954 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/af5710a407a7d85373b14643e5b0c280.mp4 161520d6c9fa63b97c5dfab8753c0085 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e644942e1377305d1567a4c51cdbbb39.pdf ac24c2f3bb2b3a5dfb575790ec463e1a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Gordon Van Wylen (01:01:00) (0:17) Background • Grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan • Graduated from Ottawa Hills High School in 1937 o During the Depression years, had little money (0:22) • He was the first in his family to go to college (0:36) • Attended Calvin College, he was within walking distance from the College • 3 years at Calvin and 2 years at U of M o Received an AAB degree from Calvin and an Engineering degree from U of M after a 5 year program (0:45) • 1940 he went to U of M and was due to graduate in 1942 (1:00) • Pearl Harbor happened in his Senior year at U of M (1:11) • Took a job with Dupont o Easily got the job due to his engineering degree and the demand for skilled labor in the military industries (1:45) • Wanted to join the service in stead of his job with Dupont o His heart was not in the engineering job (1:54) • Signed up for the B7 program with the Navy o A 4 month program (2:11) • Went to the B7 program in Columbia (2:41) • He did not know that he would be living in battleship Illinois o He was sent here because he had an engineering degree (2:47) • Had to march from 137th to 116th street to participate in the program and other leisure activities offered by the program directors o I.E. Saturday parades o Said the only hardship of the program was living on the battleship (3:32) • Had a compulsory Church service on Sunday o Had to march to get there (3:46) • Joined the Church choir o A protestant church (4:06) • When Pearl Harbor occurred, him and other students at U of M were glued to the radio awaiting more news o He knew that this would change America and his life in some way (4:26) • Shocked that the Japanese could attack the US with surprise o He was informed of world events and knew what was going on in the war  Everything really hit home when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (5:03) • Joined Navy B7 program o February 1943 – June 1943 o They had no choice where they would be sent after they completed the program (5:39) �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Could volunteer, because he was an engineer, to be on a submarine duty o This was because he had an engineer degree and he had good marks in the program, giving him the ability to have a choice in where he was sent (6:07) He choose submarine duty because he didn’t want to go to Navy school and wanted a sea experience (6:14) Had to visit a psychologist and take a physical to be sure he was up to submarine duty (6:30) He was accepted into the submarine program o Went in as an officer because he had a college degree (6:36) He was sent to Key West, Florida with 25 reserve officers (7:27) The base used WWI R-boats It was a sound school, trained officers to detect submarines o Used the R-boats as tests because they were not fit for combat (7:46) Communicated with each other through sound waves, short and long wave o They wouldn’t be able to use radio waves in combat so they had to learn how to do it by sound (8:39) Took the sound course in Key West for 3 months then went to submarine school in New London (9:09) Not aware of how dangerous It would be, until later o He wanted to go to sea on a small ship • He didn’t want to be stuck in a motor room of a battleship o Motivated to be a deck officer on a submarine (9:20) 8 week program in New London (10:01) Choose a submarine called the Hardhead o Which was still being built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin (10:56) He was sent to Manitowoc with the rest of the crew while it was being finished o It was completed in April 1943 (11:19) It was tested in Lake Michigan o It was the first submarine to be tested at a 400 foot depth • They had to make sure everything was working properly before it was sent out to sea (11:30) With his engineering background he was familiar with the principles of the submarines machinery (12:43) The submarine had 8 officers including the captain and 6 other officers o 3 officers were reserve and the other 3 were academy graduates (13:42) Each Officer had various jobs assigned to them o Engineering officer, communications officer, etc (14:41) He was a commissary officer in charge of food o Had 85 men on board o Had to make sure there was enough food to feed all of them for their trips (14:50) After testing was done, the crew was sent to Chicago on the submarine and went down a river/canal to a dry dock lift that put the submarine into the Mississippi and pulled by tub boats to New Orleans Went through the Panama Canal (16:12) �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Went to the Pearl Islands and trained for warfare combat o The sub was assigned a destroyer (16:19) Spent 7 days in the Pearl Islands, all sorts of exercises o Night routines, gun firing, tracking (16:40) Practiced a submerge attack (17:47) Explains the torpedo and how it works in all its various aspects o Very complex in relation to the submarine and other ships (18:17) Learned to make a submarine attack o He was assigned to mechanically measuring distance and estimate range to compare with a computer o He would fire the torpedoes when ordered too (20:30) Early part of the war, the torpedoes did not function properly o The original theory was to fire the torpedo under the ship and the ship’s magnetic field would trigger the bomb  This did not work very well (22:02) They shifted to actually hitting the side of the ship o It took awhile to engineer this, as well as more time to get correct estimates and range to fire (22:35) Left Manitowoc in May 1944 and went to Pearl Harbor after his training in the Pearl Islands (23:01) Went on patrol in 1944 o He helped patrol the east side of the Philippines (23:14) He made his first attack after a week of patrol (23:33) Discusses how the submarines communicate o Submarines were forbidden to use radio waves o They were never to broadcast to their base in Australia unless it was very important (23:49) His submarine was sent top secret information on location and patrol routes of Japanese ships (24:35) They tracked a ship until they had a course o They attacked once the ship’s course was confirmed (25:27) Submarines go a good 21 knots on the water surface 3 to 8 knots submerged o 21 knots is roughly 5 miles an hour  12 days to get to the Philippines from Pearl Harbor (25:50) The Japanese got better at attacking submarines as the war progressed o The US had around 42 submarines in the area o They were always mindful of a Japanese attack  From ship or air assaults (26:45) They sank a destroyer o They did not sink the smaller ships that were with it (27:55) He only felt threatened by the Japanese 2 or 3 times (29:09) On his second war patrol off the west coast of the Philippines in a wolf pack (29:23) o 3 submarines working together One submarine picked up a signal on the radar (30:05) �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • They got around the destroyers protecting a carrier They fired at it and the ship exploded o They learned after that it was carrying aviation fuel After the explosion the ships protecting it started to drop death charges (30:55) His submarine got away unscathed o The submarine that first detected the radar signal was destroyed o The third submarine was chased and attacked, but survived after 16 hours (31:36) o His submarine got a reward for sinking the carrier with minimal damage to the submarine (32:10) His submarine was based in Perth, Australia on the western coast They went through the Indian Ocean and Indonesia, through narrow passages to get to the base (32:45) The Japanese knew that US ships were using the narrow passages near Indonesia so they tried to patrol them (33:23) They ran into a few destroyers They tried to outrun the Japanese ships o They both fired on each other, formed a stalemate and got away (33:30) There was a good cohesion among the officers and crew on the submarine o Not much distinction between ranked officers and the crew  They wore much the same outfits, and ate the same food, slept in the same places o Everyone was very friendly and got to know each other (34:22) Older officers were more knowledgeable about the world and what was going on o They focused on their orders and duties o The younger officers did not have that much to do outside of the basic duties and had more time to think about the danger they were in (35:33) Everyone felt tense when they were being shot at or right before an attack (37:41) He had a good sense that the US would win the war (39:02) His submarine finished its 6th war patrol when the war was over (39:15) He wonders why the Japanese did not quit the war before the atomic bomb was dropped, since the Japanese knew that the war was lost (39:40) He did not know anything about the bomb before it was dropped (40:20) Before the bomb was dropped he felt a land invasion of Japan was going to be necessary to end the war in the Pacific (41:14) As the war went on the threat level felt the same even after the was ended o Many Japanese still held out in certain areas (42:07) The submarines stayed on the surface of the water unless it was in sight of land o The surface ships, such as destroyers, were faster and the submarines couldn’t outrun them even above water (43:06) He felt relief when Japan surrendered (45:02) He said he had a good experience in the Navy (45:41) He was done and more than ready to go home when his time to serve was up They could communicate with sound to other submarines when submerged o They could not use long distance radio contact (47:29) �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Submarines kept logs of incoming messages about other submarines and what the base in Australia was sending them (48:43) He was a part of the Southwest Navy patrol o Based in Perth, Australia o The Pacific Navy patrol was based in Pearl Harbor (49:18) He left 2-3 weeks after the war was over o He was in San Francisco for 4 months o Discharged on February 1946 (49:28) He went to graduate school at Michigan State University o Went for MIT He stayed in the reserves for a few years (49:50) Many people didn’t talk about their experience in the war o He told his family many stories about his experience o He said it was probably because he never witnessed any atrocities of war compared to many other soldiers (50:11) He was never a part of a veteran’s program (51:28) Met a woman in college and got married and had 5 children He is very involved in his church Life is always busy o These are reasons why he did not join a veterans group (51:43) Doesn’t think his war experience was the biggest thing in his life (52:19) Only kept in touch with a few of his fellow officers He went to a reunion in Manitowoc (53:40) Found out there were many soldiers that survived the ship that his submarine first sank o He wrote to the officer that helped organize the escape (55:17) He helped publish the Japanese officer’s book in the US o Published in 1994 (55:38) Met up with the officer in Norfolk, Virginia as part of a world tour with WWII Japanese destroyers (58:22) Went to Japan for a ceremony celebrating the book and its success o The ceremony brought him feelings of reconciliation, and the experience was extraordinary (01:01:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VanWylenG Title A name given to the resource Van Wylen, Gordon (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Wylen, Gordon Description An account of the resource Gordon Van Wylen left his job as an engineer for Dupont in 1943 and joined the US Navy. He entered an officer training program, but then transferred into submarine school. He served on the submarine USS Hardhead in 1944-45 and went on six patrols in the Pacific. His boat sank several Japanese warships, including an aircraft carrier, and after the war he contacted and befriended some of the Japanese sailors who survived the sinking of this ship. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Montagna, Douglas (Interviewer) Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum (Muskegon, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American 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 2004-10-22 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/112df998678f995017c104a9c31bdad0.pdf 303b77da600f20e862b1e3c47a603000 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project World War II Richard VanAllsburg (22:51) Background Information (00:53) • • • • • Born on February 17th 1921. (1:00) Richard was in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Commander. (1:25) He served in Ohio, Washington, California, Texas, Florida, and the Hawaiian islands. (1:40) Richard lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Navy (in approx 1943). (2:27) Richard was trained to fly at the age of 19. When he enlisted he was told that Navy flight training would be easier to get into. (2:58) Training (3:12) • • • • Richard was sent to Buchman College in Ohio where he sent half his day in athletics and half in the class room. This lasted 6 months. (3:23) He was then sent to St. Mary’s College in California. This was the first part of training that was like a real boot camp. (4:00) Many men who enlisted came from homes that were still in poor states from The Depression. Training was the first time many had nutritious food and regular physical conditioning. (5:13) Approx. every 3 months Richard was moved for training. (6:03) Active Duty (6:20) • • • • • • Richard spent much of his active duty during a 9 month stretch in Hawaii. He worked in a utilities shed. (6:22) Richard volunteered to be sent to the Pacific. He had become board with the training in California. (6:45) Richard shipped out of San Diego, California, on an aircraft carrier. (7:27) Richard’s job was to tow targets for any man who needed shooting practice. He also calibrated radar. (7:46) In Hawaii Richard flew 9 different kinds of aircraft. This he very much enjoyed. (8:29) While flying, Richard flew too close to the ground and scared people off a float during a parade. (10:00) Life in Hawaii (10:40) • • • • • In Hawaii Richard spent most of his time chasing women. (10:48) Letters were the primarily way that Richard stayed in contact with home. (11:23) The food was not bad. (11:25) Richard doesn’t recall being too stressed. He loved flying so much that work was not seen as work. (11:42) Occasionally there were dances held. Nurses often came from the hospital to dance. (12:33) �• Overall Richard enjoyed his time in the service. He wouldn’t have left the Navy if his dad did not want him home to work for him. (13:24) Life after Service (14:30) • • • • Richard asked for an early discharge so that he could go home and help his dad with his dairy business. (14:35) Richard did not make many close relationships during active duty. He did make close relationships while in the Reserve. (15:20) Richard attended Michigan State University with a degree in agriculture and Dairy Manufacturing. (16:08) Richard processed and sold milk and ice cream. (16:20) Thoughts on Service (16:50) • • He enjoyed the service and would encourage anyone to enter. (16:54) Richard remained in the reserve for 27 years after being discharged in 1945. This affected his life more than his military service. (17:34) The Reserve and Return to Service (17:50) • • • • • Richard reentered the service from the reserve in 1962. (17:55) While in The Reserve, Richard would train a weekend a month and do 2 weeks of active duty a year. Richard served at naval stations in Cuba and San Diego. (18:05) He flew dive bombers while in The Reserve. (18:50) Richard was sent to South Langland for his active duty. Here the men flew reconnaissance missions that keep track of electronic reconnaissance boats that were 300 miles off shore. (20:11) Richard flew the 2nd highest number of hours while in service in South Langland. (21:16) � 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 VanAllsburgR0850V Title A name given to the resource VanAllsberg, Richard (Interview outline), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanAllsberg, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard VanAllsburg, born on February 17th 1921 in Grand Rapids Michigan, served in the U.S. Navy from approximately 1943-1945 as a pilot during World War II. Richard spent his first year of service in various training locations and active duty on bases. He soon volunteered to be sent to the Pacific in order to fly more. Richard was sent to Hawaii where he pulled targets for shooting practice. After being discharged in 1945 Richard joined the Naval Reserve. He was called back into duty in 1962 to carry out reconnaissance missions in the Caribbean for approximately 1 year. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Vandersyde, Seth (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American 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 Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-06-06 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/535345457c3b34d54becb66874936f58.jpg 79718079044e89f6045b1da26424d2f4 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 Mathias J. Alten Collection Subject The topic of the resource Grand Rapids (Mich.) Artists--Michigan Painters Photographs Description An account of the resource Digitized photographs, artworks, and diary transcript from the papers of West Michigan painter, Mathias J. Alten (1871-1938) represent one of the most important collections in the holdings of both the University Library's Special Collections and the University Art Gallery. Alten, a German native who came to Grand Rapids as a youth, is a celebrated American regionalist often referred to as the Dean of Michigan Painters. The photographs and papers document his family life and career and support the collection of Alten paintings owned by the University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alten, M. (Mathias), 1871-1938 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/456">Mathias J. Alten papers (RHC-28)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image/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-28 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1893 - 1929 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="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/456">Mathias J. Alten papers, RHC-28</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-28_MAlten_00015 Title A name given to the resource Portrait of painter Mathias Alten Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanCamben? Description An account of the resource Portrait of painter Mathias Alten. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives Subject The topic of the resource Alten, M. (Mathias), 1871-1938 Grand Rapids (Mich.) Artists--Michigan Painters Photographs 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 Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9124bc0306e950b48987f80f57f2fda9.pdf 3e8619194423dc0480df9ad8a9658f0a PDF Text Text Young Lords In Lincoln Park Interviewee: Rebecca “Buffy” Vance Interviewers: José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez Location: Grand Valley State University Special Collections Date: 4/20/2012 Biography and Description Rebecca “Buffy” Vance was friends with “Stony,” who was a white southerner and one of the main Young Lords from the Wieland branch of the group before they became human rights activists for Latinos and the poor. Stony was about 17-years-old then and lived across from Wieland on North Avenue. His sisters became members of the auxiliary group, the Young Lordettes. Wieland culture was completely different from the culture at Halsted and Dickens and Burling and Armitage where the other main group of Young Lords hung out. The difference was that on Wieland and North Avenue, they did not have to share space with the other Puerto Rican Clubs of Lincoln Park. Pockets of Puerto Ricans left behind from the destruction wrought by urban renewal in the Puerto Rican barrio of La Clark were still around then. Wieland Street was one of the streets that still survived. Masao Yamasaki, a man of Japanese descent, became friends with Stony and other Young lords and tried to help them with counseling and guidance. Mr. Yamasaki did this through the YMCA, where Young Lords would go for swimming and basketball. He owned a factory and started providing a few of them, including Stony, with jobs. And Stony remained in his packaging company for years, becoming a supervisor for the company. Ms. Vance was never in the Young Lords but grew up in Lincoln Park and attended Alcott Elementary at 2625 North Orchard. Alcott School then had an after school program that would supervise the youth at night to keep them out of trouble and off the streets. A few of the Young Lords attended Alcott and �spread the word about the program. They would have to walk 8 to 10 blocks to attend but it did help some of them as they participated in sports, arts and crafts, and other activities. There were also the social dances, where youth danced to tunes such as “Wipe-out,” “Twine Time,” “Monkey Time,” and “Louie Louie.” Today Ms. Vance today works at the University of Illinois Circle Campus as Assistant to Communications and Development and Alumni Relations. Prior to joining the College of Law, she worked as a development Secretary for Will AM-FM-TV. Ms. Vance has also worked at Amdocs Inc. and in benefit planning. �Transcript REBECCA VANCE: Okay. My name is Rebecca Vance. I’ve got a nickname of [Buffy but I think anybody from a long time ago in the neighborhood would remember me as Rebecca. I was born in Richmond, Indiana, and then moved to inner-city Chicago when I was a few months old with my mom. She was divorced when she was pregnant with me and I have an older sister, three years older than me, who lived with us there and then a younger sister seven years younger. JOSE JIMENEZ: RV: What are their names and what year did you come to Chicago? We came to Chicago probably 1952 I was born so it’s a little, family didn’t talk a whole lot about that time but it’s probably early ’50s we came to Chicago. [00:01:00] Actually, we lived on Clarington. I’m not sure where that is. It’s probably not too far from where I grew up but we lived there first. And then she remarried my stepfather and we moved to Wrightwood and Mildred when I was five years old. So that’d be about ’57 and we stayed in that. It was a brownstone brick building. We stayed there through eighth grade and then they moved, we moved out. But I -- JJ: So you were in Uptown on Clarington and then you moved to Lincoln Park at the time. RV: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So when I was five -- JJ: You said around ’57, (inaudible) and it was like a brownstone building? RV: Yeah, it was a brownstone building. It was right on the corner and it was kind of funny. Years later, I was working at a, I don’t even remember. Like a warehouse 1 �or something in Champaign here and I was talking about where I lived [00:02:00] and a guy was hearing me. He goes, “Oh yeah, my mom owned that building.” What are the odds of that? So it got me thinking and I went back and went to look at that building, went to look at it, and we actually lived in the basement. So I found the landlady because there was, it looked like there was one of the apartments for rent and I asked if I could see the basement apartment. She was just like, “There is no one anyone could live there.” It’s like, “Oh, yeah, we lived there.” I was explaining where the bedroom was and where the bathroom and she just, she said, “Oh, well, there’s an outlet for a bathroom but I can’t believe it.” So I looked down there and it was amazing that they had a little apartment down there. But -JJ: This was on Mildred or...? RV: Yeah, Mildred and Wrightwood. It’s still a really nice building. I mean, just I could sort of remember because of the streets but a lot of the old apartments or brownstones, some of them were still there. But mostly in between where there was like [00:03:00] bigger gangways and stuff were really, really, big, nice townhomes. When I tell people, “Oh yeah, I grew up in Lincoln Park,” they’re like, “Wooh, wooh!” And I was like, “No, it wasn’t like that. It was just kind of a working-class neighborhood.” JJ: At the time? RV: Yeah. JJ: Especially around Halsted. But I mean east of that, you had the goalposts, right? I mean, you had Lake Shore Drive? 