But anyway, yeah.
Interviewer: “All right. Okay, and where did you land in Vietnam?”
Well, I landed in what’s called Tan Son Nhut Air Force Base. It’s interesting. Something I found
fascinating is before the plane landed, I had this inspiration that I couldn’t die. I had this
inspiration I couldn’t die. I wondered. It’s like, “What is this?” You know. And so I start
thinking, “Well, God must have some sort of purpose for me afterwards.” You know. But I just
found that like, “Wow.” And—Fascinating. Yeah.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. Did you land during the day or at night?”
Oh, brother. This I don’t remember. I would say night. I think it was probably night. (14:11)
Interviewer: “What was your first impression of Vietnam when you got there?”
Well, it was frightening. I mean, my first thought—I said, “My guys, this is it. This is Vietnam.”
You know. Not knowing what to expect. It’s just like a little frightening. And so what I recall is
when I landed in Saigon, they put us on these C-130s without seats. There was no seats on them.
Because I was going up to what’s called I Corps, which is Huế Phu Bai.
Interviewer: “Well, did you spend any time on the ground in Saigon first or at Tan Son
Nhut or at another base? Because usually they bring people in, and then they get given
their orders and they’re sent someplace.”
Yeah, I think you’re right because it was when I was at Tan Son Nhut. That’s when I found out
I’ll be with the 101st Airborne. That’s my first recollection, and also something I always
remember is they had this special toothpaste, which was nine percent. The ten was fluoride. I
don’t why, but I remember these strange things. So yeah. So I guess that was at Tan Son Nhut.
Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. All right, but then they put you in a C-130.”
Yeah, and they turned off all the lights. I remember they turned off all the lights, and they said,
“You are now in a combat zone.” And this I found frightening because we’re flying. We had no
seats in the plane. There’s no seats in the plane. Just sitting on the bottom of, you know. Just on
a plane without seats, and all the lights are on. And that was—Yeah. An experience.
Interviewer: “Okay, and once you get to Phu Bai, what happens?”
Well, when I get to Huế Phu Bai, we were taken to a place called Camp Evans, and when I got
there, then I was directed to go to a certain barracks, I guess. (16:07) The Charlie Company.
Interviewer: “Okay. Charlie Company of what unit?”
Charlie Company of—Charlie 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne.
Interviewer: “Yeah, and 2nd Battalion of the 506th Regiment.”
Right. It was the—Right. They called the Band of Brothers. Band of Brothers. Yeah.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay, so you joined that, and what kind of reception do you get when you
join the unit?”
Yeah, I joined the unit. I recall everything being fine. It was a warm reception. I don’t recall
any—
Interviewer: “Okay. When did you get to Vietnam?”
I believe I arrived, I think, October ‘69. October ‘69.
Interviewer: “All right. Okay, and was the Company in base camp, or were they out in the
field?”
I think—My recollection would have been that most were in the field at that point. That’s my
recollection.
Interviewer: “Okay, and then did you wait for them to come back, or did you go out to join
them?”
Well, what happened was I wasn’t sure when I got to Vietnam whether I was a conscientious
objector or if I wasn’t, and I knew I had to resolve that before I—Now I had to resolve what I,
you know—So anyway, I’ll just say I wasn’t real anxious to get out to the battlefield because I
wasn’t even sure where my conscience was with all this. And so I was struggling with all this
stuff. So anyway—So when I first got there, I was trying to figure out ways to stay from going
out in the battlefield. So anyway, I found out one of the doctors on base was from Cleveland,
Ohio. (18:06) And so somehow I was talking with this doctor, and I told him I was having a
problem. I guess—I don’t know. Some kind of ear problems. Hearing or something. And he said,
“Well.” He said, “If you want to have your hearing checked, we have to send you out to that
hospital ship, the USS Sanctuary.” Because at that point I was still not keen on—Well, because I
didn’t know if that reference to my conscience was even where I was with—No, it hadn’t been
resolved, so I was just trying to find ways to bide time or—I don’t know—whatever. So I said,
Fine.” So anyway, I went out to the USS Sanctuary. I said, “Here I am on this ship outside.” I
said, “There’s got to be something wrong with me.” I said, “There has to be something wrong
with me.” So they found out I had a pilonidal cyst. So they said, “Well, you know, you can have
this operation for pilonidal cyst.” I said, “Sure.” Because I figured that would just buy me more
time. So I ended up having this operation for the pilonidal cyst, and so then they said, “Well, we
can’t send you back to Vietnam right now because it might get infected.” And the USS
Sanctuary was going into porting Guam or somewhere, so they said, “We have to send you to
Japan. We have to send you to Japan.” And I’ll tell you— “Until you get healed.” It’s quite an
�Bort, Frank
adventure. “We have to send you to Japan to 7th Field Hospital.” So I was on the Sanctuary for a
while. How long? I don’t know. Two, three weeks. Whatever. But I remember everybody was
smoking pipes and everything there. So anyway, I ended up going to the 7th Field Hospital in
Japan, and I was there for—I don’t know—about six weeks. (20:04) And I was a sergeant at that
point, so you’d have twenty-four hours on and twenty-four hours off. And at the 7th Field
Hospital, which is outside of Tokyo. And so it got to be about Christmastime. They said, “Well,
Sergeant Bort, you know, it’s time for you to go back to Vietnam.” So I asked the doctor. I says,
“Is there any way that I can stay until after Christmas?” He says, “Sure.” So I stay in Japan until
after Christmas. Then I went back to ‘Nam.
Interviewer: “Okay. So how did you spend your time in Japan?”
How did I spend it? Well, one night I—Well, I was—Let’s see. Being a sergeant. Let’s see. What
happened? I don’t remember being in charge that night, but I remember they kept everything in
there very clean. We had to polish floors and everything else. But twenty-four hours on and
twenty-four hours off. One day I was off base, and I’d missed the last train back to the base. And
I met this Japanese guy who used to be an officer. Whatever. He was in politics. And we became
friends. And so he showed me all around different places in Japan. Ordinary. You know, people
wouldn’t go. So how I spent it was there’s a place called Shinjuku. Shinjuku was like the
Greenwich Village of New York. So I’d go to Shinjuku. You’d see all these famous actresses,
and so I had my picture taken with these Japanese actresses and, you know, different things. But
I got tuned into the Japanese life. I’d go to these Japanese museums. I would—People, I thought,
there were extremely friendly. Very, very friendly. And so I just had one ball, and I just had a
great time there.
Interviewer: “So when did you actually get back to Vietnam?”
Right at the beginning of January. Right around the beginning. Somewhere around the beginning
because I had to leave right after Christmas. Yeah. (22:04)
Interviewer: “All right, all right. Now this time—So you’re back to your unit, and they
probably don’t know who you are.”
I’ll tell you who the top—the top sergeant said. He said, “Bort, I’ve never seen anybody get over
as much as you. This guy blew the army out of a [?].” He looks at me. He said, “I’ve never seen
anybody get over as much as you.” It was funny.
