93 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/763e25017bd984285ef489df6a215f48.jpg c27143581657d32248c7d8858bd7b068 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 BosBert Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Bos, Bert Description An account of the resource Bert Bos, Educational Studies Institute 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/ce12a6d2b9e366808a930f345315c46d.mp4 cf15302b98ec857e34859351307c0012 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/60d66b1b93d4b4a4102c8cd8ae8327a1.pdf 9414b4545aee28a43e62f353f2abda89 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview William Bos Length: 49:11 (00:15) Background Information      Bill was born in Cascade, Michigan on December 18, 1922 and went to school there through 8th grade His father was a farmer and Bill had 13 siblings His father got sick when Bill was a teenager and he had to quit going to school to help work on the farm Bill received deferment from service in WWII because he was a farmer, but all his friends were being drafted and he was feeling left out He enlisted in the Navy after his two best friends enlisted in 1944 (4:25) Training  In June of 1944 Bill was sent to Great Lakes Naval Academy in Chicago, Illinois for boot camp  Bill did not find training to be very hard because of his experience on the farm  He did not really get homesick and got along well through the hard physical work (7:05) New Hebrides  After training Bill was sent to New York where the men boarded a troop ship and a huge crowd of citizens saw them off  They first went through the Panama Canal and then headed towards the New Hebrides  The ship was ran by the English and the trip lasted 44 days; they ran out of food for the troops and only had bread and water for the last 12 days  There were about 3,000 men on the ship and at one point they all had dysentery  Bill began working for a Marine base in New Hebrides  He was working on the base for 3 weeks before he was called up by an officer to inquire about farming techniques on the island  Bill then had a new job working in the gardens on the island and helping the horses get exercise (14:05) Traveling in Convoy  Bill was assigned to a new ship working with a gun crew to escort other ships and look for enemy submarines  They never ran into any Japanese submarines and first traveled to Guadalcanal where they patrolled for 3 months �     In January of 1945 Bill traveled to the Philippines for the Philippine Liberation and they continued patrolling along other islands in the Pacific They continued patrolling and gathering supplies and then headed to Okinawa where they worked on shooting down enemy planes for 3 months There were many kamikaze attacks in the area and many close calls that were very scary Bill worked traveling in convoys usually with hundreds of other ships He had R & R in New Caledonia and it was excited to get some decent food (26:00) Ship Life  No one over 35 years of age was allowed to work on the ship because it was felt they could not handle the hard work  Some men were on the same ship for 18 months before they were allowed to have a break  While traveling through the Pacific Bill was caught in 3 different typhoons; those were the only times that he was really scared and truly thought he was going to die  They ate tons of spaghetti, played cards, and sometimes were able to watch movies  They did not often have free time and there was always something going on in the ship to keep them busy  Sometimes when they stopped on various islands they had time to play sports and go swimming  All the men got along well and Bill made a few good friends that he still keeps in touch with (38:45) End of Service  While traveling through the Pacific Bill never really received any news regarding the progress of the war  He was in Guam when he did finally hear the news of the end of the war and later that night there were many fireworks  Bill was discharged in April of 1946 � 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 Bos, William (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bos, William Description An account of the resource William Bos was born in Cascade, Michigan on December 18, 1922 and went to school there through 8th grade. He had to quit school early to work on his father's farm when his father got sick and later received deferments from serving in WWII because he was a farmer. Bill grew anxious while his friends were being drafted and enlisted and decided to enlist in the Navy in June of 1944. After basic training, he was sent to the Pacific and endured a very long and difficult voyage to the New Hebrides, where he worked for several months on a Marine base and helped set up farms there. Late in the year, he was assigned as an anti-aircraft gunner on an escort ship and sailed to Guadalcanal, the Philippines and Okinawa, where he witnessed many kamikaze attacks. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Debra (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-12-29 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BosW 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/8b23c68e64b1694d7382368efa3cf740.mp4 99773e110007bcc711174acdaf4ddc6f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ad85ef716533bc8d6061213c9785cb0f.pdf aed078777835ecdd6621c2526e4cd851 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project World War II Willard Bosserman Length of Interview (00:49:50) Background Born on a farm in New Haven Township, Michigan; 1924 Father was a farmer who graduated from 8th grade; went up to a Ferris (Teacher’s Institute) which certified him to teach school for three years When Bosserman turned four years old, moved to Carson City; the only house on the block Father continued farming and selling produce  The Carson City hospital being built one block over Attended school and graduated from high school; after service, attended Michigan State University, Bachelor’s Degree  Eventually worked for a Master’s Degree Kept close attention to what was happening in Europe (00:02:20)  Received updates from the newspaper Remembers hearing about Pearl Harbor; was delivering papers at the time  Was 17 years old (graduated from high school at 19) Enlistment (00:04:00) Wasn’t thinking of enlisting  Discussed with three seniors from his church (Church of the Brethren); were conscientious objectors, didn’t have to go into the military  Only one of them took the deferment (preacher’s son), while the other two were drafted Bossereman given a deferment until graduation but action started right away (00:05:05)  Took his examination in Greenville  Had fainted in the blood-pressure line; uncomfortable with needles �Went to Detroit (his friend was rejected due to his light weight)  Given a choice between the Navy, started right away, or the Army, which would start two weeks later Chose the Army (00:06:30) Went back to Greenville to a take a train to Fort Custer Bosserman had quite a bit of background with mechanics; wanted to go into the Air Corps  Wasn’t accepted into the Air Corps Put into the Army Ordnance  Trained to fix trucks (Bosserman’s classification: half-track engine mechanic)  Some worked on small instruments, small arms; rifles, machine guns; some worked on canons  A little training in mechanics (civilian instructors) Fort Jackson, South Carolina (by train) (00:08:40)  Always looking out the window during the train ride Very active camp Didn’t notice the segregation issue; a lot of GIs in town Served with Black Units overseas Would go to classes then go to the shop to work on vehicles (followed manuals closely) (00:10:15)  Was going to do in-field training, but had six inches of snow fall; city never had that much snow before Had physical training, calisthenics; running up and down “Tank Hill” Emphasis on following orders Didn’t have too much trouble adjusting to the military life �Did bayonet training, rifle training (how to hold and shoot it)  Had some experience shooting: 12-guage shotgun, bought from a friend, and a .22 Stayed in Jackson, off and on, for 18 months (00:12:55) Changed from medium maintenance to heavy maintenance  Only had one tank to work on  Got a chance to drive the tank; a lot of changing gears, used sticks instead of a steering wheel o Had the port open to see Went up to Tennessee to have maneuvers there; servicing an infantry company  Didn’t have much to do since they came the last day o Drove around in the jeep; given a meal in exchange for a ride in the jeep o Ran into some moonshiners; bought a bottle  Spring of 1944, a lot of big maneuvers happening in Tennessee Main job was to maintain transport, fix vehicles (00:16:30) Assigned at different times; assigned to 301st Heavy Maintenance Field Company Went back to Fort Jackson, also went to Camp Mackall  Worked with a parachute group; having trouble with their rifles, not glued properly  The Lieutenant had said the paratroopers were tough people, but they got along well with them; apparently the paratroopers had gotten a similar message about them  Camp Mackall was in North Carolina Gave service to the 87th Division, then went to Camp Rucker, Alabama  Developed a heat rash there; wrote home about it Had taken a train to Camp Rucker; were lead by an army band from the barracks Serviced an Infantry Division, 66th �Didn’t go overseas for a while due to his company having to prepare other units’ equipment (00:20:05) In November 1944, had a red alert; shipped out overseas from Camp Shanks (New York) in December  There for about a month First night, had stoves heated with hard coal, hard to start and warm up Travelled through some of the places nearby (Weehawken, New York City, etc.) Could go to the Red Cross to get food, but were already well fed  When men were coming back from overseas, they would by fresh vegetables to enjoy Went to work as stevedores in Weehawken for a few days, just something to do (00:22:40)  Helped load a ship  Were using hooks to pull goods At Camp Shanks for about a month before being sent overseas Heading Overseas (00:23:15) Boarded the SS Washington and arrived in Liverpool on 16th of February  Washington was a cruise ship; 6,000 aboard  Took 10 days to get there  Given work during the voyage o Working on the third deck galley, had the porthole open when, suddenly water came sloshing in  A lot of the men got seasick; Bosserman did not  Would dump garbage from the galley overboard Had escort ships, but no convoy (00:25:40) Once arriving in Liverpool, moved to another town to scrap tanks  There for a couple of weeks � Some people