2 �RV: Yeah. We would walk in the summer, we would walk to the beach every day. JJ: What beach did you go to? RV: Fullerton Avenue Beach. JJ: (inaudible) RV: Yeah, we’d go to Fullerton and then my older sister, [Vera?] was older than me. So she would go to the rocks, Addison Rocks, and that’s where all the teenagers would hang out. JJ: (inaudible) RV: So yeah, they would hang out there but I remember going to, walking to Fullerton Avenue beach every day. JJ: So the teenagers were hanging around the Addison Rocks. When you say teenagers, what kind of position I mean in terms of minority. [00:04:00] Were there -- RV: It was -- JJ: Or did you even think about that at that time? RV: I didn’t think about it a lot. I thought about race because I was called some names. I was, my mom and you know, in the ’50s, that wasn’t that long -- JJ: You were called names? What do you mean? RV: Just racial slurs. She was born in Japan from Tokyo and my father is Caucasian. So and I really never saw him till I was 13 but so she would always tell me, “You’re American. You can pass. You’re American. Say you’re Italian.” (laughter) I was like Italians got it better? I don’t know. So I just -- but I really couldn’t identify. There was a small Japanese population maybe and I was 3 �looking for my picture, at my class picture. There were several Japanese children that were in my grade school and that may be why we moved to that certain area. But mostly, it was [00:05:00] Latino, Latina. JJ: At that time, was it Latino? RV: Yeah, there were quite a few, quite a few of my friends were Puerto Rican. We just, that was the neighborhood. So I got my first kiss from a Puerto Rican boy. (laughs) JJ: Okay. RV: Yeah, so I remember that. Yeah. JJ: Now, so you’re of Japanese ancestry and so did, were your parents raised over there at the time? RV: My mother was. She was. She lived in Japan most of her adult life. I think she, maybe she got, maybe she had me when she was 30 but she lived through the war there. She told me stories about being bombed in Tokyo. JJ: What war? I don’t -- RV: What was that, World War II? JJ: Oh, World War II? Okay. (inaudible) -- RV: Yeah, they, yeah, bombed Tokyo. She’s 88 now. JJ: Oh, when they bombed...? RV: Yeah, so she lived through that. She just lived there and she would -- JJ: What kind of stories did she (inaudible)? RV: Oh, just wonderful stories to tell time. (laughs) Just wonderful but, you know, [00:06:00] war stories. She just and she was very, we could -- now that I look 4 �back now, I could see that just very much affected her. Just the trauma of that and then the prejudice coming to the coun-- this country right after it. Once, she told a lot about the bodies and you know. But I do remember one story that kind of gave me strength that I thought about and I still think about. She was upstairs reading and her mom was calling her, “Please come down to the basement, please come down,” because they were bomb, they were beginning bombing again. And she said, “If I’m going to die, I’m going to die upstairs in my bedroom reading my book, not in the basement like a cockroach.” (laughs) And she said she stayed there reading and they couldn’t make her come down. And I just, I think about that. I still think about that. And now, I [00:07:00] just think she just had enough and she would tell me the people didn’t do anything. It was a government, it was a change of government. And they were real militant and the people are, the culture is just to obey. And so but she, I think it just struck her that, “I’m a human being and I’m tired of, I’m tired of running and being afraid. If you’re going to kill me, kill me this way. I’m going to die with dignity,” so I remember that story. That was good. When she got to this country, it was difficult. I think the marriage, it was difficult. It was a difficult time being inter-intermarried that way and so I don’t think her in-laws were happy and she wasn’t happy. So it was a hard time. There was a lot of prejudice, a lot of name-calling. People didn’t like, you know, it was the enemy. JJ: What kind of name-calling? RV: You mean like you want me to say [00:08:00] the words? JJ: Yeah, (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) -- 5 �RV: Yeah, might as well. All right. Yeah, I got called like Jap or dirty Jap or you know. So mm-hmm, yeah. JJ: Yeah, because I didn’t, I didn’t consider that but it’s true that the World War II -- RV: With the war just so -- yeah, it wasn’t -- JJ: (inaudible) more prejudice. RV: Yeah, it wasn’t that far from, yeah. JJ: Did you know people in those internment camps or anything like that or no? (inaudible) RV: Not of our family because she was first generation. She was the first one to come to this country and it was after the war that she came. But yeah, I think the Japanese were kind of the only people in this country that were rounded up and put in jail. I don’t know but so -- JJ: Yeah, right, mm-hmm. Okay, so it wasn’t your generation because you had come after the war. RV: Yeah, she came after the war and that’s where she met my father was in, she was working in a hospital and he was -- JJ: Here in Chicago? RV: In Tokyo. JJ: In Tokyo, okay. RV: She was working in a hospital. And she was actually a very privileged family, a very wealthy family. [00:09:00] The [Oharas?] from Tokyo and I guess they had like a business school and had a lot of buildings. She did tell me when she left, there was nothing left. I mean, they -- everything was bombed and they didn’t 6 �have pictures. But there was one building and she gave that to her brother. But when she came to this country, she had to work because she had two small girls to take care of and she got a job I guess in a factory doing like a heavy sewing. I talked to some people that had actually -JJ: This was here. RV: Yeah, in Chicago. She worked in a factory -- JJ: Heavy sewing so -- RV: -- doing -- JJ: Not Maxwell Street or anything like that by that (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) - RV: It could’ve been, it very well could’ve been because I was actually to my ex inlaws saying and they had worked in different factories and I said what she did. They couldn’t believe that a woman that little could do it because I guess it’s a big apparatus that you have to do all day. She eventually [00:10:00] got bursitis as she got older from it. But I mean, that kind of gives me strength, too, to think that somebody who is so privileged, they had servants and but they were not above just going in and doing what you have to do. Working hard to take care of your children so I admired her for that, yeah. JJ: This is your mom. RV: My mom. JJ: And then is she still alive? RV: She’s still alive. She’s 88, yeah. She was doing really well until about a couple of years ago and then she just kind of, I think she just kind of gave up. She just 7 �kind of gave up. But her whole life, she kind of thought -- I don’t want to say she thought people didn’t like her but people didn’t like her. So that’s a hard thing to leave your culture, leave your country, people are bombing you, come here, you didn’t do anything and people don’t accept you. So I don’t think she ever really got over that. Yeah. JJ: Now, did you realize that they didn’t accept her or are you realizing that now? RV: [00:11:00] That they didn’t -- no, I knew it then. JJ: I mean, how did you know? RV: Because I could hear, I could hear what they’re saying. People are very verba-you know. You grow up in Chicago, people aren’t going to bow and smile. I mean, they’ll just yell out if they don’t like you. If they like you, they do. But yeah, so I heard racial slurs the whole time I was there. Interesting enough, I was, because I don’t look full Japanese, full Asian, just most of the time, I was mistaken for being Latino so I got a lot of racial slurs about that. But -- JJ: About being Latino? RV: Oh yeah. JJ: (laughs) RV: Oh yeah. “You spic! You spic!” It’d be like a little girl. I was like, “Ha ha, I’m not a Spic, I’m a Jap.” (laughs) You know, so but like trying to make a joke of it but... JJ: So there was a lot of prejudice on any, it was all, any minority. They were -- RV: You know -- JJ: Everybody was calling you names. RV: Everybody was. That in a way, that, it didn’t make it -- 8 �JJ: I mean it didn’t, is that, is there (inaudible)? [00:12:00] RV: It is true. It didn’t make it okay but at least everybody had a name. I mean, everybody had some kind of name. You’re Italian, you’re a Dago. (laughs) I mean, I hate to say the words, but... JJ: Mm-hmm. RV: There were no African Americans in our neighborhood. There just weren’t; There just weren’t. But it was quite a few, yeah, quite a few Puerto Rican. It was just kind of Puerto Rican mix. JJ: So was the neighborhood mixed or was it segregated or what? RV: No, it was mixed. JJ: It was mixed. RV: Yeah. I would just, you know, just -- JJ: So everybody would just call each other names but it was a mixed bag. Were there neighborhoods that were mixed? But what was the, let’s say majority, minority in that area? RV: In this area where I lived, it was -- JJ: At that time, in the ’57. RV: Yeah, in ’57. I would say, I would say almost, I want to say like half Latino, have Caucasian and some Asian. But or maybe the Caucasian and Asian were about split. [00:13:00] It was quite -- JJ: When you say Caucasian, do you, are they all from the same Ethnic minority or...? RV: Well, I -- no, I don’t know. I would say like Irish and German and -- 9 �JJ: Irish. So it was like Irish and German and -- RV: Yeah. Yeah, kind of just working-class. JJ: Right, working-class. RV: Yeah, so everybody’s parents, everybody’s parents worked, not many moms worked. Not too many moms. JJ: I’m surprised that there were that many in ’50, in ’57. Well, that was ’60, yeah, ’59, ’61, every one like that. So who were your friends then? You were five years old. RV: My friends? Well, I had a friend when I first came to the school, I was very, really shy and she came over and said she’d sit with me. Her name is [Diane Silak?]