Interviewer: “All right. At that point now was your unit in camp?”
�Bort, Frank
No, they were out, and I had resolved the fact that—Somewhere along the line I had gone to
chapel and prayed, and I had said, “Well, I would know if I had a family, and somebody came
after my family, I would defend my family.” And I knew I was a very strong anti-communist. So
I said, “Well, I’m fighting communism.” I just said to myself, “I want to help stop communism.”
And that was, you know. So I resolved the whole thing with God and my conscience. So it’s
almost like you’re not really part of—At least my experience—You’re not really part of the
experience until you meet the guys you’re going to be with. Until you bond with them, it’s—
Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. So where do you meet them?”
Out in the field somewhere around—Somewhere close to Ripcord, I guess. We weren’t on
Ripcord yet in January, but it was—
Interviewer: “January you might have been a little closer to the coast like Firebase Jack or
somewhere around there.”
Could have been one of those places. O’Reilly or I don’t know where. Kathyrn. I’m not sure.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Well, there were people at Kathryn or O’Reilly at different times, and
those are kind of between Ripcord and the coast, too. Yeah. I think you may have been at
that point in January still more in the lowlands because that was still monsoon.”
Could be. Yeah. Could very well be. (24:00) But anyway, I did one of the stupidest things a guy
could do. I go out—You know, I’ve flown out on the Huey. The chopper. So I go up to the
company commander who’s at there, and I salute the guy in the field. That’s the stupidest thing
anybody can do because if there are enemy there, then they can recognize, you know. So
immediately it’s like, you know. Because I’ve always felt a bit from some other world. I’ve
never been part of this.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now who was the company commander at that point?”
That was Captain Vazquez.
Interviewer: “Oh, okay. And how did Captain Vazquez respond to being saluted?”
He was the coolest guy I’ve ever met. This was the most professional soldier. To me, we all
considered him to be a soldier soldier. And he never really seemed to get flustered. I don’t
remember that guy ever getting flustered. He just—But I just had the greatest respect for that
guy.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “All right, and so now who was your platoon leader at that point?”
Platoon leader, I believe, at that part was Sergeant Paul Burkey, and Sergeant Paul Burkey and
me were—We had grown up very close to each other in Ohio, so it was like—It was very
interesting meeting somebody from that area.
Interviewer: “Okay, and by reputation he was a pretty good soldier, too.”
That was a guy, I felt, who grew up in the jungle. That man was made for the jungle. I mean, he
was just something else. Oh, yeah.
Interviewer: “Yeah. All right, and then what kinds of things were you doing with the unit
when you first join it? I mean, kind of January, February. In there.”
Well, I remember doing a lot of what they call hoofing, you know, on the ground to different
places because Vazquez had been trained with the Green Beret, and I had talked to him later. I
said, “Why did we always move so often?” And he said—Well, that’s what he learned in the
Green Beret, which is you never stay in one place for, you know, two days. Because I was
curious why we were always moving, but that’s what he learned in the Green Beret. And so we
did a lot of trekking through the jungles, and that’s what I recall. (26:08)
Interviewer: “Okay. Now early on were you having much contact with the enemy, or was it
pretty quiet?”
Early on there was not much. There really wasn’t much, and it kind of reminded me of being in
Boy Scouts. I don’t know why. I just had this feeling of being in Boy Scouts because we didn’t
really have contact early on.
Interviewer: “Okay, and if you were moving through kind of jungle areas or things like
that, did you use trails, or did you stay off of them?”
Well, I remember we hacked our way through a lot. We had these machetes, and we hacked our
way through a lot of stuff. And so I would say we kind of formed our own trails.
Interviewer: “Okay, and now did Sergeant Burkey or the other guys kind of show you
what to do and how to do it?”
Yeah, they broke you in when you were there. It’s like they say the most dangerous time for
anybody is when you first get to the country and when you’re about to leave. So, I mean, it’s a
�Bort, Frank
break. In fact, Lieutenant Campbell was, at a certain point, my platoon leader because I
remember I went on my first long trek, and I had this backpack. And we got to a certain point—I
think it was like almost where we were supposed to go, and my legs gave out under me. The
head said, “Go.” And the legs said, “No.” And he made a comment later. He said, “Man.” He
was surprised they didn’t train people better, you know, for being in that kind of thing, and I
always remember that.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now when you came in, did you become a squad leader right away, or
did you shadow another one for a while, or…?”
I kind of remember quite soon taking over. I mean, that’s my recollection.
Interviewer: “Yeah, and did you take over from anyone, or was there just nobody—not
another sergeant in your squad with you?”
This I don’t remember.
Interviewer: “Okay. All right, and you’re going in as sort of this newly minted sergeant
with no field experience, and the guys that you are leading at this point have all been there
longer than you. How did you approach that? (28:16)
Well, nobody trusted new guys. Nobody trusted them. I mean, you were trusted after you proved
yourself, and so I think they were very wary of new guys. They were very wary because they had
the experience, and we didn’t. So, I mean, you learned a lot from your men. I mean, so it’s like
you may have been the squad leader, but you learned a lot from guys who were there because
they were there before. They had the experience you didn’t have. So it was like you learned
along the way.
Interviewer: “At what point do you think you started really functioning as the squad leader
and being in charge?”
Yeah, I—But I think it’s a gradual process, and I don’t think it’s really until you start having
your first combat. You have your first contact with the enemy, you know, and so forth that you
start getting—I don’t know what you call it. Confidence? Or you just feel more attuned. You feel
more attuned to where you’re at. It’s called in country. You feel more in country.
Interviewer: “Yeah. So how long did it take to have contact or a firefight of any sort?”
My first recollection of that—It may have been March or April. I don’t know. Yeah, yeah.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay, and do you remember anything about what happened?”
I remember this one guy. He’d just come out to the field. Brand new guy. And he got killed
seems like almost in the first week. And I just remember—It’s like, “Wow. The first—” You
know, it’s like, “This is for real.” (30:03) I also remember a lot of guys just playing cards. I
remember—Because we had a lot of downtime. So guys like Vazquez would read these Western
books. Cowboys and Westerns. And I remember just playing a lot of cards and stuff. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Yeah. So it’s not too—not a particularly intense experience yet, but
you are getting used to marching through the jungles and cutting trails.”
The jungles. And yeah, getting acclimated with the guys, the country. Yeah, so it’s a—Yeah.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Okay. Now starting in March the battalion has the assignment of
establishing the firebase at Ripcord, but the first attempt to establish it—A Company tried
it, and it didn’t work. And then B Company on April 1st lands there, but there’s too much
fire. They take off. All right, and then a week or so later, it’s your company’s turn. Now
were you part of that? Were you one of the guys?”
Yes, I was one of the first. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Talk about that day. What happens that day?”