got a trip to London; Germans still buzz-bombing Went to South Hampton to board a merchant marine vessel (00:27:00)  Went over to Le Havre (France) Went to Camp Lucky Strike  A tent city; would fill cans with sand and gasoline to have heat Stayed there for a couple of weeks Two meals a day until they got their own kitchens Bosserman had made Technician, 5th Grade; KP (Kitchen Police) (00:28:15)  Thought he would be relieved of KP duty after making Tech, 5th Grade (same as a Corporal), but wasn’t  Would peel potatoes often  Didn’t do KP, as much, in field kitchens Germany (00:29:05) Moved out of Lucky Strike to Aachen  Mechanics were last to be put in a truck to fix others that had problems  One truck did fall out of line, flat tire; convoy continued ahead  Remembers Düren, Germany, looked like a plow had gone through and leveled it Were changed to the 15th [19th?] Army (were in the 2nd in the States); 64th Ordnance group; attached to the Army Had engineers in their outfit; rigged an EM (electromagnet) at the front of their truck to move debris and prevent flat tires Arrived in Aachen, Germany April/May 1945 (00:31:50) In a town called Peck when the war ended Billeted in a former resort hotel; on the third floor �Had the shop a little ways away; someone rigged a diesel engine without a starter and a jeep engine to get the diesel working Didn’t see much of the local population (00:33:00)  Had a rule of no fraternization with the citizens Met with a lot of German POWs in Europe; worked together  Picked up a few words to get by Moved out to an old glider camp Went to Camp Brooklyn (00:35:00) Being scheduled to head over to the Philippines Getting prepared to leave from Marseilles (France)  Got a chance to go to some baseball games Four days before heading to the Philippines, the bombs were dropped Japan; subsequent surrender Bosserman and his group put on Liberty Ships back to the US  Mediterranean sea was smooth as glass  Atlantic was different  Put on guard duty because he wasn’t that seasick Discharge (00:37:25) Newport, Virginia Company broken up; some went to Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois  There for nine months to get points for discharge  Met his wife there who was working for the USO o Bosserman and some other GIs went to her parents house to have pie o Kept in touch with her; went back to Rockford, Illinois after staying in MI for a little while (discharged in Aril 1946) �o Rented a room there for $5/week and got a job Overseas Cont. (00:39:10) Saw some units that were all black; servicing vehicles for them Stayed where they were stationed mainly; would have vehicles brought in Was with the same people he had trained with until they got back to the US Had good officers  The Captain was chewed out after he told his men to pitch tents  Another fellow (Blau) was promoted to Captain afterwards  Schultz wanted to have this promotion, but was put as an Interpreter Most of the officers were citizen soldiers Their cadre (the people who trained them) was of long-time soldiers from Trinidad His company was never under fire  Not too much of a concern for them due to their location Had German POWs in Camp Grant; had restrictions (curfews, etc.) (00:43:35)  Was acquainted with a former German POW years later who was an artist Civilian Life (00:44:35) Didn’t get married right away  Had time to earn money then go back up to Lansing to attend Michigan State University  Married the summer of his freshman year Got a degree in Agriculture (Soil Conservation); became as an Assistant Agriculture Agent in Pontiac (through the school)  Assigned for livestock and fruit Transferred Port Huron, then Lake City Got involved in Planning Commissions, etc.; received awards for his work �Learned discipline and perseverance (00:47:40) Met a lot of different people in the Army  Was antagonized by a fellow and had a round of fist cuffs with him  Also did this with his friends (had boxed when he was younger) � 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_BossermanW Title A name given to the resource Bosserman, Willard (Interview outline and video), 2010 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-09-02 Description An account of the resource Willard Bosserman served in World War II as a mechanic in the Army. He was drafted in 1943 and worked in a maintenance company attached to the 87th Division, and then to the 66th Division. His company shipped to Europe in December, 1944, and took part in the final campaign in Germany. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bosserman, Willard 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 World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2d4da598b7b23c8222c990560dd9a94a.mp4 6d368e825cb2638e91f3a0617b695aed https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/256fa240bc64747668dd0864fcf426c2.pdf a7fd9b99c416987503583009edb60207 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Robert Bostwick (15:31) Pre War • Born on April 7, 1933 (0:20) • Born in Home Acres, MI (0:55) • Attended and graduated from [Grand Rapids] Central High School (1:00) • Was 8 when Pearl Harbor was bombed (1:20) • Drafted in 1953 (1:35) • Lived in Grand Rapids (1:50) Enlistment • Received a letter to report for a physical and induction in Fort Wayne (2:30) • From there, transported by bus to Battle Creek, MI (2:25) • Flew to Alexandria AFB in Louisiana, then bused to Camp Hope for Infantry Basic Training (2:40) • Had 16 weeks of infantry training (3:20) • Was not sent to Korea, but to Maryland (3:30) • His instructor was a SFC, and probably did not have more than a year and a half in the service (4:00) • Finished his service as a personnel management specialist at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (4:50) • First started as a clerk typist, but worked his way up to Personnel Management Specialist (5:20) • Was awarded common medals, such as the Good Conduct medal (6:40) • Kept in touch with family through letters and phone calls (7:20) • Food was really good (7:40) • Did guard duty and KP duty on a regular basis (8:20) • People entertained themselves by going off base for dinner, going to Baltimore, MD (9:15) • Went home to Grand Rapids on leave (9:20) • Got along very well with his superiors and thought highly of them (10:30) Discharge • Was at Aberdeen Proving Grounds when he was discharged from the Army (11:00) • Went back to work for the same company he worked at before he was drafted (11:30) • Had several close friends in the service (11:50) • Did not join any veterans organizations (12:30) • Became an electrician for 40 years, then retired (12:50) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bostwick, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bostwick, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Bostwick was born on April 7th, 1933 in Home Acres, Michigan. He was drafted in to the United States Army in 1953, while the Korean conflict was occurring. While in basic training, the conflict ended, and he was shipped to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, where he was a personnel management specialist until his discharge 2 years later. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Scheelz, Joel (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 United States. Army Korean War, 1950-1953--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 2004-12-10 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BostwickR 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/df9ce92000794e131c53839e35145523.jpg 7ca327e739e80d97b9e73f0fe6019cfa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1570 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/72db1d37eba765181b573e8976058e9b.jpg 541cde83e3349f76d8ccf90017b4ea27 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1571 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/22887d6327d26e43c97c27a002880386.jpg 99858fd7c711477e5905952e5ac2ef81 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1573 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e0eed70733c092d65defd63a8de63e76.jpg ed66ee1218fb5c32468ff6ccb87db008 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1574 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7caaa97a22c801900d6924442f00a8ac.jpg 5f9149a9ff5b51d0e30c374bb3166815 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1575 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/926f3cbbfe7a13e57a14412cf6b87c41.jpg 0d6248eb90190135809643636a2f6726 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1602 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/382f42df2e626284c1e4000dcd3e4f14.jpg 3188aedf133621660dc878328dd82a31 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1618 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e92720954b9ab968fcf31976d34e2be4.jpg 7070e12b0ff94c8e0c7fbbff34008e36 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1621 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/95acc88d14fb64c38edceb3352f1d110.jpg 6a7983a1f4f9e2a63e6ed345daad56fb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1643 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR bomber Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR bomber, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f80c08eb953f952c303627a0b81210fb.jpg 9a67ad3566ddd5f480d705ea765ea6ff Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_X1644 Title A name given to the resource Bosun USSR fighter Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bosun USSR fighter, September 1, 1954. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education World War, 1939-1945 Slides Airplanes, Military--Recognition Russia Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954-09-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a434754a2a43f27f42d70c730e21989a.jpg cdc433fa339a99897dee95ef5221c2c9 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 BosworthBarry Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Bosworth, Barry Description An account of the resource Barry Bosworth, visiting speaker, White House Council on Wages and Prices Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/eadddea5b1d0288c71fdbc09d06f4018.jpg 3669c55dcb29fde46fcf3c62689ed693 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_October_1933_005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1933-10-15 Title A name given to the resource Both cottages, Hess Lake looking North Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a man and a woman sitting on a deck attached to the side of a house. The photo is taken from ground level looking up a flight of wooden stairs to the deck. Subject The topic of the resource Newaygo (Mich.) Houses 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 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 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/83d5e7924be7e923f0a25176004cb99a.jpg 5bf7940688ad1d795ca212ad31212665 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 BottjeWillGay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Bottje, Will Gay Description An account of the resource Will Gay Bottje, Music Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/de689de91d59e7b573c0a859539f5fba.mp4 ec790d3d394d518ad2e2e899647e4797 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ab10f141d12412daafea55b6500b4a8e.pdf 082f02426c995f5bc5e6fc9391325ed0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Wallace Bouchard World War II-Post War 36 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:22) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 1, 1927 -Lived on Delaware Avenue in Grand Rapids for the first three or four years of his life -Moved to Wilson Avenue when he was three or four years old -Had an older brother, older sister, and a younger brother -Went to St. James Catholic School for elementary and middle school -Went to Union High School in Grand Rapids -Went to Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) and Aquinas College -Graduated from high school in 1944 (00:01:49) Enlisting & Getting Drafted -Enlisted in the Army Air Force Reserve in 1944 -Allowed to enlist when you were seventeen years old -Enlisted in Detroit -Received testing in Detroit -Depth perception testing and how you handled a primitive flight simulator -Received a letter in spring 1945 saying that the flight schools were shutting down -Turned eighteen on July 1, 1945 -Received a draft notice shortly after his eighteenth birthday -Ordered to report to Fort Sheridan, Illinois on August 12, or 13, 1945 -Went to Chicago by train and then took buses to Fort Sheridan -Parents supported his service -Older brother was already in the Army at the time -Worked an office job -Issued a uniform at Fort Sheridan -There were a lot of German prisoners of war at Fort Sheridan used for menial labor -Rumored that a lot of them were from Rommel's Afrika Korps -He didn't have any direct contact with them -One prisoner threw a pebble at him, but Wallace was nonplussed about it (00:05:47) Basic Training -Sent to Keesler Field near Biloxi, Mississippi in August 1945 for basic training -It was hot and humid even in late summer -It was easy because the war was over and the officers were relaxed -Bivouacked in a swamp for a week -Had to watch out for the venomous snakes and spiders -Every soldier was nervous about them -Slept in pup tents -Learned how to fire the M1 Garand rifle, Colt M1911 .45 pistol, and Thompson submachine gun �-Had to be careful with the Thompson SMG because of its recoil -Given weekend passes -Got to see New Orleans -Got along well with the other men (00:09:35) Mechanic Training -Assigned to be a mechanic and receive Aircraft & Engine (A&E) Mechanic Training -Assignment based on last name, not on testing -Stayed at Keesler Field for A&E Mechanic Training -Learned about aircraft structure, electrical components, hydraulics, and aircraft engines -Learned about the different types of engines with hands on training -Instructors were good and relaxed -Allowed to go on leave during Christmas 1945 -Caught the flu and had to report to Fort Custer, Michigan -Notified Keesler Field that he was sick -Got back a day late and was yelled at, but not punished -Allowed weekend passes -Found a good bar with good music in Biloxi (00:14:29) Specialist Training -Assigned to Chanute Field, Illinois for Specialist Training -It was a good base and the food was much better than at Keesler Field or Fort Sheridan -Assigned to learn about the P-47 Thunderbolt -Still used after the war, but it was being phased out -Saw a German rocket-powered fighter plane that was being kept at Chanute Field -Most likely the Me 163 Komet -Not allowed to go too close to it (00:16:21) Stationed at Biggs Army Airfield Pt. 1 -Given a seven day leave to visit home then reported to Biggs Army Airfield near El Paso, Texas -Took a train there -Got to see the Plains States -Saw the P-51 Mustangs of the 9th Air Force -Same planes that had been used during the Second World War -Assigned to an Engineering School to learn how to work on the P-51s -Wound up assigned to Headquarters Squadron and assigned to work on a C-47 transport -Noncommissioned officers were allowed to fly on the weekends, but not during the week -Made routine flights to San Antonio to transport aircraft engines to the base there -Most likely Lackland Air Force Base -Took three or four hours to fly from El Paso to San Antonio -Repairing a single engine took a full day -A 500, or 1000, hour inspection took a few hours -Got to fly quite a bit -Most dangerous task was removing the shocks from the wheels of planes -Plane's engines had to be on, and it had to be moving to remove the shocks (00:22:45) End of Service -9th Air Force was moved to Shaw Army Airfield near Greenville, South Carolina �-Woke up one day and all of the P-51s were gone -After the 9th Air Force left Biggs Army Airfield there was nothing to do -Spent two weeks doing nothing but walking around base, smoking, and playing cards -Learned that he was three days late to be discharged from the Army -Getting processed out of the Army began in October 1946 and he was out by November 1946 -Took a train back to Grand Rapids (00:26:23) Contact with Home -Wrote his parents and his girlfriend at least once a week -Broke up with his girlfriend after going home -She wanted to get married, but he was only 19 and not ready for marriage (00:27:00) Life after the Service Pt. 1 -Used the GI Bill for college -Joined Michigan's 52/20 Club -Program for veterans to receive $20 a week for 52 weeks (00:27:40) Stationed at Biggs Army Airfield Pt. 2 -It was hot in Texas -Had to refuel planes in the scorching heat -Got to ride in a P-51 Mustang during an air show at Biggs Army Airfield -Buzzed the field and did acrobatics -Flown by a colonel -Had never flown before he was in the Army -Got to fly in various bombers like the B-25 and the A-26 (00:31:03) Life after the Service Pt. 2 -The skills he learned in the Army helped him get a few jobs -Eventually got a job with the Grand Rapids City Water Department -Made foreman after only a year there (00:31:58) Reflections on Service -Learned a few practical skills especially when it came to metallurgy -Doesn't feel that it helped him mature too much -Enjoyed being on his own and being away from home -Joined the American Legion -Good social outlet granted to him because he was a veteran -No negatives about his service in the Army -Chance to see his cousin at Chanute Field prior to his cousin getting discharged -Chance to see Tijuana and visit its bars while he was stationed in Texas -Chance to travel around the U.S. and enjoyed that � 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_BouchardW1869V Title A name given to the resource Bouchard, Wallace Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-28 Description An account of the resource Wallace Bouchard was born on July 1, 1927 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Army Air Force Reserve in 1944, but was ejected from that in spring 1945 due to the Second World War ending. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday on July 1, 1945 he received his draft notice and reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois in mid-August 1945. He went to Keesler Field, Mississippi for basic training and stayed there for Aircraft & Engine Mechanic Training. He was sent up to Chanute Field, Illinois for Specialist Training with the P-47 Thunderbolt then was assigned to Biggs Army Airfield, Texas. While in Texas he was assigned to Headquarters Squadron of the 9th Air Force and worked on the squadron's C-47 as well as the 9th Air Force's P-51s. In November 1946 he was discharged from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bouchard, Wallace Joseph Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/43ba8eac693ebd834fae08a0579dcf63.mp4 0412cf8f90b32d7eca6becac1b7b0828 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/23fc7ffb458b1b7fce475e2757f0e45e.pdf 3b33a440c7ce57e23bd11e29ae79ba80 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project The Michigan National Guard Gary Boucher Interview length: (00:40:17:00) Pre-enlistment / Training (00:00:50:00)  Born in 1953 in White Cloud, Michigan (00:00:50:00)  Grew up in White Cloud and graduated from White Cloud High School in 1972 (00:00:56:00)  Eventually moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and began working a job at General Motors, where he worked until he retired (00:01:04:00)  Just missed the draft for the Vietnam conflict (00:01:15:00) o While he was in high school, Boucher kept getting draft cards and his number finally came up while he was a senior in high school (00:01:36:00) o The whole senior year, he was number four to go to Vietnam and he knew that he was going to be go and there was no way out of it (00:01:48:00) o He prepared himself and they had Army recruiters there for the enlistees and he ended up going to Detroit for his physical (00:02:04:00)  Boucher was raised with his grandfather and they watched the war on TV; the war was hard to explain because they heard different things, such as “we were there but we should not be there and we should get out of there” (00:02:34:00)  One “R” on a draft card meant “one ready” and the numbers of the draft cards corresponded with someone’s birthday and a random drawing (00:03:50:00) o All the men had a number and they knew where they were standing (00:04:24:00) o The person in charge of the war effort decided how many people they would need at the present time and if a man’s number was chosen, then he was drafted (00:04:35:00)  When Boucher found out that the draft was ending, it was kind of a relief because he was young and scared (00:05:08:00) o He could still go to Vietnam for whatever reason, but he was never called up through the draft (00:05:34:00)  Boucher had some friends in the National Guard and he had read up on some of the benefits that they had, such as money for college education, and he viewed the National Guard as a good way to learn about some of the operations of the Army (00:05:49:00) o The Guard was also a good place for a man to go “to grow up and learn