. So she’s Polish, you know, Diane Silak, and she, I kept contact with her. I recently just Facebook [00:14:00] connected with her so she was [Deedee Silak?], she was my best friend. And then [Linda Dunzi?] [and I still talk to her. I had a crush on her brother. She was, had a twin brother and I don’t know, I think maybe they were Italian, Italian mix. But Dunzi, I’m not sure. But we didn’t think a lot about race. With our friends, we just didn’t. Now if I look back and try to remember, but we thought about it a lot if you got called a name and we didn’t, like if we got mad at our friends, we didn’t do that. But if it was people you didn’t know. Maybe if you were out on the street or adults would do it some. JJ: So it existed but among your friends, you didn’t really express it. It didn’t matter. RV: No. JJ: You were just friends and -- RV: Yeah, we just grew up together. We all, we started kindergarten together and we 10 �went to eighth grade. JJ: And you went to kindergarten where? RV: It was Louisa May Alcott School. JJ: Oh, [00:15:00] Louisa May Alcott. Then that’s right there by Wrightwood or...? RV: Yeah, if you’re on Wrightwood and Mildred, you have to cross Halsted and then just keep going east. Probably, I was amazed when I went back how many blocks it was because I walked that as a little girl and you couldn’t wear pants, you had to wear skirts. I was like it was cold. I thought I was cold. It was cold. So you had to walk that but it’s probably I would say like four blocks, maybe. Four or five blocks. It’s quite a ways. JJ: From (inaudible). RV: Mm-hmm. JJ: And so you went to kindergarten there all the way to eighth grade or...? RV: Yeah, I graduated eighth grade. A lot of people graduated eighth grade and that was it. They didn’t go on to high school; You just didn’t. So it was kind of a big deal. The parents would come and it was like a big graduation. It was kind of a big deal. JJ: So we talked about the conversation of the neighborhood. What about the school? I mean, what kind of...? RV: About the same, yeah, because it was that [00:16:00] area. So it was about the same. JJ: What would you say was the biggest minority at the, in the -- RV: The biggest minority was Latino, Latino, mm-hmm. Yeah. 11 �JJ: So in Alcott? RV: Yeah, I think so. JJ: Okay. Any memories of that, of Alcott? What kind of memories do you have? You went through a lot of grades there so... RV: Yeah, I do go through a lot of grades there. When you got old enough, you got to go Wednesday night, something called Social Center. And so they would have, they’d play records. There wasn’t like a DJ or a band. They would play records and you got to dance or they had games so it was something you could do at night. So that was, we would go to, my friends and I would go to that. I was allowed to go to that. I think a lot of other schools came to it, too. It was kind of open because it was always really packed with a lot of people I didn’t know so... JJ: But I remember the Young Lords used to go to that Wednesday night thing. So [00:17:00] I mean what, can you kind of describe that? I mean, what did you -- RV: Yeah, it was just -- JJ: Because I mean, you were in Alcott. You were no more -- RV: Yeah, it was in the gym and they would just play music and I -- JJ: About how many kids would go do you think? RV: There was a lot. It was just packed. I mean, it was just -- JJ: A hundred kids? RV: Yeah, yeah. I think I got restricted from going when it was like (laughs) when you guys showed up. Because it was like scary. I remember looking over and just like, “They look scary, I don’t know.” (laughs) That was kind of scary. So it wasn’t, (phone rings) it wasn’t just -- 12 �(break in audio) JJ: So we were talking about the conversation of the school. Then we were talking about the Wednesday night socials? RV: Yeah, Social Center. Yeah. JJ: So did people come into the gymnasium, like 100 kids or...? RV: Yeah, a lot. It was like a school dance except it was [00:18:00] every Wednesday and you could just come. I think I remember you could go to different rooms. They would have different things set up. I kind of remember you could go play a game or something but most of the people went to the gym. It was, I mean if you see like American Bandstand or something, you know, it was kind of, they were kind of just trying to do that with records and they would just play records. So I was just saying when you said the Young Lords showed up to it, I was like, “Yeah, I think I remember that (laughs) vividly.” I think it was pretty scary. Just kind of a presence like you just felt like, “Uh-oh. Uh-oh, this isn’t -- uh-oh.” So -- JJ: So at first, the gangs didn’t come. RV: No, uh-uh. It’s -- JJ: It was more calm and that for years. RV: I think, well, for when I was allowed to go and maybe I went like maybe seventh and eighth grade because it was at night. You know, it was dark, it was at night. But I think I was allowed to go because all [00:19:00] my friends did but I think I just -- JJ: So there wasn’t gangs at that time. RV: Uh-uh. No, I don’t think so -- 13 �JJ: You don’t think so. RV: -- but yeah, towards the end. I think -- JJ: So we’re talking about what years that there were not any gangs? RV: That there were not? JJ: (inaudible) RV: Yeah. So I guess I graduated, I don’t even know, like ’65, ’66 so right around in there. That would’ve, like later ’60s. JJ: So around ’66 and then the gangs started showing up? RV: Yeah, and I think I just wasn’t allowed to go anymore. (laughs) JJ: Then the parents stopped. RV: I think so. And it wasn’t like there was an incident that happened. I don’t think there was any fights or anything. Or that maybe, there’s always a fight. I mean, always somebody was always having a fight. But I think it was just kind of a reputation. JJ: Thinking about reputation, you weren’t trying to get a reputation? RV: Yeah, no offense. (laughs) JJ: So they were just trying to get a reputation at that time, the gangs? RV: Yeah. No, I think that they had a reputation and the parents [00:20:00] kind of or mine did. JJ: Oh, it was a bad reputation. RV: Yeah. JJ: I mean, the gangs. RV: Yeah, yeah, so it’s just -- 14 �JJ: So the parents stopped the other kids from going. RV: Yeah. Well, the paren-- my parents did. I think a lot of, a lot of them still was able to come but I quit coming. JJ: But how did you feel about it? I mean, your parents there? RV: You know, I probably, they, it was probably because I told them of an incident I had and I don’t, but see, this wasn’t gang-related. This was just somebody’s older brother. But you know, now that I think about it, he might’ve been in a gang. But I didn’t, I don’t remember the kid I went to school with but I remember his brother’s name was [Bappo?] and I was sitting with my friend and so he was like, he just came over to me like he just wanted to dance. But he was just like demanding he wanted to dance so I was just like, “Uh-uh, no.” So he just (laughs) went like he was going to smack me. He was standing over the top of me so I was really scared. I think my friend [00:21:00] was just looked at him like, “Punk.” I was like, “Shut up, he’s talking to me!” (laughs) So, “Shut up, get me hit.” So I probably, I might’ve said something about that and that was like, “Oh, it must be gang-related.” But he may have been in a gang, I don’t know. It’s hard. JJ: So what do you mean? Is that what the guys used to do? Demand? RV: Well, that one did. Yeah. Not the one, not the boys that I went to school with, nobody did. But this was, I think it was just kind of changing then and older kids were coming in and that’s when that happened. JJ: Okay, and that’s what I want to talk about. The change and the sort of neighborhood was changing you’re saying or...? 15 �RV: Yeah, it -- JJ: In what ways? I mean, how did you see that change? Can we go into that? RV: Did I see the change? JJ: I mean, in terms of the population or was it becoming more -- RV: It was getting, it was getting a lot more drugs. There was like hippies where big at that time. My older sister Vera, she’s three years older [00:22:00] than me and she kind of got into that scene. She was, so I was 13, she was 16. So -- JJ: So okay, so okay. Can you describe what would, since you, that’s your sister, you’re probably familiar with (phone rings) the changes. (break in audio) JJ: Yeah, okay. Go ahead. RV: So yeah, the neighborhood changed a little bit. It was more drugs just because it was, there was a big kind of a movement for hippies in Old Town and that was kind of not what everybody was doing. My older sister was so I kind of got into that. And then -- JJ: But you were far away for Old Town. RV: We were far -- JJ: We were closer to the [New Town?]. RV: Yeah, but Old Town is where it was cool and there were like blues players there and you could, you know. I remember being, when I was 13, I could, I knew all of those. I couldn’t get in but I could but I could stand outside and hear them. But you know, and I can speak about this [00:23:00] because it’s my experience in my home. There was violence in my home, my stepfather was abusive to my 16 �older sister and sexually abusive to her. I was always beaten. Just like hit in the head, slapped. I was just physically abused in the home but I felt safer on the street. So I thought it was funny when people were talking about crime and violence in Chicago. It’s like, “Yeah, come, step into my house.” (laughs) but when I was on the streets with my friends, I felt, I just felt more empowered. You know, you get hit a lot like that, it just kind of, it just makes you feel like, “Yeah, there I have to take it. You I don’t have to take it from.” So I just felt, I felt safe and I didn’t, I was never hurt or anything. But I picked up just the habits like on the street. I started smoking when I was 12 and getting high when I was 13, just smoking pot. I don’t think everybody at school did but [00:24:00] because of my older sister and her friends, I would do that with them. But she, yeah. So she got really into that hippy scene and she was, she was just had to run away. I don’t blame her. She just had to. So she ran away to Haight-Ashbury, kind of got in that scene, and then they found her and brought her back and put her in Audy Home. She stayed in Chicago for a while but then she moved to Florida to live with our father that lives in Florida. She was like, “Our father who art in Florida.” That was a kind of inside joke, ha ha. JJ: (laughs) RV: So yeah. So -- JJ: So she’s in the Haight-Ashbury scene and that and you’re talking about Old Town so people are going to Old Town. Did you -- RV: Well, I mean there were cars that would come. I mean, tourists would come by during that time and it was just people would be taking pictures because hippies. 