What happened was I had been in the—in a field hospital because I had cellulitis in my hand,
and it was too tender for the medic out there to heal it. So they had flown me in to this field
hospital where I was—They had to get the infection out. So I had met Lieutenant Campbell who
was, I think, coming off an R&R or something. So we both flew out to the bottom of Ripcord—
on the foothills of Ripcord. We both flew out together because we heard they had action around
that area, and we both felt badly that we weren’t there. Because once you meet your men, you
want to be with your men. You just want to be there. (32:01) And so we both felt badly that we
hadn’t been there, but they hadn’t really gone up Ripcord yet. They were just around it. And I
remember—Two instances I remember was—Well, everybody has to take a leak or whatever,
and I went to this one area, and they says, “Sergeant Bort, that area you’re walking to is not
safe.” So I came back. The other thing I remember—There was a chopper coming in. There was
a pretty tall guy with a helmet on, and the chopper came down and didn’t hurt him, but the blade
hit the top of his helmet. And I always remembered that. And thank God that, you know, the guy
wasn’t hurt. But I remember it hit the top of his helmet. So I don’t know where you want me to
go from there.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Well, basically, what do you do? You join the unit. You’re at the base of the
hill. Now what happens?”
Yeah. Okay, so what happens is we’re told at a certain time or whatever, we’re going to go up
the hill. We don’t know what the hell to expect. We don’t know what—We just don’t know what
is going to happen. You know, and so my recollection is we’re spread out and—
Interviewer: “How steep was the side of the hill?”
Well, it wasn’t like a cliff or nothing. It wasn’t like this, but it was something like—I don’t know
how you say—
Interviewer: “Well, were you able to walk, or…?”
Yeah, we could walk it. We’re able to walk it, but the thing is we had no idea what to expect.
And so we’re walking up there. And so then finally we get up to the top, and we see that there’s
no enemy up there. And my recollection was somebody got killed because they did something up
there, but I don’t know what happened. (34:05) So anyway, I mean, we felt exalted. How could
you not? You felt great that you got to the top of this place. It was like, “Wow. Here we are.
Here we are on Ripcord, and we did it. We’re here.” It was great. It was a wonderful feeling.
Interviewer: “Now at that point do you start digging positions, or putting up wire, or what
are you…?”
Oh, yeah. Immediately you start putting up wire. You start digging foxholes. All kind of—The
perimeter. The fence. And they bring in these—I don’t know what you call them—gunships and
everything. But they drop this—See, I’ve forgotten what they were even called. This hot stuff
that burns everything around the area.
Interviewer: “Well, that’s napalm.”
Napalm. But they’d drop it off, and I remember they got too close to where I was. I was with this
Radcliff, and so—Because I’m on the side of the hill. I’m not on the top of it. And so I go up and
tell Burkey. I said, “These guys—They’re dropping this napalm too close.” So then they call
them off. They notified me, and I said, you know, “You’ve got to back off with this napalm.”
Because they got too close to us. But that was quite frightening because it was being dropped too
close.
Interviewer: “Do you remember helicopters bringing in a bulldozer or anything else like
that?”
�Bort, Frank
Yeah, gradually everything was coming in. Bulldozers, artillery, everything. And at one point
they brought out—They called the guy Black Jack. I forgot some of the names, but—
Interviewer: “Yeah, it’s sort of the—It was like—He was a—”
The Lieutenant Colonel.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Because he was like a Spade.”
Spade.
Interviewer: “Black Spade.”
Black Spade. My—Black Spade. Yeah. Well, he came in, and for some reason, he asked me to
play the part of a gook. (36:12) To go outside the wire. He wanted me to go outside the wire and
come in. So I did. So I was pretending like I was the gook, you know. You know, that’s what we
called them then. We called them the gook. And so I came out of the wire or however I did it,
and they were watching, you know, as I came in. I always remembered that because he wanted
me to play that part.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now do you remember Captain Vazquez inspecting the works or
anything like that? Did you see anything of him while you were…?”
Oh, yeah. He—Let’s see. I don’t know if Vazquez was there at that time.
Interviewer: “He was not there that day. Not the first day you came in. I think the second
day.”
Did he? Because you know better than I do. Okay. Yeah. Okay.
Interviewer: “But then, once he was there, I guess—One thing that Lieutenant Bob
Wallace talks about—Vazquez looking at the—you know, his wire and tearing it all up and
making them do it all over again.”
Well, Vazquez was very precise. I mean, Vazquez—You’re talking a professional soldier, you
know. I mean, he would be by the book. So yeah, Vazquez—Yeah.
Interviewer: “Because Vazquez also talks about designing your defensive positions and
things like that. The holes you were in.”
�Bort, Frank
I didn’t hear you. That Vazquez talks about? What’d you say?
Interviewer: “Yeah. Vazquez. He talked about designing the defensive positions and the
shape of the holes you would be in and all that kind of stuff like where you’d sleep and
where you’d fire from.”
So you’re saying Vazquez did that?
Interviewer: “Yeah.”
It wouldn’t surprise me because he was a master. He was the master. It’s funny. When we were
with Vazquez, we never feared anything. Our attitude was, “He’s smarter than the enemy.” And
so when we were with Vazquez, there really wasn’t that much fear.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now were you ever with Vazquez when there was much actual
fighting?” (38:01)
Well, yeah. The first action we had, I believe, we were with Vazquez. We were hit on one side of
the mountain or something, and I was on the other side. I remember blowing a Claymore on the
opposite side and then going up with my squad or whatever to join the first squad where they
were being hit. And I remember some guys had gotten injured and so forth. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay, and so, I mean, did you see anything of Vazquez at that point, or…?”
The only thing I can say about that is he kept everything in good order. That’s the only thing I
can remember. He kept everything in order so it wouldn’t go into chaos. That’s the main thing I
remember him.
Interviewer: “And the Vietnamese sometimes had a way of avoiding the companies that
were well-managed.”
Precisely. I always had the thought that the Vietnamese knew who had their shit together, and
Vazquez always did. He had his shit together.
Interviewer: “So you’re on Ripcord, and you’re there helping set it up. Do you have a sense
of how long you stayed on Ripcord before you rotated off?”
Well, they were sending these squads, platoons, whatever out into the field, so I don’t recall ever
being on Ripcord that long. We would be there, and then they would send us on these patrols.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Yeah. Right. Because they had to rotate which companies were there, and
sometimes they split platoons out of the companies.”
Correct. Right, right, right.
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. So kind of in April, May, June—So before the siege, before
Hill 902, you’re patrolling a lot in the jungle. Are you finding anything?” (40:11)
Well, what we found—Yeah. What we found was a North Vietnamese treasurer. A guy who had
all the money who was going to pay the troops. And we found him, and I know they shot him.
We just kept on thinking, you know, “His guys are not going to be that happy. They’re not going
to get paid.” But I also remember being out in the jungles in the mountains, and I remember them
calling in fire from the New Jersey. I remember that happening, and I was like amazed. I said,
“Wow. The battleship. And you’re calling New Jersey.” It’s like, “Wow.” You know.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Were there signs of enemy activity? I mean, you ran across the
paymaster.”