that there were other bosses besides you” (00:06:21:00)  He ended up joining the National Guard in February, 1978 (00:06:46:00) o He joined mostly from the accumulated information he had from his friends in the Guard and from his own research (00:07:07:00)  Boucher served in a bridge unit, which was very exciting to see how the bridges were put together (00:07:18:00) o The bridges that the unit used were the newest design that the Army had, called the “medium girder bridge” (00:07:28:00) �      When he joined the Guard, Boucher went to the local National Guard post in Grand Valley and enlisted (00:07:47:00) o He had to sign papers and go to testing to see where he stood in terms of what unit he could go into or if he wanted to be an officer or NCO (00:07:56:00) After he signed up, Boucher went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he spent fourteen to sixteen weeks in training (00:08:17:00) o The base was a “neat” place; the men had new barracks and Boucher recalls seeing photos from the world wars when “you could see through the walls” of the old barracks (00:08:42:00) o The men were shipped from one part of the base to another, based on where they would be staying for a period (00:09:03:00) o Upon arrival, the men were put into units; Boucher’s unit was Alpha 22, which corresponded with his location on the base (00:09:11:00) o Eventually, the men received assignments to drill instructors (00:09:27:00)  When Boucher got off the bus at the Fort, he had all of his possessions with him and when the drill instructors told them to do something, the men did it and they had to run and do the assignment quickly (00:09:33:00)  However, there were so many men there that Boucher could not run and he was doing push-ups before he even got to the door (00:09:45:00)  The drill instructors made the men well aware that they were going to be the men’s mother and father for the next fourteen weeks, so they had better pay attention to detail (00:09:53:00) Boucher was twenty-four years old when he went into the Guard, making him one of the oldest men out of a group of around ninety trainees (00:10:18:00) o At that time, the Army was taking men who could not live in the real world, who were given the choice of either prison or basic training (00:10:30:00) o It took Boucher a little while to adjust to the military lifestyle (00:10:41:00) o Boucher learned to do whatever the drill instructor said and before long, he became a squad leader (00:10:57:00)  As a squad leader, he was treated well, he was responsible for other people and he had privileges (00:11:10:00) There were numerous many tasks that the men had to do, such as learning about the M16, field training, and medical training, etc. (00:11:20:00) o Every month, the men had to go through testing and if they could come out well and pass the tests on everything that they learned, then they were rewarded (00:11:44:00) o The rewards included more leisure time, which Boucher earned by putting his mind to work and following details (00:12:20:00) Boucher was in training representing Michigan and he wanted to be a leader in the National Guard; therefore, when he returned to Michigan, he had the opportunity to go to two military academies that allowed him to continue working up the ranks (00:12:37:00) Being a little older and little wiser was not so much of a benefit; when he went in, Boucher could have been an eighteen year old because he had no clue what he was getting into (00:13:17:00) �   o Whether he was eighteen or twenty-four, he had to go in and start from the beginning (00:13:30:00) There were men who Boucher trained with that had come straight off the streets and were troublemakers (00:13:54:00) o Boucher had a couple in his group and when they had liberty on weekends, they would go out and have a couple of beers (00:14:00:00) o One guy, who was very nice, ended up coming back drunk and it was Boucher’s responsibility to perform a lights out; the man ended up going down to the showers with Boucher (00:14:17:00)  The man ended up getting in Boucher’s face, which the drill instructors did not like and as the classes went on, the man wanted to get out of the Guard (00:14:47:00)  The drill instructors said that they would allow him to get out, but as the paperwork processed and as everyone else went out on the weekends, the man had to stay behind and dig holes in the thick Missouri clay (00:15:03:00)  The drill instructors made him pay one way or another and by the time graduation came around, they had his papers ready; the situation was just the matter of needing an attitude adjustment (00:15:20:00) o At different times in the training, there were people saying that they wanted to kill themselves (00:15:49:00)  When Boucher first got to training, there were men trying to hang themselves; other times, men rolled down some steps in a barrel in an attempt to hurt themselves (00:15:54:00) o On the other hand, if a man was a volunteer, then he knew somewhat what he was getting into for the training (00:16:29:00) During the testing at the beginning of his training, Boucher was told that he could go into a job at headquarters (00:17:12:00) o There were a lot of different jobs that he could do if he was going to the regular Army; however, because he went to the Grand Valley armory and all they had was an infantry unit, a medical unit, and an engineer unit, Boucher wanted to join the engineer unit (00:17:20:00) o He signed up for the engineer unit and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood because it was the engineer training school (00:17:44:00) While in training, Boucher learned about the different bridge layouts and the different types of embankments needed for the process to work (00:17:55:00) o Over the summer, the men were more or less graded on the proper layouts for the bridges (00:18:28:00) The National Guard (00:18:53:00)  As soon as he graduated from basic training, Fort Leonard Wood received the new “medium girder bridge” and Boucher helped unpack them, which gave him knowledge of how to unpack them; when he returned to his unit in Michigan, the bridges were waiting in packages there, so he was one of the first men in his unit to know how the bridge went together (00:18:53:00) �     o When his captains and lieutenants went out recruiting, they took parts of the bridge with them so that people could see (00:19:26:00) o It was a good feeling when they would ask Boucher to go out and help set up the bridge for display because he knew how to do it (00:19:42:00) On the first weekend of every month, the men went to the Grand Valley armory and their sergeants had a meeting to decide what the men would be doing for that month; the tasks changed every month (00:20:20:00) o One month might be learning about gas and the different houses for the gas and antidotes if the men were caught in a gas attack (00:20:40:00) o As well, the men had maintenance reviews; their trucks had to be in a condition that if they were called, the unit could be ready to go anywhere within five minutes (00:21:06:00) o The men would go into the field and would construct the bridges (00:21:28:00)  Most of the times that they went into the field, the men went down to Battle Creek, Michigan and Fort Custer because there was more room at the fort for them to practice building their bridges (00:21:40:00)  The men trained enough that they became quite proficient in setting up their bridges (00:21:50:00) At one point, Boucher went to a basic NCO academy at Fort Custer; the course was two weeks and it was a lot of drill and ceremony, as well as classes that the men had to do every day (00:22:04:00) o The classes involved learning how to become an NCO and involved things such as knowing themselves and their capabilities and what training that they would be going into; the training was building the men up for their next rank (00:22:32:00) Boucher got through the first academy and then went to an advanced training academy in Grand Rapids (00:22:48:00) o At this academy, the training was all bookwork; it was a lot of map reading and busy work that went on every day in his unit (00:22:59:00) o This academy required six drill weekends and once he finished it, Boucher had accumulated enough schooling to become a sergeant first class (00:23:19:00) Boucher served with men who had fought in the Korean War and some who had been wounded in the Vietnam War; the older men were in the Guard just to finish up their time in the military (00:23:42:00) o Once the older men finished their twenty years and reached retirement, they tended to fade away (00:23:59:00) o Boucher also had young men in his squad that were in the Guard for college; there was the money as well as the opportunity to learn about the military (00:24:04:00) Of all the units that he has seen, Boucher believes that his, the 1432nd, had the highest morale (00:24:52:00) o They had great commanders and Boucher’s captain eventually moved through the system and became a two-star general (00:25:04:00) o The men all worked as teams and the moral was wonderful (00:25:24:00)  The maintenance people were there if Boucher needed a bridge picked up or he needed something moved (00:25:30:00) �    They all worked hard and at the end of the day, all the men were happy with what they had done (00:25:41:00) o On their last year with the “medium girder bridge”, Boucher’s unit broke the Army record as far as time setting up the bridge (00:25:52:00)  They could set up different sizes of bridge, but they still had to be up in a certain amount of time; one time, the unit was told that a tank unit was coming and they had to have the bridge up, because the tank unit was coming across and they were not going to stop (00:26:01:00) Boucher’s unit had what where labeled as “mother units” and “sister units” (00:26:42:00) o One of the unit’s “sister units” was in Kansas and men from Boucher’s unit would go to Kansas to train and exchange information with the men in the Kansas unit; the men would spend a week in Kansas several times a summer (00:26:48:00) o If Boucher’s unit went to war, then they would be going to war with the Kansas unit (00:27:17:00) Boucher served fourteen years in the Guard and got out in 1992 (00:27:42:00) o There was nothing major going on in the world at that time and when Boucher went in during peace time, he was told if there was a war, then the regular Army would go and fight the war and the National Guard would stay stateside and take over where the regular Army was (00:28:01:00) o During the First Gulf War, the men were watching the