17 �It was just kids [00:25:00] from the neighborhood and stuff but they would be sitting out. Sitting out on the, out on the corner but in -JJ: What do you mean? The hippies were like kids from the neighborhood? RV: Yeah, well, a lot of them were but a lot of them were just they grew up there. But a lot of them were coming from all over because Chicago was kind of supposed to be a cool place. Then when Vera told me when she went to California, there’s like, “What did you come here for? You lived in Chicago right around Old Town.” But I think a lot of the music scene, too, a lot of the blues and stuff was really, really big so... JJ: So the kids in the neighborhood are growing long hair and all that. They’re kind of changing internally, externally and -- RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: That was the times. That was what -- RV: That was the times, yeah. And it was, you know. JJ: Now, so you’re hanging around Old Town and all? Where in Old Town? RV: She did. I wasn’t. So I was 13, 14 so I wasn’t allowed. [00:26:00] But I remember one time, I was, she did something. She’s just very defiant but you can understand why and she was just getting beaten up with a hanger and she’s just. Every time, and this is my stepfather who’s beating her. Then every time he’d stop, she would just look up and get a defiant look on her face. “Oh, you didn’t do it.” I think he was just wearing himself out. I just was thinking, “Just stay down, just stop,” but she wouldn’t. So after that, I just took off and went out and that’s not great for a 13-year-old to be out on the street just walking around, 18 �so yeah. I’d just kind of hang around the neighborhood or walk. I felt safer. JJ: Now, did you meet any of the other people that were hanging out at... I mean, when you went with your sister at times to Old Town or no? You’re saying no. RV: No. JJ: Okay. RV: Yeah, because I was pretty, it doesn’t seem [00:27:00] like it’s that much difference but 13 to 16 is a lot of difference. Yeah, so I was, I was pretty much still a child but a child smoking and getting high. JJ: You were smoking Halsted and Wrightwood. RV: Yeah. JJ: Not Old Town. RV: Yeah, I would -- JJ: So you never went to the Old Town. RV: I would go down with her a bit but I couldn’t go in anywhere. She could get in because she looked older. JJ: Well, the reason I’m saying that is there was a Young Lords branch on the corner of Wieland and North Avenue. I’m wondering if when you came to Old Town and you passed them, they were visible. They were -- RV: She probably did. JJ: Oh, she probably did? RV: Yeah. And her friend, she probably did. I mean, I could’ve. I don’t think I would identify them as being in a gang but I probably knew them. Just so I didn’t, we just didn’t think about labels and names much. 19 �JJ: Okay, (inaudible). RV: We just didn’t. JJ: Okay, what did you meet Stony? Is that, his name is Stony? RV: Yeah, [Stony Mullins?]? JJ: Right. [00:28:00] RV: Yeah, that’s when I came up and said, “Hey, do you know who that guy, do you know who that guy was?” As soon as I graduated eighth grade, my parents thought Chicago corrupted Vera. We’re going to get her, get me out so that I’ll have a better life. They didn’t, I mean, it’s kind of messed up. It’s like well maybe what was going on in the home was what messed up but so we moved to the Quad Cities. So I went to junior high and high school in East Moline, in Moline, Illinois which is culture shock like you could not believe. There was nobody that looked like me, it was a Swedish community. So everybody -- and there actually, there were, there was a Mexican community, there was more Mexican kids. But that was in East Moline and I moved to Moline first. So I got called spic regularly, [00:29:00] they would spray paint it on the garage, I got beaten for that. Just like I can’t so yeah, so -- JJ: What year was this? RV: That was probably like ’66, ’67 so I moved away. So then, after I graduated high school in ’70, it was like three days later I got on a train and moved back to Chicago. So -- JJ: Where did you move to? RV: I moved to, I lived on, I think I lived on Halsted with a friend. Her name was [Fran 20 �Miglaya?]. She’s Filipino and then she -JJ: Halsted and Wrightwood? RV: Halsted and -- no, it wasn’t Wrightwood. It was down a bit. I’m not sure. Down a couple blocks. It was maybe north a bit. JJ: North or south of Wrightwood? RV: Mm, [00:30:00] I’m not sure. It’s been a while. I’m not sure. I mean, it’s just right in -- JJ: Belmont? Belmont? Addison? RV: No, I moved to Belmont later. So I lived there for a while and then I ended up getting pregnant, having, I had my first son in 1972. I got married to her husband’s cousin. They were from Tennessee so they lived all through Uptown a lot. They were always -- and they were called hillbillies all the time. So I mean, everybody was called something. So that was that. He went to work at something, I think it was called A to Z Equipment and that’s where he met Stony Mullins. He was a foreman there by that time. So my husband at that time -- JJ: What kind of place? RV: I think it was an equipment company or something, yeah. I’m pretty sure that’s where he met him. So that’s where I first had met him and he wanted to know can I bring somebody home from work? I’m like, “Sure, bring somebody home.” And he told me, “I have a vice president of the Young Lords,” or he was and it’s like, [00:31:00] “Are you bringing gangbangers home?” JJ: Oh, he mentioned the Young Lords right away. RV: Yeah, after I said yeah, you can come, he can come over. But I think that’s in his 21 �past he had been. Yeah. JJ: Well, ’72? Yeah, he had been, because he was in the gang so he was in the ’60s in the gang, early ’60s. RV: Yeah, because he had been to, he had been to jail and back and he had been married -- JJ: And he had been in Old Town. He hung around in Old Town. RV: Did he? JJ: He was from (inaudible) rights, yeah. RV: Yeah. So I’m sure, yeah, I’m sure my sis-- because everybody knew her and she knew everybody so... JJ: Where’d your husband meet him? RV: Yeah, worked with him. Yeah. JJ: What was his name? RV: Oh, my ex-husband’s name was [Richard Nisky?]. JJ: Nisky, all right. RV: Yeah, and so yeah. So he -- JJ: Did Stony already say he was a Young Lord or...? RV: Yeah, he -- yeah. I mean, everybody knew him. He was a really nice guy, a real hard worker. He got to be like one of the bosses so he was really -- they knew. I think one of the bosses there kind of [00:32:00] took him under his wing when he was younger and helped him out. So and it was a Japanese, it was a Japanese, one of the Japanese foreman or bosses kind of helped Stony and so -- JJ: Oh, no. We had a Japanese counselor that worked with us. His name was 22 �Masao Yamasaki. RV: You know, it sounds like that -- JJ: And he said that he helped us? All of them helped us, the Young Lords? That was him. RV: Yeah, well -- JJ: So that was him in his factory because he did have a factory. RV: And yeah, and so he really, you know, I -- JJ: It must’ve been him. RV: Stony didn’t say but yeah, but you could just tell that he admired him and he was helping him. It was sad. I met his wife but it was after the accident. He married a Latina and she had a daughter and they had a little boy. She just came over, she just, I mean, she was just like, I don’t know, ashen. What had happened was [00:33:00] -- and they lived by, they lived by this Japanese boss. Or maybe he -I’m not sure how he was there. But she told me I looked away not for five minutes, not for one minute. I turned my head, I looked back, and he was dead. So I guess he just ran out into the street. So, this Japanese guy was came out crying telling him when he got home. It was really sad. I remember that about him and then I never saw him after that. JJ: Who ran into the street? RV: The little boy ran into the street and got killed, Stony’s little boy. JJ: Oh, Stony. RV: Yeah, I remember that. That’s what I remember of them. And then -- JJ: So he actually, what you’re saying is he actually -- because Masao Yamasaki 23 �was a counselor when we were at the (inaudible) YMCA. I used to go there. So Masao had a factory and he was [00:34:00] recruiting some of our members to work in his factor. Yeah, so -RV: Isn’t that something? That had to be what it was. JJ: Yeah, so yeah. He definitely played an important role in helping to get us out of the gang. Good timing. So this was before the Young Lords became political. RV: Oh. Yeah, because he was, I mean he -- JJ: But did you ever meet him or...? RV: I don’t think I ever met him, no. I don’t think I ever, but I heard good things about him. JJ: From your husband and that? RV: Yeah, yeah. So then -- JJ: So what kinds of things did you hear? RV: Just that he was, that he was just really encouraging and helped him in his career there. (break in audio) JJ: So right after you -- RV: Yeah, so that was bad. That happened and I think I was just pregnant. I don’t think that I had a baby, [00:35:00] I gave birth yet. Then I, there was a shooting in back. The houses are just so close to each other so my bedroom window was pretty much, the back of my apartment was pretty much the front of another one and there was a couple in back that lived there that were always screaming and fighting. I didn’t hear it but downstairs, his, my ex’s sister and brother-in-law lived 24 �down there. She said later, she was telling me you could hear her screaming. “Somebody help me, somebody call the cops!” I was like, “Why didn’t you call the cops?” She said because she screamed that all the time but I guess he, there was a shooting there and she was killed so they thought it was her husband. I didn’t hear; I don’t know. But right after that, I just thought that was enough and so I wanted to move so I moved -JJ: Now, this was what area, what streets? RV: This was when I lived on Racine. So right across the street [00:36:00] was a shoe factory and -- JJ: Racine and Wrightwood or...? RV: No, Racine. It was if you go down -- I’m not sure if it was north. It was North Racine so it was right, maybe about two, three blocks from Cub’s so it was Wrigleyville. JJ: It was by Wrigleyville do you think? RV: Yeah, so yeah, and there was a, like a lumber yard or something next to it. I think those are all gone. But yeah, so after that, somebody was shot in back and then there were things on the news about during that time, they were stealing babies. I mean, they were just stealing babies out of buggies and things and I just thought just my -- JJ: A lot of it, a lot of it was going on? RV: It was like two or three accounts and I just thought now, I was already kind of freaked out about the shooting so close. It was like now I can’t walk down this street. It’s like things changed for me being in inner-city and on the street when I 25 �had a baby. When it was just me, I just felt like nobody’s going to hurt me because [00:37:00] I’m going to take care of myself. But I thought what am I going to do if somebody pushes me and takes my baby? So I just, I didn’t feel safe. I didn’t feel it, I didn’t feel it was safe for my son. So I wanted to move so we moved to Champaign, Urbana. My stepfather and mother lived in Monticello and he worked for John Deere I believe it was. JJ: And what year was this? RV: This would’ve been so about ’74. JJ: Seventy-four. RV: Yeah, and so that’s when I left Chicago. JJ: Okay. So before then, if you can go back just a little bit. The Young Lords were going to Alcott and a few of the other gangs from the different areas there, from Lincoln Park were going there. And from Addison. The Latin Eagles were from Addison. RV: There were some really good dancers showing up. Some of the girls looked -yeah. I mean, they weren’t like girls because we were just like, “Ha ha,” whatever, and they were like they had these blouses on. JJ: When you say gang -- dancers. RV: [00:38:00] Dancers. JJ: You’re talking about English music? What type of music? RV: Oh, it was just like what you would hear, like what you would hear on the radio or American Bandstand or something. JJ: Okay. At that time. 26 �RV: So it’s like yeah. So whatever it was. I can’t remember in the ’60s. “Louie Louie” or whatever. JJ: “Louie Louie?” RV: Yeah. JJ: Oh, I remember (inaudible) that, yeah. RV: Yeah, but the girls looked