Ran across the paymaster. I think there were sightings. There may have been sightings here and
there, but I don’t remember anything that close at that point. But I remember at one point we
came up upon a North Vietnamese—Something happened, and it may have been an officer. And
he was in a bush and you know. And so yeah. So anyway he didn’t last long. I’ll put it that way.
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. Now I know a couple of things happened, I think, in June,
but one of them is that Vazquez rotates to the rear. Do you remember when he left, or…?”
That’s what’s most confusing to me. When he left. Because then we had other people come in
charge, and that was—I don’t know when that was.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Now there was also a stand down in June, and most of the battalion
went back to Camp Evans for a couple days.”
Yes.
Interviewer: “All right, and that changeover might have happened then.”
It could have happened then. Yeah.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay. Now do you remember anything about the fellow who replaced
Vazquez?” (42:06)
Well, we had a bunch of people replacing—I think—I don’t know. Lamb? Somebody Lamb,
or—I’ll be honest. I get confused.
Interviewer: “Well, okay. The commander who replaced him was a fellow named Hewitt.”
Hewitt. Okay. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Captain Hewitt. And he was with you not too long in the end.”
Because he came from down south.
Interviewer: “Yes.”
Yeah, and what I remember about him is we couldn’t believe this. They would bring—See, they
were fighting a different war down south than up north, and we couldn’t figure out— “Why are
they sending this guy up here? Because we’re fighting a different war up here.” And he just
seemed to be misplaced. It just seemed to be misplaced. I was just saying. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now did the company still pretty much function the way it had under
Vazquez?”
Well, what happened was I didn’t care for the discipline when Hewitt came. I didn’t care for the
discipline because one of the things I loved about being in the jungle is a lot of freedom. Nobody
really harped on you because you’re out there. You’re fighting. And, you know, it’s not like
being in the back. And you always had a lot—And so you always had a lot of freedom. But when
Hewitt came, he wanted—I got to be pretty well-known for this. But when Hewitt came, he had
this thing where he wanted everybody to shave off their mustaches. And I said, “Now wait a
minute,” to myself. “Here I am willing to give up my life for my country, but—” I don’t know.
Maybe everybody has a certain—I said, “I ain’t shaving off my mustache.” So anyway the
colonel, Harrison, came out one day, and he’s talking to Hewitt. So I walk up to the colonel.
He’s talking to Hewitt. (44:05) And I said, “Colonel, what’s the—” I said, “What’s the
procedure with mustaches?” And Harrison said, “As long as they’re neat and clean, you know—
” So I get to keep my mustache, and I felt sorry for everybody who had to shave them off. And
all the men said, “Bort.” Even Campbell got on me later. He said, “What the hell, Bort?” You
know, you know. But I guess I had these boundaries. It’s like I’m willing to go so far and then
forget it, you know. “If you want to send me to stockade, do it. I’m already out here.” But I felt
�Bort, Frank
so proud, and everybody kind of like—“Who is this guy?” You know. “He walks up, and he—”
But I always felt like, “Wow.” Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Well, you’re talking about discipline now. Now Vazquez was certainly
disciplined.”
But he didn’t care about mustaches and shit. I mean, Vazquez cared about keeping—I don’t want
to get down on Hewitt, but like I said, everybody felt—Vazquez knew that area. Hewitt—It’s not
fair to Hewitt because he came from down south. He came up north, and he’s fighting. And the
guy’s out of place, so it’s nothing against him. He was in a different warzone. It was a different
thing.
Interviewer: “Well, yeah, yeah. Basically I’m just trying to sort of clarify a little bit
because, you know, Vazquez, you know—He had his rules and his way of doing things, but
they were all geared toward keeping you alive.”
Keep you alive and keep you safe. And in many ways you felt loved by Vazquez. I mean, you
just felt this was a fatherly figure. We used to call him “old man”. I mean, one time we’re going
up this mountain. You know, we’re going way up there, and it’s surrounded in clouds. I walk up
to him, and I said, “Sir, is it okay if I go and play in the snow?” I mean, I was just—And you
know, I said, “Is it okay if I go play in the snow?” He knew me, and he just—Everybody laughed
at me because even like Liebecke says to me—He said, “Bort.” He said, “You’re the most—
You’re like the most unusual soldier there ever was.” (46:14) But, you know, just these comical
things. Yeah.
Interviewer: “All right. Now whose platoon—Now you were in Burkey’s platoon still?”
Well, I was in—I remember being in Burkey’s. Then it was Campbell. Took over for a while.
And then the guy from A Company took over. He was a West Point grad from Alaska.
Interviewer: “Well, that was—Well, Hawkins—”
Hawkins went for a while.
Interviewer: “Okay, but that—”
That was before Ripcord.
Interviewer: “Yeah, but he was actually—Yeah, I mean, he was a lieutenant.”
�Bort, Frank
Yeah. Lieutenant. Okay.
Interviewer: “Yeah. But anyway—But you’ve got—But I guess—And so, well, we’re now
kind of getting now—So there’s a stand down in June. You go back out on the field. You’ve
got Captain Hewitt now as your commander, and now we get to the first of July. Now the
first of July is when the North Vietnamese start hitting Ripcord with mortars, and your
company—Now were you—There were two platoons of your company that went on Hill
902, and Burkey’s platoon was not there.”
No, no. What happened is we would have—My recollection is we would have these rotations,
and it was Burkey’s platoon’s turn to rotate to go back on Ripcord. And I happened to be with
Burkey, so we went back to Ripcord.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Okay, and then on that night you have a situation where the
company—those other two platoons—they stay on Hill 902 for a second night.”
A tragic second night.
Interviewer: “And violating, you know—”
Violating all of Vazquez’s rules.
Interviewer: “Yeah, and they were doing it under orders.”
Oh, I know, but, I mean, I just knew Vazquez would never do such a thing.
Interviewer: “Right. Yeah, and so now they get overrun. Now from where you were did you
know that was happening?” (48:00)
Yes. We could see it happening. We were sorry we weren’t there because here your company—
They’re out there, and you’re on this firebase. You can see all this shit going on, and it tears your
heart apart because you want to be with your men. You want to be out there. And yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now how do you reunite with them?”
Well, they—No. Now what happens is as soon as daybreak comes, they chopper us out to the
hill, and they give us bags to look for body parts. So I’m walking around with this big plastic bag
looking for body parts. I didn’t find any, but that’s what—I mean, you know. That’s what I was
doing. And for the first time in my life I see men—They talk about the thousand-yard stare. I’ve
never seen that before, but guys who went through 902—They were, for one day, totally—They
�Bort, Frank
were just changed men. I look in their eyes, and you could see this—I’d never seen it before.