news; because Boucher was a combat engineer, that did not mean anything (00:29:01:00)  He was trained in other things and they could put him in some other type of unit and send him to the war (00:29:11:00) Like anything else there were exciting thing, such as seeing the bridges built or doing training in front of generals (00:29:44:00) o However, there was always the down time and Boucher did not always care for some of the training that they had to do (00:30:09:00) o The bottom line was that the men had to do all of it because the Army was training them to save their lives (00:30:25:00) Post-Military Life (00:30:42:00)  When Boucher left the Guard, people in his unit were being spread out and there was some “head-butting in the unit” (00:30:42:00) o At that time, Boucher had a decision to make; he had a young family and a job that was working a lot of overtime, which he missed due to his Guard commitments, and he had to weigh staying in the Guard versus caring for his family (00:30:09:00) o He never regrets join the Guard (00:31:33:00)  Boucher already had a job when he joined the Guard, so he was set in that regard and he was learning from college teachers that the Guard brought (00:31:53:00) o As well, he learned how to pay attention and how to work side-by-side with people as a team, lessons that he has brought into his everyday life (00:32:06:00)  He believes that every young man should go into the Guard and serve his time because it really helps (00:32:33:00)  While at General Motors, Boucher was a machine operator and was in inspections; ultimately, he did a lot of jobs while at the company (00:32:43:00) �    o As far as some of the engineering aspects, they taught him how to pay more attention to detail, which he used in both the Guard and at General Motors (00:33:04:00) Boucher gave everything that he had and his superiors recognized that fact and rewarded him and it made him feel good to stand up there and receive them (00:34:03:00) o The ability to meet high-ranking officers as an enlisted man was a big thing and he was able to go to the national military balls (00:34:24:00) o He just wanted to build himself up and he did not worry so much about others; instead, they built themselves up and the sense of accomplishment helped build their moral (00:34:58:00) The ability to see what they had done helped with the sense of accomplishment that the unit had (00:35:49:00) o Once they had complete the measurements, the men wanted to watch as the bridge was built piece-by-piece was the biggest accomplishment (00:36:26:00)  There were so many things that could go wrong, such as the bridge being off center or something not working right (00:37:13:00) On occasion, things did not work out well (00:37:50:00) o There were a lot of pins to complete the bridge and if sand got into the pin holes, then the pins would not go in and then they had problems (00:37:53:00) o Little things like that slowed down the process (00:38:09:00) o There were times when teams were sent out that should have known how to set up a bridge and Boucher would go out and realize that the chosen position would not work to build the bridge (00:38:25:00)  On a couple of times, they found out too late and everything became stuck and their superiors came down hard on them (00:38:45:00) Boucher had an experienced bridge sergeant who knew the job and after a meeting with the other officers and high-ranking NCOs where they would decide the location of the bridge, Boucher would tell the sergeant, who would get all the trucks and trailers ready (00:39:08:00) o All the training that Boucher had he could pass on to others (00:39:44:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Boucher, Gary (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boucher, Gary Description An account of the resource Born in White Cloud, Michigan in 1953, Gary Boucher just missed the draft for the Vietnam War. However, based on input from several of his friends and his own investigation, Boucher joined the Michigan National Guard in 1978. Following training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he served in an engineer unit whose main mission was the construction of bridges. Boucher served in the Guard for fourteen years and left in 1992. 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 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. National Guard 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 2009-10-20 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BoucherG 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/c22e85554b63b21201cdf193903a019e.jpg 64858413bce31516567ef4d50adf4f1d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_1457 Title A name given to the resource Bougainville class French patrol vessel Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Bougainville class French PG (patrol vessel), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Slides France Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e57c8af7e01e462b5fc43b8361ad98a6.mp4 826ee48e4db2dbf9168229024610674c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f733618dbed47f3b21e79f69e00d4214.pdf d676a5bb9b7dd27ec90648e861d3791d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Wilbur Bouwkamp (Bill) (00:44:00) Introduction (00:15) Family and Friends (00:20) • Born in Lamont, MI on January 28th 1919. Bouwkamp describes in some detail his dad’s duties and responsibilities as a farmer. (02:40) • Further describes the activities that he and his sister had on his dad’s 13-acre farm and gas station. His mom was a homemaker. (09:28) Pre-enlistment (15:05) • Went to Lamont Christian High School up until the 10th Grade. While there he played softball and football. Graduated the 10th Grade in 1934. (11:34) • After graduation, he briefly describes working at his father’s gas station. During the course of the Depression, he mentions that since his parents owned their own farm they made it by with their own food. (14:48) Enlistment and Training (16:39) • Was drafted into the Armed Forces in 1937 but wasn’t accepted because he had high blood pressure. Was put on furlough until 1941. • Bouwkamp mentions that he was at home the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. Soon afterwards, he reported to Fort Custer where he was finally able to join. • Went to Fort Benning, GA for basic training. While there he joined up with the 10th Armored Division. Bouwkamp mentions the great amount of drilling they did there. • From there he was sent to New York for more training. (17:51) Afterwards, he was sent to Camp Gordon, GA for more training and finally back to New York City where he boarded a boat bound for Europe. (19:01) • Bouwkamp briefly describes the type of he was in. His tank had an 81-mm gun and a boom in the front of it. He further mentions that his division was the first to go directly to France from America. �• Bouwkamp mentions that his trip over the Atlantic was uneventful. France (21:36) • Bouwkamp describes his job as a recovery tank commander and the duties his unit performed. His job was to find damaged tanks and take them to the repair depot for repair. (22:43) • Describes briefly how he was wounded. He mentioned that he was near a German position near a town. As he was getting out of his repair tank he sustained a shoulder wound. (24:55) Further mentions that he was in the hospital for a few weeks afterwards with a knee wound. (25:42) Going Home (27:36) • Following the Bulge, he received 90 days of leave from duty. Was sent home via a ship. They stopped in the English Channel where General Black boarded with wounded. Afterwards, Bouwkamp returned to Michigan. (27:36) Apparently he had enough points to return home. • After his 90-day absence he was sent to Texas. While there he took it easy fishing and eating well. (27:36) • The day that FDR died he was in his barracks getting ready to board a troop ship home. If the weather hadn’t been foggy that day they would have left. (29:38) • Was sent from Texas to Fort Custer, MI where he was discharged. (30:25) After the War (33:55) • Bouwkamp mentions that he was in the doctor’s office when VE Day happened in Grand Rapids, MI. Describes the joyous celebrations that went on and shares his personal thoughts of that day. Afterwards, he went to Detroit, MI where he worked for an auto-mechanic and was married to his wife. (33:55) Further describes his grandchildren and how he met his wife. (37:56) � 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_BouwkampW Title A name given to the resource Bouwkamp, Wilbur (Interview outline and video), 2007 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-08-01 Description An account of the resource Wilbur Bouwkamp served in the US Army between 1941 and 1945. After basic training, he was assigned to the 10 Armored Division, where he served on a recovery vehicle, a tank adapted to tow damaged tanks back to friendly lines where they could be repaired. He was wounded in action in Europe but returned to his unit, and received orders to ship home shortly before V-E Day. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bouwkamp, Wilbur Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ac18aa7436d97eed79ba4336468f474.mp4 5ad3873d18de181b1bef470daa34b1a1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e37fc9b6f626d3ad33524481a4792bfa.pdf 9b8a04b64584c86ace1ff321d094512e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II - wife Betty Bovee Length of Interview: 27:33 (00:00) JS: We’re talking today with Mrs. Betty Bovee of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The interviewer is James Smither, of the Grand Valley State Veterans History Project. Now, can you begin by telling us where you were born, where you grew up. That sort of thing. BB: I was born in Lansing, Michigan. And then from there I ended up in Leslie, Michigan, with my grandmother. JS: Okay. Now what year were you born? BB: April 29th, 1923. JS: Okay. And when did you go to live with your grandmother? BB: My father and mother were born in Lansing. My father and mother took me to Montana, and for some reason they separated. And my father got me and brought me back to his mother. That was my grandmother. JS: And how old were you when you made that move? BB: Ah, probably, I might have been a year old. JS: Okay, so then that’s well before anything that you remember. BB: Yes. JS: So, basically, so were you raised by your grandmother then? BB: By my grandmother. JS: Okay. And were they on a farm? Or in a town? (01:09) BB: Yes, it was on a farm. And we stayed there for quite…and I went to school. And I stayed with her all the time. JS: Okay. Now, did your grandparents, were they able to keep their farm through the ‘30s, through the Depression era? �BB: Yes. They had eighty acres. And they were able to keep it. JS: And what were they growing there? BB: Well, mostly, my grandmother…they had cows and chickens. Things like that. And then they had eighty acres of fields, but mostly that was it. (02:15) JS: Okay. Now, where in Michigan is Leslie? Is it close to Lansing or is it somewhere else? BB: It’s close to Mason. It’s between Mason and Jackson. JS: So it’s kinda south-central Michigan. BB: Yes. JS: So pretty good farm country down there. BB: Yes. Very good. JS: All right. Now, what kind of school did you go to? BB: I went to a country school for several years. That was in Leslie. And then eventually, we moved to Mason. Because my father’s parents had died and so we went to their home. And I started going to a country school there until I was in the sixth grade. And then I went downtown to the school in Mason. JS: Okay. And then did you finish high school? (03:19) BB: Yes. JS: Okay. And what year did you graduate from high school? BB: 1941. JS: All right. And what did you do upon graduation? BB: I went…my grandmother had a sister in Los Angeles and she used to go, well that’s when I was younger, we used to go visit her. And I loved Los Angeles. So after I graduated, I went out there again and I decided I was going to stay. Because I liked it so well. And I stayed with my aunt, that was her sister, and she went back home, and so I got a job and went to work and that’s where I met Chet. (04:21) �JS: Okay. Now did you take that job before Pearl Harbor? Still in ’41, but before the war starts? BB: Ummm, I’m trying to remember. Because at that time, I didn’t think much about it. You know, what was going on. JS: But do you remember hearing about Pearl Harbor? BB: Yes. JS: Do you remember where you were when you heard about it? BB: Yes. JS: Well, where were you? BB: Well, I stayed with my aunt, and you know, I heard about all that but it seems like I just wasn’t involved. JS: Right. BB: You know, just mostly involved with my own life. JS: Did you have any brothers? BB: No brothers. No sisters. JS: Okay, only child. So it wasn’t like you had brothers that might be drafted or anything like that. So you’re not really thinking about those things so much. Okay. Now what kind of job did you take? (05:21) BB: It was a business type job. When I started, I was just working in the mail department. And then I went into filing. And then I went into where I was working for several of the gentlemen there. And so that’s where I was when I met Chet. JS: Okay. And when was it that you met him? BB: He was in Santa Ana, California and the soldiers used to come into Los Angeles a lot. You know. And so, they came in. And there would be dances. There would be different things that they could go to. And so I happened to meet him there. And again, when he was in Santa Ana. We liked each other. (laughs) And at the time, he wanted me to come to Santa Ana. At that time, you went on a bus. I wasn’t too sure the first time, so I didn’t go. But he came and found me again. And I liked that, that he was…you know. So this time, the next time, then I did take a bus to see him. �(06:51) BB: To Santa Ana. And then he asked me to marry him and I said yes. JS: Okay. Now how long was it between the time you met him and when he asked you to marry him? BB: Hmmm. Not very long. (laughs) Male voice: I was afraid I’d lose her. That scared me. JS: He said he was afraid he’d lose you. BB: (laughs) Yeah, he said he was. It wasn’t very long. And then of course, now as it progresses, the thing we need to know is you’re maybe three months at each place, so that’s maybe why different things happen. JS: Right. (07:41) BB: So, I quit my job and umm, that’s when, in Phoenix, I had my father and my step-mother. He had married again. And so, I quit my job and went there. And he was stationed there and we were married there. With my family there. JS: And then once you got married, what kind of living quarters did you have? BB: Um, well, at the time there, he wasn’t…I couldn’t live with him at first. And so I just, I had a room there and I stayed there until eventually I could start going where he was. JS: Now did you eventually get to a place where you could live in an apartment that was off the base that he was stationed on? (08:56) BB: Not really. Not for quite a while. After he went, I went to Bakersfield, and I just stayed there. But I could see him on the weekends, but I couldn’t see him during the week or anything. JS: Right. BB: So I stayed there, and, um…if I saw him, if I saw him on the base, I wasn’t even supposed to say I knew him. So I stayed there and it was like a small apartment and there were other women there. That their husbands were there. And so I stayed there for quite a while, with another girl. And then eventually, I went to Bakersfield. JS: Somewhere in this process, you also had a baby, didn’t you? (10:18) �BB: Well, I went to Bakersfield, and like I said, it might have been three months or so, one of the soldiers that he knew, his wife’s mother lived in Denver and so I went there and she took me to the doctor and I was pregnant. So I went back. And I eventually went back to Arizona, to Tempe, because that’s where she was born. Donna. And he was stationed there too, at the time. So, um… let me see… (11:44) JS: Okay. So the last place that you went to was Roswell, in New Mexico. So when he was there, were you all living together or… BB: Well, first of all, we went to Hobbes. And then, yes, then I could be together with him. And then, we went to Roswell. And I like that real well. And of course, then, Donna was little. You know, she was small. So then the time came when he thought he was going to go overseas, so I went back to my grandmother’s, because I thought he was. And took Donna. But he didn’t have to go overseas. So then eventually, he came back, and we went back to where he was born in Marionette. And we stayed there for quite a while. I had two more children there. In Menomonie, where the hospital was. And he had a job there. And we lived there for quite a while. Eventually, we came back to Lansing. Of course by then, I had three children. Had Donna and Faith and Linda. And then…we were…we were in Marionette for quite a while, but he decided he was going to go back to where he had worked. (13:55) BB: So we went back there and stayed for…and at that time, we lived on a place that used to be an army base. It had small little homes, you know. So we lived there. Eventually, because his mother wasn’t well, we decided to go back to Marionette. JS: Okay. Now, I want to take the story back into the years of the war period for a couple of different things. One of them was, in that time there, before you were married, when you were living in Los Angeles and working and so forth, what was life like at that point? You know, for single women and so forth, at these places. What did you do for fun? What problems did you have to deal with? (14:52) BB: Well, I mostly worked, like I said. At that time, you had to take, they had street cars. Which I liked. And I had a girlfriend. And we just really didn’t do much. It was mostly working. JS: But you must have gone to dances, occasionally. BB: Well, there were things you could go to. I wasn’t too much into that, though. JS: Okay. BB: No, not too much. �JS: But you did go to at least to one, because you met your future husband there. And who was running that? Was it a USO thing, or was it some other group? BB: What? JS: Was that a USO dance, or some other group? (15:46) BB: I was with my girlfriend, when I met him. And he was with a friend of his, too. JS: But as I was asking, the USO sometimes sponsored dances and events. And the Red Cross did, and other groups did. So was this…do you remember who was running this function, or was it just some place that you went? BB: No, just some place we went. JS: Did you go to movies very much? BB: Yes. I did like movies. I did like movies. JS: Okay. Now this is a period when there was a good deal of rationing in place. Were there particular things that you had trouble getting, that you wanted to get? BB: At that time when I was in Los Angeles, my father and step-mother, he had married again, lived in Phoenix, wasn’t it? They lived. So we would trade things. Like you were allowed certain things like coffee and all those different things. And so I would trade, I’d send them coffee and they’d send me nylons. (laughs) It worked out real good. At the time, that’s what we did. (17:03) JS: Okay. Now, since you were working in an office and that kind of thing, were you expected to wear nylons to work? Was that part of… BB: Yes. JS: But was there any sort of provision made in the rationing for that sort of thing or did you just make do? BB: Ah, no. JS: Aside from the nylons, were there other things that you had trouble getting or couldn’t get enough of, at that time? BB: Well, I can’t remember too much. I really, like I said, I lived…I had a place I lived and I really didn’t need much else, you know. �JS: Yeah. So you didn’t need things like gasoline or tires, or some of those things that were a problem. BB: No. JS: Some people have mentioned shoes being a problem. Or clothing. Could you get enough of what you needed for that? BB: Yes. I didn’t have any problem getting those things. I didn’t have much money to get much either. (18:05) JS: All right. Now, once you got married, were there particular difficulties or problems that you had or encountered, because you were having to follow your husband from place to place, as he went through his training. Were there… BB: No. Wherever he was, I would go. On the bus. And they were usually at a place for three months. So I’d find a place to stay. I just…every place he went, I went there. JS: And was it ever difficult to find a place to stay? Or were there people who were in the business of providing rooms for wives and things? BB: I can’t remember having much trouble with that. JS: Now, as you were moving around to these places, were you able to make friends or have other women to kind of talk to, that were in the same situation that you were? (19:11) BB: Well, um, I don’t remember that, too much. JS: But you at least had roommates or people you were sharing houses with. BB: Sometimes. Sometimes I did. JS: Now, over the period there when you were married, were you able to save any money out of his salary, or