like, they looked like women and they were great dancers and so -- JJ: “Louie Louie.” What other songs do you remember? RV: Oh, what other -- that was -- JJ: But you remember “Louie Louie.” RV: I remember “Louie Louie.” Yeah. JJ: (inaudible) (laughs) and some -- RV: Yeah, where -- yeah. That’s funny. Yeah, you’d just -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) -- RV: -- stand in a line and each person goes -- it’s kind of funny now but... JJ: (inaudible) or something like that. They stand in line and kind of -- RV: Yeah, doing that. JJ: -- or I’m getting too old. RV: Yeah. JJ: (laughs) RV: No, they still did that, they still did that. [00:39:00] But yeah, so it was kind of -- JJ: So you said that -- RV: -- it was kind of cool. Yeah, kind of cool to watch -- 27 �JJ: When you say dancing, how did they, what kind of dancing did they do? Were they dancing to “Louie Louie” and some other...? RV: Yeah. Well, now if I look, if I look back now, it’s probably more like salsa that I can remember. It was just like all the kids are like, “Okay, that’s -- we can’t do that.” JJ: Okay, so salsa is Spanish music or something. RV: Yeah, I think it, I think it was. But it was just like we didn’t know what that was. And that looked like, “Wow, how do you do that?” (laughs) So yeah. So -- JJ: So that was a way of expressing their skills at that time with the, on the dance floor, on the dance floor. RV: Very much so, yeah. JJ: So that was what people looked up to at that time was in the neighborhood. RV: Oh yeah, yeah. And there was -- JJ: Who was the best dancer, the best-dressed person and -- RV: Really, yeah. Yeah. JJ: Am I, I’m not putting words in your mouth. RV: No, yeah, because they would have like white go-go boots and their blouses would just have little beads so when they moved, it would be like go-go. [00:40:00] It was like, wow. Just we thought it was really cool. I mean, you’re in eighth grade, you’re kids. But yeah, so that, it just looked really good. There were street dances sometimes and so -- JJ: Street dances? What do you mean? RV: Yeah, we’d just have like, have, block off a street and then a neighborhood would 28 �have live music and people would dance and have food and stuff. JJ: Oh, a block party? Like a block party? RV: Yeah, block party. We called it a street dance but yeah. Yeah, so -- JJ: Okay. (inaudible) And then you had the hippy scene also. RV: Yeah, that kind of changed. JJ: But not at Alcott. RV: No, that, no. Because they were too, we were too, we were eighth graders and we were 13 so a few but not many. But that was more high school. That would’ve been like Waller. A lot of people wanted to go to Senn High School and that was better. But -- JJ: Better than Waller? RV: Yeah because just Waller was just wasn’t supposed to be, it was supposed to be a tough school so -- JJ: What did you hear about Waller? Because that’s [00:41:00] where a lot of the Young Lords went to school. RV: That’s what we heard. (laughs) JJ: You thought it was a tough school. RV: Yeah, it was a tough school, yeah. So and it was scary and you could get beat up or just whatever but Vera went there for a while. But she didn’t graduate, she didn’t, she just kind of took off. That’s where I, everybody -- JJ: What changed Vera? I mean what, what -- RV: It was the abuse at home. JJ: The abuse? The sexual abuse? 29 �RV: Yeah, and the physical abuse. Yeah. And then just to medicate that pain, the drugs and so -- JJ: What kind of drugs did she use? RV: I know she used -- JJ: Every kind of drugs or...? RV: -- weed and stuff. I don’t know what. JJ: Okay. All you know is the weed and -- RV: Yeah, in California just probably whatever. JJ: But they use everything over there. RV: Yeah. JJ: (laughs) RV: Yeah, and you know it’s funny because my parents moved me to the Quad Cities. So when I got there, it was like I was talking to so fast, people would just be staring at me. And just like, “I know you’re speaking English but I can’t understand [00:42:00] you.” Because in Chicago, you’re just like boom, boom, boom. Everything’s faster, I guess, so I don’t, I don’t know. But they were just like, “What is that accent?” So I guess I had an accent and I talked fast and they didn’t -- they were like, “Are you Mexican?” (laughs) You know, like, “What are you, what are you saying?” So and I got more into drugs there because of all the culture shock. So it’s funny, we had a 40th reunion or whatever. I didn’t go to it but it’s funny. Everybody had headbands and going peace and I was like, I laughed at that. JJ: Like for Alcott or -- 30 �RV: No, this was in -- JJ: Quad Cities. RV: -- yeah, in Quad Cities. It cracked me up because I remember getting a lot of abuse for being a hippy and called dirty hippy, you know, you druggie. Now it’s so cool, you know, hey, peace. It’s like, okay, peace. (laughs) You know, but yeah. I don’t know. I just kind of, I think because of my age, I was kind of on the fringe of stuff happening watching and that’s what it [00:43:00] feels like a lot. That I was watching a lot that happened but I wasn’t involved in all that much. JJ: But you were kind of on the fringe of stuff. RV: I was on the fringe because of my age. Had I been three, four years older, I would’ve been right in it. But I did observe a lot so I think in a way, that’s kind of helped me. I didn’t have so much to come back out of. I did have a lot but more, more on the fringe observing or close to it rather than it happening right to me. JJ: Well, that’s kind of -- we’ll go back to that. I just want to -- okay, well, how was your mom feeling about all your changes that you’re going through and Vera? RV: Yeah, she -- um, she just, she didn’t express herself a lot. She was just very, everything was just very strict or punishment or [00:44:00] hitting or just real hard. “You don’t do that, then you’re Asian.” “You don’t do that, you’re Asian.” I was like, “Hey, I thought I was American, I thought I was Italian, I thought I could pass.” JJ: She would say you’re Asian? RV: Yeah. Then it was like we’re Asian, we don’t do that. (shrugs shoulders) So I don’t know. Oh, and we’re samurai because she was like a real high-class, a 31 �higher-caste system in Japan and they were samurai class. So it was all like, “Oh, you’re samurai,” I was like, “Okay.” You know, I didn’t know. JJ: So samurai was a higher class? RV: Mm-hmmm. JJ: For Japanese? RV: Yeah, yeah. So -- JJ: Society. RV: Yeah. So I heard a speaker -- JJ: So you’re insulting your, you’re insulting -- I’m sorry. Speak about it. RV: No, I just heard a speaker recently here at where I work here at La Casa and he was saying there are just different stages to realizing who you are. You may say you don’t identify with any culture or you [00:45:00] may be mixed or whatever. He’s like, “Well, you have a culture. Don’t say you don’t have a culture. You have a culture, you just haven’t embraced it yet.” That’s just really stuck with me. I just thought you know, I have, I do have a culture. I have Japanese, I have French and American Indian in me. There is a lot of culture there but it’s, I’m an American and I’m a Midwesterner, too. So and I really identify with Chicago. It just, it’ll come out in a minute. I’ll just, I’ll hear things about Chicago or see things or see things in me like, “Uh-uh, no.” “How about this?” “No, how about that? (laughs) This is how we’re going to get things done.” And I just go, “Those are my people.” I love that. That’s how I grew up and that, and I do. I’m embracing that more because I wanted to put that behind me and forget about it and do something better. But what I, I’m an artist and I like baking and decorating so -- 32 �JJ: Artist and drama? RV: Yeah, [00:46:00] and I teach sugar. JJ: Portraits or what? RV: Yeah, I did paint but now, I teach cake decorating so it’s with frosting and I love that. I’ve always loved cooking but here recently, just in my spirit, I just really want to feed people. I saw something about children. JJ: Oh, so you do like a painting type of cake? I’ve seen some -- RV: Yeah. JJ: And there’s that woman that did those cakes. RV: Yeah, yeah. Here’s a picture of one of my cakes. Can you see it? JJ: If I have it here, I can see it here. RV: Yeah, so it’s a -- yeah. It’s just you decorate it and it’s art. It’s sculpture. But you know, I was -- JJ: Is that another picture there or...? RV: That’s another picture here. JJ: Okay. RV: That’s my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding cake. JJ: Let me get a little bit closer if you can lift it up a little bit, a little bit higher. Right there, yeah. RV: Yeah, that’s all made of sugar. JJ: Okay. What about the other ones [00:47:00] over there? RV: There’s another one. JJ: And then that first one we got to show. Lift it up a little bit higher. Right there. 33 �RV: Can you see it? (laughs) JJ: All right, all right. RV: So there are works so it’s -- JJ: And then that first one if we can we get that again? RV: This one again? JJ: Yeah. RV: You want to see this one? JJ: Yeah. Lift it. Right there, okay. Okay. RV: So it’s sculpting but it’s edible and so I’ve always enjoyed doing culinary things. But I’ve been hearing about the government has all kinds of money for school programs so that children can eat. But and I just heard it recently because I watch the Food Network all the time. But then I just heard that the program is before school so 98 percent of the children that come in don’t get to eat because the program’s over because the teachers don’t want the classroom messy. So it took a principal from Africa to say, “We’re going to have the meal first inside.” And [00:48:00] they had little monitors with the garbage cans. It’s just kind of put in me I want to get involved somehow with feeding people and I don’t know. Maybe that’ll be back in Chicago. I always said I’m not going to go back. Maybe I will. You shouldn’t say you should never so that’s kind of where I’m at now. JJ: Talking about feeding people -- RV: I saw it. JJ: The Young Lords were a gang. We talked about it (laughs) at Alcott and some other places at Water. But you were in Chicago during that time, in 1960, ’69. 