This thousand-yard stare. And I was like, “Wow. What the hell happened here?” I mean, you’re
just like, “What was this all about?”
Interviewer: “Yeah, and did anybody tell you anything about what happened?”
Well, yeah, eventually people would say what happened. They would give you their, you
know—“We were overrun.” Because the captain, Hewitt, got killed that night. I heard different
stories. One his twelve gauge shotgun got jammed. He was in the hammock or something, and it
got jammed.
Interviewer: “Yeah, yeah. So you got bits and pieces from the different people who
survived it.”
Different people who were there.
Interviewer: “Yeah, and hadn’t been wounded and taken off because those two platoons
were a lot smaller than they had been. And so now you’ve got a situation where your
company is pretty badly under strength, and your platoon is a lot of it.”
Right. Okay.
Interviewer: “Okay, and then you get a new commander coming in. You’ve got Captain
Wilcox coming in.”
Okay.
Interviewer: “All right. Do you remember him joining the unit?”
I remember him joining the unit because we hit it off great immediately. We just hit it off. We
just hit it off immediately. (50:01) And so the next major objective I remember if I’m not going
too fast is we were told by Spade to go up to this Hill 1000.
Interviewer: “I think it was an event the day before when some of the men went to recover.
A mechanical ambush. And your medic got killed.”
Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. I was with Campbell, and this, I think, is when—Can’t remember his
name. Schlecker or Schlacker or whatever. But one of the guys—I was going to take the guy
back. He was supposed to go home on a—He was supposed to go on a seven-day leave, so I told
Campbell. I said, “I’ll go on the squad with them to go out to check all the mechanical
�Bort, Frank
ambushes.” And Lieutenant Campbell says, “No, you stay right where you are.” And then the
one gentleman, Reissinger, went out and got killed, and I was going to take the guy’s place. So
you think of what—And I remember guys being called back and screaming out of pain. And
yeah, I remember all that.
Interviewer: “Yeah. And so you lost your medic, and then you got a new one come in who
was a conscientious objector.”
Okay.
Interviewer: “And you might not even gotten to know him, but—because he just joined
you, and he was not armed. But then that next day, that’s—Now you get the order from the
battalion commander to go and attack Hill 1000. All right. And so take me through that
day.”
Yeah. Through that day. That was probably the most momentous day of my being there. And I
always carried a bible around with me. And I remember talking to Hupp, one of the guys in my
squad. And I said, “Hupp, some of us are not going to make it back from this hill.” I just had
to—“Some of us are not going to make it back.” He was one of those who didn’t make it back.
(52:03) Yeah. What happened was—I’m a little confused. But I don’t know if we had a platoon.
But we had what I think was like twenty-six guys or something.
Interviewer: “That was your company. You had thirty men.”
Thirty men. See? Oh my god. See, this is my recollection.
Interviewer: “Okay. So basically—I mean, my understanding was you were told—Basically
you were attacking a hill that had sort of two crests on it, and D Company was supposed to
go up one side.”
Yeah, that was the day before.
Interviewer: “Well, they had tried it, but they were supposed to go up again that day, same
as you. But you had to go through the jungle, around the hill, and up the other end.”
Yeah.
Interviewer: “So first you have a hike through the jungle, and then you go up the side of
the hill. Okay. Now do you remember going up to the side of the hill?”
�Bort, Frank
Yeah. Yeah, I do. I remember. Yeah, quite vividly. Yeah, so anyway we’re going up the hill, and
from my recollection, according to Sergeant Burkey, I was the first one up the hill. That’s what
he told me. And so anyway when I get up on top Hill 1000, there’s all of a sudden all this firing
going on, and so I get on the ground. And so then other guys—You know, Sergeant Burkey and
some come behind me, and so then they actually knew more than I did about where the firing
and stuff was going on. So we worked our way up to this ridge because there were trees there,
and you could hide. Yeah, hide behind the trees. So I got behind this one tree. Burkey was on the
other side of the hill. Whatever. And so Campbell was behind me and the captain…
Interviewer: “Wilcox.” (54:06)
Wilcox was there, but Wilcox was pretty new in company, so Campbell took pretty much the
command at that—From my understanding. From my take. At that point.
Interviewer: “Basically Campbell and Wilcox say that Campbell’s—Wilcox wanted to go
forward. Now he had experience from being a platoon leader already, but Campbell said,
‘No. You’re the company commander. You can’t get killed, so I’ll go.’ So, in a way—So
Campbell was kind of taking charge there, but he was then kind of leading the forward
move.”
Yeah. So I remember—I remember getting behind this tree because I remember being one of the
first ones that actually got to that ridge. And I saw them firing from this bunker. And so at one
point Campbell says—He said, “Bort. Sergeant Bort.” He said, “Get your head down.” So he
probably saved my life at that point. So anyway I got my head down behind the tree and, you
know, was shooting at stuff. And then he said, “Take your helmet off, and hold your helmet in
the air.” So I took a stick and held my helmet in the air, and they’re shooting it with a machine
gun at my helmet. And so then—Anyway, at a certain point he, I think—Campbell, to the best of
my knowledge, said, you know, “Get somebody in your squad or somebody, you know, with the
grenades. Who can shoot grenades over there.” And so I told Hupp. I said, “Hupp.” Because I
was kind of passing down orders I was getting. I said, you know, “You have the grenade
launcher and, you know, if you could start shooting grenades over there.” And that’s when to my
utter, complete, total surprise, he got up on his knees. It’s like you’re watching this stuff, and you
don’t believe it’s happening. (56:01) It’s like you’re—It’s like it’s—You—I mean, you just—
And so when he got up on his knees, he got shot in the head.
Interviewer: “How far in front of you was he?”
Five feet or even that. He was quite close, and it wasn’t that far from me because I was behind
this tree at that point. And so he got up on his knees, and it’s like you’re not believing this.
You’re looking at it. You’re not believing it. And you know. And so he got shot in the head. So I
�Bort, Frank
called the medic. I called for the medic, and I didn’t know this guy was—I didn’t know anything
about this medic being conscious. I didn’t know anything about this guy. So it’s almost like that
movie about orange they talk about it. What was that? Orange...
Interviewer: “A Clockwork Orange?”
Not Clockwork, but one of these things. The fantasy thing about Vietnam. Whatever it was. I
forget which one it was. Marlon Brando or who was in it. But it’s like unreal.
Interviewer: “Oh. Apocalypse Now.”
Apocalypse Now. It’s the only thing I can relate it to is being like Apocalypse Now. This—I call
the medic as I see Hupp’s been hit, and so here I’m watching this like surreal thing going on.