did you need most of it just to cover expenses? BB: Well, he got a certain amount. That way I could pay for where I was staying. That’s what we did. JS: But were you able to save much, so that you could use that after the war was over? BB: No. �JS: Okay. You just kind of needed what you got. Okay, now, once the war is over, how quickly did things change as far as civilian life? Did things go back to normal or did they stay kind of strange, or just become different? (20:27) BB: Well, like I said, we started our life, of course. And that’s when we went back to his home. And had two more children. And so we stayed there for quite a while. And then eventually, eventually he wanted to, one of the places that he had been, he worked as an electrician, and they had always said, if you want to come back, we’ll find you a place to live. So that’s what we did. And, uh, so we went there. And I had three children. And they found us a…actually, it wasn’t an apartment. But everything was different back then. It was like one big huge room, was everything. And so, like I said, we stayed there and he worked as an electrician. Until we went back to his home. (21:55) JS: All right. Are there particular events or things that happened to you, that you experienced, that tend to come back to you? That you think about or remember, that stand out in your mind? That you haven’t mentioned here yet. BB: Well, when you were going from base to base, of course it was different, and like I said, sometimes I couldn’t say anything to him, you know, if I saw him. So, I’m not sure that anything stands out too much. JS: How would you have wound up on one of these bases? I mean, you said you saw him on the base, you couldn’t acknowledge each other. Did you ever get jobs on the bases or you just visited? (22:50) BB: I did, I remember, at one…if you didn’t have children, you were supposed to work. Now, I was in another room, with a friend of his wife, and she had a child, so she didn’t have to work, so I worked in the cafeteria, serving food to soldiers. JS: Okay. And what was that like? BB: Scary. (Laughter) JS: Why was it scary? BB: I wasn’t used to that. But it worked out good though. I went there, first of all, I was out in the back, washing dishes. I didn’t want to do anything. But then eventually, I got over that and I started behind the counter, serving food. JS: Okay. Now were you mostly working with other women, or were there soldiers doing KP duty alongside you? (23:53) �BB: No. Ususally, if I was living with someone, it was another girl, or something like that. JS: And how did the soldiers behave, when you were serving them? BB: Oh, they were always fine. Never had any trouble with any of them. JS: All right. And were there people watching after you, or looking and making sure that everybody behaved? BB: No. JS: And who did you actually answer to, or report to, when you were working on the base? Ws there a mess sergeant or someone? BB: No. Wherever I was staying, I just stayed there. I never had to answer to anyone. JS: Okay. So were you just basically with a civilian contractor or somebody like that? Somebody that was hired as a group to do the food on the base, or… BB: No. JS: They were just individual jobs that were there that you could apply for? (24:56) BB: Um, that’s the only job that I think I had. Usually, I would, I know that one time I stayed with another girl and we shared the room. But then like that. But that’s the only time I worked. JS: Okay. Now, did any of the bases that you went, did any of the bases have any kind of accommodations for children? Was there any kind of daycare available, or did you just have to deal with that yourself? BB: Um, I don’t think that there was, then. I think that if you had a child, you just took care of the child yourself. There wasn’t anything like that then. JS: Right. And did some of the women help each other out, and look after each other’s kids, and that sort of thing? BB: Not really. Not that I know of. (26:05) JS: And I guess in your situation, you move around so much… BB: Yes, that’s it. JS: It’s hard to have those networks there. �BB: Yeah. Each time he went to a different base, then I went. Eventually, it was so that we could be together. But it wasn’t at first. JS: Okay. Now, when the news came that the war was over, what was your reaction to that? BB: Oh, I was glad. (laughs) ‘Cause I knew he was coming back to where I was, too. JS: So you weren’t disappointed that he didn’t get to go bomb Japan, then? BB: No. (laughs) No. I wouldn’t have liked that. (26:49) JS: A little bit different side of it. Okay. Well, you’ve done a good job of sort of filling in the other side of that story, so people watching these two interviews together, will get that much more out of it. Is there anything else that you’d like to put on the record here, before we close out the interview? BB: Well, I found that it was very interesting that I was able to go around to the different bases, and see places that I would not have seen otherwise. And something that you always remember. You always remember where you were, what happened there. So I’m glad it happened. JS: Well, thank you for taking the time to tell it to me today. (27:33) � 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 Bovee, Betty (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bovee, Betty Description An account of the resource Betty Bovee was born in Lansing, Michigan on April 29, 1923 and later moved to a small town where she grew up on a farm. She graduated from high school in 1941 and moved in with her aunt in Los Angeles, California. Betty spent the majority of her time working while in California, until she met her husband Chet. She quit her job once they were engaged and they got married in Phoenix, Arizona. Betty followed Chet around on different bases that he was stationed at for the remainder of his time in the service. They had three children while he was in the service and they moved back to Michigan once he was discharged. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-11-17 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BoveeB 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/ec5c2941f35dfae0ab63d4ecc2b1f11b.mp4 53397b6632ea63b23976d6e7b185f755 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/118293003e7d1b6ee202c166975f3c67.pdf 6fbe74beb93137b303e2520e7f49623b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Chester Bovee Length: 44:13 (00:15) Background Information        Chester was born in Michigan on June 10, 1923 and later grew up in Wisconsin The Depression was hard on his family and his father worked in general labor After graduating from high school Chester began working in an electrician apprenticeship He had wanted to go to college, but did not have the resources to do so Chester had wanted to enlist and fight in the war as soon as he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor His father did not want him to enlist because he had fought in WWI and been wounded Chester enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps when he was 19 years old (6:55) United States Army Air Corps  Chester went through pilot training school where they flew B-29s and were getting ready for a raid over Japan  They also worked with Stearmans, twin engines, B-25s, and B-17s  He received his wings and was then sent to Roswell, New Mexico before he would be sent to the Pacific  Chester met his new crew in New Mexico, but they had declared the war over before they left (13:10) Contra Field  Chester was sent to San Angelo in Texas where he was working as an electrician for about 1 year before he passed tests to become a pilot  The Air Corps was looking for volunteers to be pilots, bombardiers, and navigators to fight in the Pacific  Chester scored high enough to become a pilot, but not a bombardier or a navigator  He was impressed with his score considering he had not continued his education after high school (15:40) Flight Training  Chester was sent to the University of Montana after he volunteered to be a pilot  They were taking mathematics, history and many other classes that did not seem to have anything to do with flying  After taking courses at the University of Montana he was sent to Santa Ana, California for pre-flight school �    There they learned basic flight rules, commands, and how to communicate with other crew members Chester learned how to lead a crew and became a airplane commander He then went to Thunderbird Field in Arizona where they began working with Stearmans Chester had met his wife in California, who had been working for GE, and they got married in Arizona (20:55) Primary Flight School  Chester was able to fly his first plane alone and it was a thrilling experience  His instructor recommended that he go through bombardier school because he was very accurate  He was told he would be a good bombardier, but would never make it as a fighter pilot  It was easier for him to understand the mechanics of the planes because of his electrician experience  Chester liked flying B-25s better than UC-78s; it was a light bomber with lots of muscle  He liked the B-17s even better, which they flew in bomb training through ranges at Norden Bomb Sight (31:55) B-29s  Chester did not enjoy flying B-29s because they were so large  They could reach an altitude of 37,000 feet, flew faster than B-17s, carried more bombs, and had a longer range  B-29s could fly from the US through the Pacific and back without having to refuel while many other aircraft would have to refuel (33:40) End of War  Chester had been very excited to leave with is new crew and bomb Japan, but was never able to fly with them  He felt that hitting the Japanese with the atomic bombs was a big gamble and that it is still a big problem  He really enjoyed training at Thunderbird Field the most because of the background and scenery  Chester studied very hard to pass all his tests and get promotions  He was in Roswell when he first heard the news that the war was over  Chester was only there for another 3 or 4 weeks before he was discharged (37:45) After Service  Chester moved to Wisconsin with his wife and baby and then later moved to Michigan �  They did not like living in the South because they felt like they were still treated unfavorably because of the Civil War Being in the service had helped to boost Chester’s ego because he proved to himself that he could be a pilot against many odds � 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 Bovee, Chester (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bovee, Chester Description An account of the resource Chester Bovee was born in Michigan on June 10, 1923 and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps when he was 19 years old. He went through basic training at Contra Field in Texas where he also worked as an electrician. Chester later got a high enough test score to move on to be a pilot and was sent to the University of Montana to take academic courses. He then went to pre-flight school in Santa Ana, California before he was sent to Thunderbird Field in Arizona for primary flight school. After training he had met his new crew in Roswell, New Mexico and they were getting ready to go to the Pacific before they heard that the war was over. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-11-17 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BoveeC 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/601385b29aa33971b5602be3363624bf.mp4 bf163e5765a85657c712387a7c9d873d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ab6ad46edbb8793297d5f7e4aaced2d9.pdf 3661eb427bd5443cd587d61dcadaa110 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Susan Ryan Bowers Vietnam War 49 minutes 45 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Memphis, Tennessee -Moved to Florida when her father went to fight in World War II -Lived in Florida from 1941 to 1965 -Lived in Coral Gables and Jacksonville -Went to college in Tallahassee -She met and married Steven Ryan from Grand Rapids, Michigan -They met in 1963 and were married in January 1964 -Shortly thereafter he was deployed to Vietnam -Her father was in the Office of War Information and then worked in public relations for Pan-Am -Her mother was unemployed (00:01:47) Background and Training for Steven Ryan -She taught school for a couple years before marrying Steven and having children -Steven attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio -After he graduated from college he decided to enlist in the navy -He became an officer upon joining the Navy in 1960 -He became a bombardier/navigator in the A5 Vigilante bomber -He was sent to Newport News, Virginia for training -Then to Pensacola, Florida for further training -His training in Florida lasted for six months -He began with math, physics, and engineering courses upon joining the Navy -She remembers watching Steven doing carrier qualification training in Sanford, Florida -It was thrilling to watch the jets attempt to qualify for landing on an aircraft carrier -Never saw any carrier qualification accidents -She remembers seeing a midair collision with a civilian aircraft -A friend of hers was killed due to a cold catapult on an aircraft carrier -Cold catapult: Not enough steam to launch the jet, throwing it into the water (00:09:26) Meeting Steven -He was active duty on the USS Forrestal -She was living in Jacksonville, Florida and teaching when she met Steven in 1963 -They met each other on a blind date -He was stationed at Sanford Naval Air Station, Florida at the time -Wound up getting married and living together in Sanford County on Lake Mary -At the time there was only a post office and a laundromat -He came back from a European deployment in August 1963 and soon afterwards started dating -They got married in January 1964 -In June 1964 he was deployed to Vietnam, and wouldn’t return until June 1965 -On his European deployment he had gone to Naval Station Rota, Spain and to Italy -She wasn’t dating him during this deployment though, so the details were limited �(00:14:28) Living in Sanford -She didn’t get a job while living in Sanford -She wanted to spend as much time with Steven as possible prior to his deployment -There was a very active community for Navy officers and their spouses -It was all about living life to the fullest and being close with one another -It felt like being in a fraternity -There were squadron rivalries, games, and parties -Steven was part of RVAH 5 (a reconnaissance squadron) (00:16:00) Steven’s Deployment to the Pacific -He knew in January that he was going to be leaving in June -They would count the days together and just try to make the time count -They both accepted that it was going to happen -He was sent out to join the USS Ranger -It was a rarity for an East Coast unit to go on a West Coast deployment -Pilots were needed though, and his recon squadron was one of the best -He received a week of survival training in California -Evading being captured -Surviving in the wilderness without a weapon -Living on snakes and insects for sustenance -He was eventually “captured” and placed in an underground pen -Subjected to starvation and psychological torture -Most men lost at least twenty pounds by the end of the training (00:22:44) Serving in Vietnam -He left California in June after his survival training was complete -From California he sailed to Yokosuka, Japan -He spent the majority of that cruise at sea before Vietnam escalated -In August 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred and the resolution was passed by Congress -As a result this was the start of heavy American involvement in Vietnam -The first phase of that was an American aerial campaign against North Vietnam -He was involved in the initial bombing campaign against North Vietnam -Even that early in the war they already started to lose jets, and with those jets they lost pilots (00:25:25) Communication -They were able to communicate with each other via mail -He would talk about friends, food, and movies being shown on the ship -Never talked about any of his wartime activities or anything that happened on missions (00:26:49) Susan Coping with the Deployment -During Steven’s deployment Susan moved back to Jacksonville to be close to her family -She kept up with the war -Because she wasn’t in Sanford she didn’t have to see when wives lost husbands -She also didn’t get to get any of the immediate information or have that support network -In Jacksonville she didn’t have to deal with any harassment from antiwar protestors -She did see the protests on the TV and saw them get worse as the war continued -Felt that the lack of cooperation was abhorrent -She understood the frustration of a lot of servicemen with the politicians -The politicians wanted to run a war that the military knew how to win �(00:32:20) End of Deployment and Retirement -He was supposed to be home by March 1965, but the date kept getting pushed back -Eventually got pushed back to June 1965 -Didn’t know that he was coming home until the week of -Remembers when the squadron returned people dressed up and there was a celebration -It was momentous occasion for the survivors to return safely -Upon coming home he was the same man that he was when he entered the Navy -After that tour he decided to leave the Navy -He felt that it wasn’t the right career for him or for his family -The other men in the squadron were supportive of his decision -He went to work for Lear-Siegler in Grand Rapids, Michigan -They were designing and manufacturing long range navigational computers -He would frequently go to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio for his work -After the war he never faced harassment for having served in Vietnam -If anything, he was a curiosity in East Grand Rapids because he had served -People wanted to know about Vietnam and invited him to speak at gatherings -He was always well received when he spoke in front of a crowd about his service (00:39:59) Dangers in Vietnam -Missiles weren’t quite a threat yet during his time off the coast of Vietnam -Antiaircraft fire was still a very real threat for him -Because they were flying low, even small arms fire was still a threat -The landscape and the environment in general was also a hazard -They had to deal with fog and deal with navigating through a myriad of valleys (00:41:08) Reflections on the War -Resentful towards politicians for steering the direction of the war in the wrong direction -They both supported the military’s policies no matter what they were -Felt that the politicians would put the military in difficult and precarious situations -Both disappointed about people’s attitude during that time concerning the U.S. and the military (00:44:00) Day to Day Life in the Navy -She found the daily routine of being in the Navy fascinating -Steven would occasionally talk about the limitations of war, but he was never specific about it -Steven commented that there was always high adrenaline when combat missions were flown -Especially when you came back to the ship, and other men did not -In his squadron four (or five) men were killed in action during Vietnam -Aboard the ship he shared a small room with another airman -They had a bunk bed, a desk, and a chair -The pilots and navigators would spend most of their time in the “ready room” -Preparing for missions, or to just relax and swap stories with each other -There was a great sense of camaraderie on board the carrier (00:47:00) Reflections on Service -His naval service was a rewarding experience -It gave Steven direction in life -It also taught him how to be a leader and solve problems -They both feel that everyone should do at least one year of military or civil service -It would help many people to become more mature after high school or college �-It would also help to make people more realistic and more selfless -It changed his life for the better � 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_BowersS1708V Title A name given to the resource Bowers, Susan (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-12-02 Description An account of the resource Susan Ryan Bowers is the widow of Vietnam War veteran Steven Ryan. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee and then grew up in Florida. She met Steven in 1963 after a deployment to Europe. He was in the Navy as a bombardier/navigator for an A5 Vigilante in RVAH 5 Squadron (reconnaissance). They were married in January 1964 and in June of that year he was deployed to Vietnam where he saw action flying bombing missions along the coast of Vietnam. During his time in the service she was an active member of the Sanford Naval Air Station community in Florida and ardently supported his involvement with the military and with the Vietnam War. After his tour ended in June 1965 he decided to leave the Navy and they moved up to Grand Rapids, Michigan where he worked for Lear-Siegler, an aerospace company, which allowed him to still be involved with the military, specifically the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bowers, Susan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4