34 �Maybe you were not interested in that politics but I mean, did you hear anything abut the Yong Lords changing any of the things that they did at all during that time? RV: You know, yeah, not as a kid. JJ: Okay. RV: Yeah. Yeah. If we heard the name Young Lords, it was kind of scary. JJ: So it was scary, it was a gang. RV: Yeah, it was scary even [00:49:00] though -- JJ: That was you growing up? RV: That was me growing up. And then even ’72 when I heard -- JJ: But in ’69 when they took over the church, you didn’t hear none of that or something? RV: Uh-uh, uh-uh. If we did, it was, yeah. It was really scary and we didn’t know why. JJ: So they still were looking at the gang -- RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: -- at that time. Even though -- RV: It was for a purpose. JJ: Even though they were changing. RV: Yeah. JJ: They were transforming the -- RV: Yeah. If I had been older, I think -- JJ: So you always saw when you were younger as a gang. 35 �RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: Because that’s, they had established themselves as a gang. RV: Well, and then, too, being younger. I mean, it’s not like I watched the news or read the paper or even heard about it so what we would hear would just, you know, rumor or be careful, that kind of thing. I think if again, if I had been older, if maybe, well, maybe you can talk to my sister. She would’ve known more. But when I did get older, when I got three or four years [00:50:00] older, I was very much into politics with the war and everything. So but at the time, at the time when I was -- it’s kind of ironic. I was right there in it and I didn’t know anything about what was going on. JJ: And that’s not, and that’s not strange. A lot of people, that’s (inaudible) explain they used to remember. RV: Yeah, that’s a good thing. Yeah, yeah. JJ: Yeah. You mentioned the war but what about the -- and you lived in an area that really didn’t change too much till later. RV: Right, after -- JJ: But the rest of Lincoln Park was changing in terms of the housing. Were you in the part, the group of people that felt it was a good change or...? Because they were getting rid of the gangs. They were getting rid of the Young Lords. RV: Yeah. JJ: So how did you feel about that? RV: I mean, [00:51:00] I think -- JJ: I mean how do you feel today because it’s -- 36 �RV: How do I feel today is of course it’s wrong. That’s, you can’t take people’s land. I mean, real estate, yeah. That’s great. That’s great business and you’re going to make more money but you can’t take people’s land. Our country’s kind of always done that. Kind of always just like, “That’s prime real estate. I want that, I’ll take that, I’ll call it something.” You kind of -- JJ: I mean growing up in that area? RV: In that area, yeah. JJ: How did you feel? RV: Yeah -- JJ: Besides the political stuff. How did you -- RV: It was mostly, it was mostly people owned their home or rent, a lot of people rented. You stayed in the same apartment. People didn’t own cars. You walked or took the bus everywhere so our life just in that time was about to change. But while I was there, it was still, it was still -- JJ: Yeah, because it didn’t change because your area. Your area didn’t really change much. But did you know people from the other areas [00:52:00] where they changed or where it changed? I mean, did you lose any of your friends? RV: There was one building. I mean, Wrightwood and Mildred and then there was a couple houses and then there was a huge apartment building. It was like a cement building that took up maybe half the block and it was all Puerto Rican people lived there. Just it was just all, and that was being renovated. So you know, now that I think about it, where did they go? So yeah. I’m sure they’re just evicted and so it’s all nice now. 37 �JJ: And there was -- RV: It was all rundown then and it’s all, I couldn’t afford to live anywhere near there. JJ: It was all Puerto Rican and what was -- RV: That building was. JJ: -- that experienced this. RV: This was right on Wrightwood just Mildred and I don’t know what the other street would be. But if you right to the corner of Wrightwood and Mildred, you would see that. It was like one [00:53:00] building and then maybe a couple little houses. Huge cement building and I had schoolmates that lived there and everything so... JJ: One day, they were just told then to leave or...? RV: They must’ve been. I don’t, you know? They must’ve been. Maybe I would’ve been more aware of that if I hadn’t had -- JJ: But it was Puerto Ricans that were living there, basically. RV: Yeah, the whole building. Yeah. JJ: Did you see the neighborhood grow in numbers in terms of Puerto Ricans or...? And then dissipate or how did you see it? RV: So we moved right after I graduated so I didn’t see it but that I do remember was that building. So that would be very drastic. I don’t know where they would go. JJ: But you weren’t familiar with the other gangs. There was a group called the Aristocrats. (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) RV: I’ve heard of -- those are all familiar when I was watching the films. I [00:54:00] had heard of a lot of those, yeah. 38 �JJ: Okay, because they were actually in a Caucasian group but went by a Puerto Rican (laughs) named (inaudible) at that time. But he didn’t like the Puerto Ricans. (laughs) But I mean, we fought him. That was one of the only groups that (inaudible). Okay. So then you moved to the Quad Cities and that, you came back to Lincoln Park. Where did you work? I mean, where were some of the places that you worked? RV: When I came back, I was right out of high school. I worked at a place called [Follitt’s?] and it was a publishing place. I worked as a secretary. My friend got me a job there, that Fran got me a job there. Then I worked a couple other places, mostly just secretary jobs. I can’t remember the name of it and then I got pregnant, had my son, and then moved. JJ: Okay, so basically you worked at a couple of places doing the same thing or...? RV: Yeah. JJ: Was it [00:55:00] publishing or...? RV: No, just secretary work. JJ: Secretary. Secretary (inaudible). RV: Yeah. JJ: Okay. I think that we -- what do you think that we didn’t touch on? RV: What we did not touch on -- JJ: That we maybe should. RV: Hmm. I think we, I think that is, maybe I’ll think of some more later. But I thought of, I just had been thinking that there are a lot of things that I hadn’t thought about for a long time. Just kind of bringing a lot, bringing a lot up so it’s been an 39 �interesting -JJ: Like what, what do you mean? RV: Oh, just stuff about like I hadn’t thought about the Wednesday night so-- and that it was called Social Center. I hadn’t thought about that in just years. And so when you had mentioned it, it was like, “Yeah, I remember that now.” So it’s kind of interesting, mm-hmm. JJ: Well, I mean I remember going myself, [00:56:00] going to that. (inaudible) But I -- RV: So you lived far away from there, though, right? JJ: Yeah, we were further away. We had to walk to like the different gangs. There were different gangs to get to it. RV: Yeah, it was kind of a big deal. It must’ve -- JJ: So there was like a gang every, every other street in the middle of the street. So I mean, but you didn’t notice the gangs because you were more in the house or did you notice that there were gangs? RV: Yeah, toward, yeah. Toward the end, there were just more and more, yeah. JJ: More and more gangs all over the place. RV: Yeah. So you know, and I probably didn’t recognize them as gangs. I just knew they were on the corner and they were kind of scary and you just kind of -- JJ: Actually, yeah, they weren’t even called gangs at that time, they were just on the corner. RV: they were just on the corner, they were just hanging out on the corner in their, you just kind of had to -- 40 �JJ: So what do you mean they were hanging out on the corner? What do you mean? RV: Just standing around, you know. You kind of had to -- JJ: Like a hotdog stand or something like that? RV: No, just out in front of a store or something [00:57:00] and -- JJ: In front of a store. RV: Yeah, yeah. So yeah. JJ: So you would see large groups of people in front of a store or...? RV: Yeah, sometimes. JJ: When you say large, what do you mean? When I say large? RV: When you say large, you know, six. It’s not like, “Hey, what are you doing?” And two people are standing there taking. They were just kind of hanging out. JJ: So that was going on through Lincon Park. They had different groups there. RV: Yeah, I can remember walking and then there’s a corner and it’s just like you got to, you got to get past it so I just -- JJ: You got to get past it. RV: Yeah, yeah. You just got to get -- JJ: But for a woman, especially, you got to get -- RV: Yeah, you got to get, you got to get a look on your face and it’s you don’t have to be, you can’t be scared. You’re just like, “Uh-uh. I’m going.” Like keep walking and so that’s how you get past it. Just let -- JJ: Just don’t be scared. I’m sure that you’re -- RV: Don’t show that, kind of just don’t show that I, yeah, I know you’re there but I’m 41 �going this way kind of thing. But so I [00:58:00] do remember that. Just you’d walk for a while and then you’d be like, “All right, I got to get past this corner,” so... JJ: You mean for a woman that she’s walking and then a bunch of guys are there? RV: Oh yeah. JJ: They start making comments and...? RV: Yeah. JJ: So how did you’re feeling? You’re walking because nobody is really driving, right? They’re walking. RV: Yeah, walking. You know, you’re kind of used to it but kind of scared. But it’s angry. I was angry because of what was going on in the home and it’s just, I think that showed. I was just real angry and just dismissing it. I’m walking by. Maybe because a lot of it was like (catcalling noises), you know? (laughs) Just (catcalling noises), you know? Just kind of... And maybe if I hadn’t had all that, I just felt like I had [00:59:00] to protect myself so I wasn’t sexually abused. I was physically beaten but I was tough. It’s like you’re not touching me that way. And so as I came past all that, maybe I would’ve been flattered or something if I hadn’t had all that to deal with. Not flattered but you know what I’m saying. I wouldn’t have just been so angry about it. But when that would happen, I would just -- and I don’t think they weren’t looking for just a crazy woman (laughs) to just, “Oh, she’s going to turn on me and she’s going to go crazy,” because that’s how I felt. I just felt like if you touch me, I’m just going to coming at you with hands. Ah!” (laughs) I think they went, “That was a crazy woman.” Yeah, so but 42 �yeah, it was just a lot of that coming up every time I would deal with that. JJ: So you see these people on the corner and they’re mooching or whatever with their lips and you’re identifying with [01:00:00] stuff that’s going on in your home. RV: Yeah, just kind of reminded -- JJ: Some sexual issues that it was reminding you. RV: Yeah, reminding me of that. JJ: So now you’re angry and that actually helped you. RV: I think it did just on the street just walking around on the street. I think it did. And -- JJ: Otherwise you would’ve been, it would’ve been like flat-out abusive. RV: Well, it could. I mean, it could if it were like guys I knew or something. It’d be like, you know, but I just I had a lot of fear and anger and having to deal with the issues when I saw that. I’m not saying that now if that happened or then but if you’re a young girl and a young guy is saying something like, “Oh.” You wouldn’t have all that bottled-up emotion I don’t think. I think it had more to do with what I was doing. But yeah, definitely I’m sure it helped me. I’m not sure about my mental health but my safety [01:01:00] on the street, yeah. JJ: But now you’re, some of these Spanish guys, right? Spanish-speaking guys. RV: Mm, yeah, sometimes, yeah. JJ: But you’re being looked at but you’re, in your mind, you’re also being look like they think that you’re Spanish. That’s what -- RV: I’m sure. JJ: So I mean did you feel like that? Like I don’t have to worry because at least they 43 �know I’m -RV: No, I wasn’t, I wasn’t going that deep with it. It was just -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) RV: Yeah, no, I was, I didn’t think of it that way. I was just thinking more my own issues, I think. Just my own issues. I’m just -- yeah. Just kind of flashing back, flashing back to my own issues. JJ: Just normal, just normal issues. RV: Well, the normal abusive home issues but I grew up with everybody. I didn’t think, “Oh my God, these are hillbillies, (laughs) oh my God, these are Spanish.” JJ: You didn’t live with them, you didn’t (inaudible) [01:02:00] them. RV: They were just men. They were guys, they were kids. JJ: Okay, so like you said before, you just grew up this is a, this is a, these are just my friends. When I go home -- RV: Yeah, they’re just people. But