This medic walking up. It’s like, “What the hell’s going on here?” He’s just standing, walking,
going up. You know, because he should be down on the ground. He should be protecting
himself, and I didn’t know the guy was kind of—I didn’t know anything about the guy. All I had
to do was call the medic, and so then he gets hit and killed. And so later on I’m talking to some
of the guys, and I said, “You know, when Hupp got hit, was he killed immediately?” They said,
“No, he was still alive. He didn’t last that much longer.” Because I was wondering. I didn’t—
They said, “No. After he got hit, he didn’t die immediately, but—” So I was just wondering, you
know, about that, but I remember—So, anyway, that happened. And then I remember going to
the other side of the hill to see Burkey, and then we talked. I remember talking to Burkey, and
then all of a sudden we were commanded to get off the hill. (58:17) We were told enemy troops
were approaching from this side of the hill, and you’ve got to get down.
Interviewer: “Okay. Did you have the two bodies with you?”
We did. Had the bodies with us. And so I carried Hupp. I put Hupp on my back, and I’d never
had that experience before. That this was a man going through rigor mortis. I could feel him go
into rigor mortis as I’m carrying him, and I was running out of water. I was running out of water.
So here I am carrying my best friend because Hupp was my best friend. And so here I am
carrying my best friend on my back who’s dead. I’m running out of water at the top of a hill. So
anyway I asked one of them—I remember I asked somebody if they had any water, and they did
in their canteen. So they gave me some water, and—Because I didn’t carry him all the way
down. Then we passed, you know, the body on to somebody, and I remember when I got down
to the bottom of the hill—I’d never had an experience like this before, but it’s one those—I don’t
know what they call—kind of moments. But it was a moment when I really didn’t care if I was
living or dead anymore. It’s like I had this feeling like I didn’t care if I was living or dead, and I
remember the thought was, “When you no longer fear death, you don’t fear anything.” I
remember having the sense I didn’t fear anything because if you don’t fear death, you don’t fear
�Bort, Frank
anything. But it was one of those—I don’t know what kind of moment you’d even call it. It was
just—You know, but I—Because I was so exhausted, and it was just—Just through the whole
experience it was—Yeah, just— (1:00:10)
Interviewer: “Surreal, I suppose.”
Surreal. It was like you’re—I don’t know how you describe it. It was some kind of a—Yeah.
Interviewer: “Now do you recall seeing anything else going on around you at that point?”
No, no. My remembrance is that I don’t think I ever remember being so exhausted ever in my
life. I mean, I just don’t remember ever being that exhausted as I was. And, I mean—Yeah.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Now when you got back, did you remember seeing any of the guys
from Delta Company there, or was just your own guys?”
I think there were other guys. I think there was a bunch of guys there, but my main recollection
is Wilcox coming to talk to me because he had told Black Spade, the lieutenant colonel, that I
was—that I had actually seen the enemy. And so anyway I ended up with Black Spade and
Wilcox. And I told Black Spade, “Yeah. Yeah, you know, I saw them in—whatever—the bunker
and shooting and, you know, the whole thing.” And so anyway I—So my recollection is when I
was there with them, he asked Wilcox to take his guys up again. (1:02:09) Which absolutely
made absolutely no sense to me because I’d never been so exhausted in my life. It just—It didn’t
come to me. I couldn’t—I mean, I just—I didn’t—I couldn’t put that together in my mind. Going
up again. And I remember Wilcox saying, “Sir, if you want to, you can send me up. I’ll go
alone.” I never met such a—There ain’t no way I would have said that. I mean, you talk about a
hero. I wasn’t going to go up that hill again alone. And so—But Wilcox said, “No.” He said,
“No, I’m not going to ask my men to go up there again.” You know. But he said, you know—He
said, “I’ll go up there again alone if you want.” And I said, “Well, what the hell kind of guy is
this who’ll go up there alone?”
Interviewer: “And at this point did Wilcox seem fairly calm or rational, or was he angry,
or…?”
Oh, yeah. I thought he was rational. Yeah, he was rational. I didn’t see him as being kooky. I
didn’t see him as being any—He was just—I think he knew what the hell we’d been through.
Interviewer: “And when Colonel Lucas, Black Spade—When he talked to you, was he—He
was only asking about what you saw. He’s not asking about what the condition of the men
are, or…?”
�Bort, Frank
I don’t remember him asking—I don’t recall him asking about the condition of the guys. I just
confirmed that yes, I saw the enemy and what I may have told him. But I don’t recall him asking
about, you know. But I recall Wilcox saying, “I’ll go up alone.” And I said,“Who the hell is this
guy?”
Interviewer: “Okay, and then what did Black Spade do at that point?”
Well, at that—Okay. When that happened, I—Pretty much after I said, “Yes, I saw the enemy,”
and I heard Wilcox saying all this, I think I was kind of dismissed, or I went back. (1:04:16) So I
don’t know. So I didn’t learn until later that they’d had to go, you know. Yeah.
Interviewer: “But basically they have a discussion of sorts, and Wilcox is removed from
command.”
He’s removed. Right., right. He’s removed. Here’s a West Point graduate who is taken out of the
field, but he was never stripped of his rank, which is very rare, I heard. It was very rare. So he
went back to the back.
Interviewer: “Yeah, he was sent to the rear.”
Sent to the rear, which would normally be quite a disgrace because when you’re out there, here
this guy’s a hero. Greatest hero. You know. And I’m thinking Black Spade’s out of his mind.
This is just my thing. I said, “How the hell are we going to go back?” And I had never been so
tired in my life. Exhausted. That we’re going to go back up. “What the heck is this?”
Interviewer: “All right. So now your commander’s gone. And what happens to the
company at that point?”
Then I remember, I think, going back to Campbell or something.
Interviewer: “Well, Campbell would’ve taken over because he would’ve been the only
officer left until they bring in the new commander.”
Yeah. So that’s why I remember him. And then I remember something about Alpha Company
coming under some kind of fire somewhere, and they had a lot of resistance. And so they sent us
to relieve Alpha Company. That was my recollection.
Interviewer: “Okay. Well, there were—Yeah. I mean, so you’re basically—I think the
sequence, I mean—So Alpha Company gets into really big trouble at the very end. Like
�Bort, Frank
22nd, 23rd of July right at the time of the evacuation of the firebase. And Delta Company
1506 got in trouble a day before that, and you guys went out to help them get out.”
(1:06:06)
Okay. Delta. I wasn’t sure. Okay.
Interviewer: “Yeah. But there were a couple of those things going on. So you’re pulled out
on the field. Because I guess in Wilcox’s account of things, I mean, maybe he wasn’t
relieved absolutely immediately because he talked about bringing in new guys and having
new guys and old guys mix together. And then at a certain point he’s removed from
command not too long afterward. But regardless—But they did have to kind of rebuild the
company because you’d gotten so small, and so that would have taken—Okay. So—And at
this point a lot of that—After that incident at Hill 1000, are things kind of a blur for you
for a while?”
Well, I remember being on the field, and I remember being choppered out to relieve this Delta
Company—I guess Delta—and all the shit they’ve been through. And then I remember we had to
get out of there in a hell of a hurry. Something was going on. We’re being surrounded or
something. Yeah, and, you know—And sent these choppers, and I remember being one of the
last guys on the chopper. And I used to think, “Man. I’m one of the last guys getting out of this
chopper. I better make sure I—” You know. I mean, I was relieved when I got on the chopper
because I didn’t want to be left behind. But my recollection is one of the last guys getting out of
the chopper. Getting out of there.
Interviewer: “Right. Yeah. Because the NVA had been closing in on this other company,
and you had bought them some time. But now you had to get out.”
Right.
Interviewer: “Yeah, and it was getting—According to Liebeck, it was getting dark and, you
know, getting to the end of the day, and so you had to get out. Yeah. Okay, and now do you
go back, and do you have a stand down at Evans, or…?”
What date was this?
Interviewer: “This would have been about July 22nd, 23rd. About the time of the
evacuation of the base.”
Okay. Yeah. (1:08:03) Yeah, my recollection—Okay, we would go back to Evans and have a
stand down at that point. That would be my recollection.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay. All right, and now do you go back out in the field then after that?”
I remember leaving country. It was around the middle of August. I remember Sergeant Burkey
being in the hospital or something. For something or other.
Interviewer: “Do you remember going to any other firebases after going to Evans, or do
you think you went from Evans and just left?”
I just recall Evans. That’s all I recall at this point.
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. But you’re getting to the end of your tour at that point.”
Right.
Interviewer: “I guess, because earlier you mentioned—Okay, so you arrived in Vietnam in
October of ‘69, and you went away because you were—had the medical stuff, but that still
counts as part of your overseas.”
Correct. Right. Well, I got out for early school. It was—Yeah, I got out early because I was
applying for graduate school, so they called it an early out. So I got—Yeah, so that’s what
happened there.
Interviewer: “All right. So how do they get you out of Vietnam? Once you get your orders
to leave, what happens?”
So—Okay. Then it’s what you call the Big Bird comes in wherever that was. The major airport, I
guess. I don’t know.
Interviewer: “Well, would you have gone to Cam Ranh Bay or Tan Son Nhut or someplace
like that?”
I would say Cam Ranh Bay. I don’t remember going back to—
Interviewer: “Okay. A lot of people left through there, so it’s possible.”
That’s what I would imagine. That’s what happened. Was Cam Ranh Bay. Cam Ranh Bay. Yeah,
because I remember being in Cam Ranh Bay. And so that’s where—And I remember being on
like either the next to last or last guy on the plane. (1:10:07) And I don’t know what was going
on on the plane, but somebody said, “If you don’t calm down, we’re not taking off.” And I’m
�Bort, Frank
like, “What the hell is this?” There on the plane. I don’t know what’s going on. So anyway I
remember I was in the front row of the plane. And yeah, it’s funny.
Interviewer: “Okay, and then where do you land in the States?”
Fort Lewis, Washington. I land in Fort Lewis, Washington, and that’s where you’re supposed to
have all your discharge. Well, they had lost my—Because the only thing I could figure out—
When I went to Japan, they had lost my papers. I don’t know what happened. So then I had to be
discharged on my say-so. And so that’s when they did the DD214 on my—And the captain who
was doing all this—That’s what I was signed down. Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now when you left from there, did you wear your uniform to go home,
or did you change clothes?”
I remember wearing my uniform.
Interviewer: “Okay. As you’re going through airports, did you ever see any protesters or
things like that?”
Yeah, but—Not that—But, you know, what I remember before those flights in—Everybody was
looking forward to getting this big steak. Because when you get back there, they had this steak
thing, and we’re talking about getting this steak. So I remember that. Then I remember flying out
on Continental, and I was so impressed with Continental Airlines. I thought, “Man, this is
something else.” I remember, I think, you know, flying through Colorado or something, and then
from there to Cleveland. And my mom and brother and two sisters met me in Cleveland. Yeah.
Interviewer: “All right. Now to go back to Vietnam a little bit—A few other things. There
are stereotypes about Vietnam that often don’t always apply all that well to people who
were out on the field. One of them is that there was a lot of drug use and so forth. Did you
notice any of that?”
No, no. What I found—And they said the 101st was a very professional—Of course, Vazquez
was professional professional, you know. (1:12:07) His thing was keeping guys alive and, you
know, professional. I don’t recall any—I don’t recall anything—Any time we were out on the
field—Because everybody was responsible for everybody else’s back. And I don’t think anyone
would put up with that because everybody was responsible for everybody else. So anytime they
was on the field, I—No, I don’t recall anything.
Interviewer: “Okay. If you’re on base camp—”
�Bort, Frank
On base then there’s more leniency. Yeah, yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay, and then also a question just about racial tensions at that point. Did
you observe any either in the field or back in the rear?”
There—Yeah, there was some out in the field, but not by all the races. There were—Some of the
African Americans were absolutely fabulous. They were just terrific soldiers, and there were
others that just didn’t seem to be too happy to be there, you know. And I got to thinking some of
them really didn’t care to be under me. I’ll be honest. I thought they felt like I didn’t know what I
was doing or something. It might be they didn’t feel very—I don’t know. So I didn’t feel
particularly admired or liked by some of them.
Interviewer: “Okay. Then did you have much contact with any Vietnamese people whether
civilian or military?”
Well, I remember some Vietnamese because what happened was I didn’t smoke at that time. So
since I didn’t smoke, we used to get all these packages in, and I remember trading cigarettes for
chicken and different things. But I can’t recall any certain time. But I just remember feeling great
that I didn’t smoke because I could trade my cigarettes for—You know, with Vietnamese for
stuff.
Interviewer: “So how would you encounter Vietnamese people?”
This is a good question. I don’t even know how.
Interviewer: “Well, some worked on the bases. So if you were back at Evans or
something—” (1:14:09)
Maybe. Maybe there or—Could have been. They could have been.
Interviewer: “Because there weren’t a lot of civilians in the areas where you operated.”
No, there weren’t. I’ll tell you one thing, though. My mom was very popular in Vietnam because
she would get the ladies from the community to bake cookies. To do all kind of stuff. And so I
would have all my care packages sent out to the field, but I heard a lot of people didn’t. They
kept them at the base. But I would get my care packages and share them with people. Like
sausage, cookies, all kind of stuff, you know. And that’s what I recall. And, you know, getting
pop out there, cans of pop. Different things, you know.
�Bort, Frank
Interviewer: “Okay. All right. So now once you are back in the States and you’re
discharged, now what do you do?”
Okay, okay. I went back to the farm where I grew up because that’s where I—That was the home
I had at that time. And my mom was away, but my dad died at forty-nine. And so I stayed with—
I stayed actually in the farmhouse. It was a ranch home, but it was on my grandfather’s farm.
And that’s where I stayed.
Interviewer: “Okay, and then did you go back to school, or…?”
No, what happened was I—What happened—I was—Like I said, I got an early out in order to go
to college, so I went to John Carroll. I was going to get a master’s in social work, and what
happened when I went to apply, they said, “Well, you stammer, and because you stammer, we
can’t take you into this program.” So here my plans to go to grad school fell apart. So I said,
“Well, this is—Okay, they’re not going to accept me because I stammer.” You know. So then I
went back home. (1:16:10) And to my recollection, I tried to find a job at that point. Yeah, and I
remember I went to this employment agency, and I remember my mom went with me at that
point and—I don’t know. But it’s like the guy there was not very happy with Vietnam vets. And
it probably upset my mom more than me. I don’t know. But it just—That, I think, was the one
instance—The major instance I recall was—I don’t know what I was doing. Applying for—I
don’t know what I was doing. Looking for a job or—I don’t know—whatever I was doing. See,
what happened was I had applied for a job right before I went to Vietnam as an appointment
counselor or something, but I got drafted the same day I was supposed to start the job. Therefore,
they didn’t save the job for me. The same day. So then I went back, and so there was no job for
me. So it took me a little while until I found a job in Cleveland as a caseworker with Public Aid.
Yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay, and is that the kind of career area you stayed in, or…?”
Yeah. So I stayed in my—basic social work my whole life. I’ve been in that.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Did you eventually get a master’s degree from somebody else?”
No, no, no. What happened, though, even before the Cleveland—even before all this happened, I
was on the farm, and I started to become suicidal. I felt everything was closing in on me. I felt
everything was closing in on me. I was beginning to feel—I was feeling suicidal and—Because I
know when I first got back, I couldn’t sleep on the bed. I had to sleep on the floor, and any loud
noise—Boom. You know. (1:18:06) And so anyway, my mom knew this pharmaceutical
salesman who knew a psychiatrist. So I went to see the psychiatrist, and I think I must have
scared the heck out of this guy. He put me on four major medications for a year. Mellaril,
�Bort, Frank
Sinequan, and whatever. So for a year I was on these major medications, you know. And so—
But that eventually brought me down. The medications eventually brought me down. Because I
remember going to see the psychiatrist at the—in Cleveland. But he said no, you know. That was
fine. And so—At the VA. I was at the VA, but they just kind of dismissed me, so—
Interviewer: “Well, PTSD hadn’t really been identified yet.”
I guess it hadn’t. Yeah.
Interviewer: “And the VA wasn’t treating it. And in effect, with some of the stuff you
had—like the reflex stuff—that can be controlled to some extent by the kinds of—maybe
tranquilizer type things that you were being given. So that might have accidentally wound
up being something useful for you at that point.”
I hear you. Yeah.
Interviewer: “But yeah. At least, that’s what I—I mean, I’m just kind of guessing
because—Putting that together.”
But I know when they put me on all this major medication for a year, you know, I came down.
Interviewer: “All right. And then do you still—Do you have, you know, longer-lasting
after-effects?”
Yeah. Well, I did. I mean, all the major stuff kind of—Well, I’ve been in—I was in therapy for
many years, but not everything was Vietnam. I had, you know, just growing up issues and things
to do with life, and I’ve always been kind of a sensitive soul. It’s like Liebeck says. I’d be the
last one you would think would be in the army. I had actually signed up for the Peace Corps to
go to Kenya, but I was turned down for that. And I used to think, “Boy, here I’m going to ‘Nam,
but they wouldn’t accept me into the Peace Corps.” You know. And so yeah, I mean, even
after—Even two or three years—I don’t know. Maybe not—Maybe eight or nine years ago—
Because I had been in Florida about ten years—I was going—Well, I’m Catholic. I was going to
Mass at the VA, and the priest there—He said, “You have PTSD.” (1:20:22) I wasn’t even
aware. And so they had these two Catholic ladies who were there. They had this psychiatric
department. It was at the VA. And so I went through PTSD training. I saw a psychologist. I went
through all this stuff there. And yeah.
Interviewer: “Okay. Now if you kind of look back at your time in the military service, do
you think you took anything positive out of it?”
�Bort, Frank
Anything what?
Interviewer: “Anything positive out of your time in the service.”
I think it was probably one of the times when I was most alive in my life because they say the
closer you are to death, the more you are alive. And I felt so unbelievably alive. And the group of
guys, you know. And you’re just—I don’t know. You’re out in the jungle, you know. Vietnam
was a beautiful country. I mean, god. They used to be called the Pearl of the Orient. And, you
know, when the mountains—All these rushing streams and, I mean, you’re in—You’re in, you
know, all this beauty. You know. “What the heck is this fighting all about?” But no, I mean, it—
How can I say it? It was a very positive experience for me. Extremely positive. Well, they say
that which does not kill you will make you stronger. And so no. All kinds of—I mean, I think in
many ways for me it was positive. You know, very positive. Extreme—Like I say, I don’t know
that I ever—when I felt more alive.
Interviewer: “All right. But probably not something you want to do again.” (1:22:04)
No, but I’ll tell you one thing. And I think one of the major problems they had in Vietnam was—
It’s like you’re in the jungle, then maybe within a week, you’re back in the world. And there was
no halfway point, and it’s too much of a change for people who have been fighting. And I know
if I had been in charge, I would have sent them to Panama and the jungle and play cowboys and
Indians for six weeks just to come down. I think that would have helped a lot because there was
no decompression, you know. And I don’t know why they never did something like that, but
that’s one of the faults I see. Is not sending us guys somewhere we could come down.
Interviewer: “Yeah, I think the modern military tries to find ways to deal with that. At
least, they’re aware of it. But in those days they really hadn’t figured it out.”
Yeah. It’s just like wow.
Interviewer: “Yeah. Well, you’ve got a pretty good story there.”
I didn’t know how good it was. I had no idea. I just—
Interviewer: “Yeah, you did a good job with it. I just want to thank you for taking the time
to share it.”
Oh, thank you for asking me.
�Bort, Frank
�
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
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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
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<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
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Smither, James
Boring, Frank
Relation
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Identifier
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RHC-27
Language
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eng
Source
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<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
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RHC-27_BortF2284V
Title
A name given to the resource
Bort, Frank (Interview transcript and video), 2018
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-11-03
Description
An account of the resource
Frank Bort was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1945 and grew up on his grandfather's farm around Canfield, Ohio. Shortly after graduating from John Carroll University, Bort received a draft notice and attended Basic Training in September 1968 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, advanced infantry at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and then NCO-School at Fort Benning, Georgia. In October 1969, Bort was deployed to Camp Evans in Huế Phu Bai, Vietnam where he served in the Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne. He recieved medical treatment on a hospital ship due to worries over hearing damage. Bort's unit participated in the establishment of Firebase Ripcord as well as the attacks on Hill 902 and Hill 1000 before recieving an early-out of the Army to attend graduate school.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bort, Frank
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Format
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video/mp4
application/pdf
Type
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Moving Image
Text
Source
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Veterans History Project collection, RHC-27
Rights
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<a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401.
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Language
A language of the resource
eng