then after the life I was leading as a child in that home, then I had a lot of anger issues. And so if a man was or a male was just normal flirting or just whatever, it was like a very kind of flashing back. I sound like a crazy (laughs) -- JJ: No. RV: I dealt with it but yeah, so that’s, so I do have, I do have memories of that walking down the street so... JJ: Now, was that a normal thing, a common? When I say normal, I mean was it a common thing for other women to go through the same thing in Lincoln Park at that time or...? 44 �RV: Probably. Probably. JJ: Do you think it was common or are you saying that now or at that time? RV: No, I think at that time, [01:03:00] yeah. JJ: So you mean the other women were saying they were being abused by their stepfathers? RV: Oh, I thought you meant, oh, I thought the whistling and stuff. JJ: No, I mean the whistling and all that, the whole thing. RV: Yeah, that was, that was common. Nobody thought anything of that. I don’t know because nothing was ever talked about; Now we’re just very free. I mean, here I am, I’m talking about it. I don’t care. JJ: Right. RV: Because it’s just you talk about it. It’s interesting because this weekend, we have something called Boneyard Art Festival. I used to have an art gallery in, sugar arts gallery in downtown Urbana and one of the exhibits or women were talking about sexual abuse and the abuse in their life. They were talking about it’s kind of ironic that here I am. I was thinking, “Oh, that would be interesting to talk about.” But it’s really freely, we’re more talk about it now. Then, you did not talk about it. You were bringing shame to the family, it was a shame, [01:04:00] just don’t talk about anything. So I’m sure -- JJ: At that time, it was shameful to -- RV: Yeah. JJ: -- to even mention. RV: And you didn’t talk about anything. Nobody talked about it. 45 �JJ: And nobody knew what was going on or -- RV: Uh-uh, nobody. JJ: -- it doesn’t matter? RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: But now, we know that it was going on. RV: I think it was going on a lot. I don’t see that all of a sudden, it just -- I think people are just talking about, talking about their childhoods. It’s the age that the Baby Boomers are getting now where you’re like, “You know what? I’ve got a grandbaby now.” So I think it’s, I think it’s the age. You will get to a certain age and then you will talk about. And there’s forgiveness that comes with age. There’s forgiveness. I can look at a lot and I see how young they were. I mean, like how old were you when you were like 16, maybe? You’re like, you know, your kids, you’re young guys. You’re [01:05:00] just -- I raised three sons so I can look at it different now, yeah. JJ: Okay. Anything else that we need to tell me about? That’s significant about that point at Lincoln Park at that time? RV: Yeah, I just walked to the, walked to the beach every day. Walked to the -- JJ: Yeah, how was the beach? What -- RV: It was nice. You know what I noticed about the beach? We would always go to Fullerton Beach because it was the first one. Because you had to walk a long way to get there. It was hot. When we got there, I remember the water really clear and really cold. Walk across the hot sand. JJ: You went to the beach area, not the, not the -- 46 �RV: Uh-uh. To the beach. And then as we got older, we had to go further and further down because it was, the water was muddier, cloudy. We had to really walk, keep walking and walking and walking till you got clearer water so it was, you could see [01:06:00] the pollution. We didn’t know it was pollution at the time. We just want the water so... JJ: Now, did you see friends there once you got there or...? RV: Mm-hmm, yeah. Kind of everybody made a day of it and -- JJ: So the neighborhood used to go over there. RV: Yeah. And -- JJ: People knew each other. RV: Mm-hmm. Or if we didn’t do that, sometimes they’d like turn a hose on and let the kids run through and stuff. JJ: In the neighborhood, just turn the -- what about police? Would they come by and turn it off or...? RV: Yeah. (laughter) JJ: But the neighborhood kids did it (inaudible) and they understood. RV: Yeah. JJ: So you went to the beach. What, did you go to the theaters or anything like that? RV: Yeah, the Biograph. JJ: So you’d still go to the Biograph? RV: Yeah. I went to the Biograph, Century. I went to the Century recently here and it’s kind of a big mall or something. But yeah, I went to the Biograph a lot. JJ: Well, how was the Biograph? Was there any neighborhood kids at the Biograph? 47 �RV: Yeah, all the time. I think I saw Jerry Lewis there. JJ: Oh, you saw Jerry Lewis there? RV: I think I saw Jerry Lewis there, but -- JJ: He was my favorite (laughs) -- RV: Me, too. You know, [01:07:00] I’ve always liked it -- JJ: He’s a great (inaudible) -- RV: I know, yeah. JJ: But we used to stand at the piano and all that other stuff. RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: But now, we used to go to the Biograph, too, so that’s what I’m saying. So that it was a neighborhood theater and everybody knew each other. RV: Mm-hmm, yeah. There was another one, the Crest Theater? JJ: You said the Century, too. RV: Century, yeah. JJ: That was on -- RV: That was a bigger one. JJ: That was on Clark, right? RV: On Clark, yeah. I think. The Crest was kind of a dump, kind of a dump. JJ: I’m not sure Clark or was that, yeah, that was Clark or Broadway or I don’t know, one of those streets. What was the other one, the Crest? RV: The Crest. That one we didn’t, we didn’t go to much because it was kind of rundown. We didn’t -- yeah, it was just kind of down. But wasn’t there a gangster shot behind the Biograph or something? Is that where the -- 48 �JJ: Right, right, yeah. Dillinger was shot, Dillinger -- RV: Or was that the Valentine’s Day Massacre or something like that? JJ: No, no. Well, the Valentine’s Day Massacre was on Webster and Clark. RV: Oh, [01:08:00] okay. JJ: But the Dillinger was killed right back in the alley when he came out. RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: But we didn’t remember just when they played West Side Story. That’s when we got the purple shirts. RV: Oh, yeah -- JJ: When we were seeing West Side Story. RV: -- I remember seeing West Side Story. We liked that. That was -- JJ: But we had a gang fight (laughs) when we went. They showed it so you know. But yeah, we used to go to that all the time. But it’s funny because you’re coming from the northern part of Lincoln Park and we’re coming from the southern part and meeting at the Biograph. RV: Yeah, because that’s where -- I mean, it wasn’t like there were a lot of places to go back when -- there were just a few, so yeah. JJ: But were you, during the high school period, you weren’t in town so -- RV: No but you know -- JJ: But your sister, where did she go to the dances then? Because there were other halls, right? Dance halls besides the Aragon? RV: Aragon Ball Room I think. JJ: Oh, the Aragon? 49 �RV: [01:09:00] Yeah, yeah. JJ: The Aragon? RV: It was in Uptown or something? JJ: Yeah. So you (inaudible). RV: Mm-hmm. Well, when I was in high school, I would take the train and then come back to visit my friends because I just didn’t make many friends in the Quad Cities. So I would come back and then that’s kind of when we would walk around Old Town so that would be maybe ’60. I just remember that, like ’68 or -9. JJ: Okay, you were still hanging out at that time. We had our (inaudible) there. RV: Yeah. So mm-hmm. JJ: Yeah, so that’s kind of you were going to the same spots as the Young Lords were going to but you weren’t looking at is as a gang, just a bunch of -- RV: Just the, yeah, people from the neighborhood. JJ: Just the neighborhood, just the people from the neighborhood. RV: Yeah. They were just kind of older just like I was so yeah. JJ: Okay. Well, that’s interesting. I didn’t, and we didn’t really call ourselves a gang till the media started using it and then turned it around. RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: It was just the neighborhood youth growing up. RV: It was. It was like [01:10:00] me with my friends. You don’t sit in the house. I mean, there wasn’t that much great TV, I mean, they’re, you just go outside and walk. And one time, I was a little girl, that’s what you do. You go out and play in the gangway or you just jump rope. You’re always in the gangway playing. You 50 �play outside till it’s dark and then you come in so that’s what you do. You just go out. JJ: And that’s interesting because I called it more like a gang because I was in the leadership of it and some of the other core members call ourselves the gang. But the rest of the people were just people from the neighborhood -- RV: Friends, yeah. JJ: -- that we got along together and didn’t call it a gang. So I’m glad that you said that. RV: Yeah, they’re you’re friends, they’re you’re friends. And -- JJ: So you saw it as just friends and that was it. RV: I saw it as friends and like for me personally, I was, it was, I really couldn’t connect with my family and my sisters kind of distant. JJ: Because of what was going on? RV: What was going on. And my little sister was a baby so I watched her. [01:11:00] She was seven years younger. But my friends were pretty much my family. JJ: You watched her, what do you mean? You protected her? RV: Yeah, yeah. JJ: Okay. RV: But my friends were pretty much closer than my family so yeah. JJ: So your friends were like closer? They were like a family. RV: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I grew up with them from the time I was in kindergarten and we just knew everything about each other except what was going on that I keep. And you know, but as far as just being able to trust them, I could trust them more. 51 �JJ: Okay, so you talked about forgiveness. What about your stepfather, where’s he at? RV: He’s still alive and taking care of my mom. And yeah, I just -- JJ: Oh, so they are together. They’re together. RV: Yeah, they’re together. Yeah, she stayed with him. And yeah, I’ve forgiven him. I just feel like the [01:12:00] things that happen to me weren’t so much a part of me. It’s like the bad things, if you hold onto it, that’s what makes it a part of you. So I got saved when I was about 30 years old. I always knew about Jesus; I always prayed. I’d be on the street like, “Oh God, oh God.” (laughs) But I accepted him and I just, when I was 30 and then recently recommitted. And all through that time, through the divorce and through the childhood, I just feel that the releasing that, just letting that go. You’re not saying that what they did was okay. You’re just saying, “I’m just going to give that to God because he’s the one that can judge, not me.” I really, I think that’s what’s really helped me just keep a clear head. You know, I’m listening to this story I’m telling here. I’m like, “Man, that’s got to be one messed-up person,” but I just feel like I think forgiveness [01:13:00] is important but also taking responsibility and doing something. Just trying to do something good. I’ll carry these around. Here, I got one for you. I make this guy. It’s like, “I’ll carry them around and I’ll give them away.” Just like here’s a cookie. Just something good. Yeah, I think if you hold things in, especially things that were done to you or injustices that are done to you, then you kind of identify with that person who’s doing it. So you have, you know, I think’s good to release it and forgive them and then do something different. I’m 52 �going to do the opposite, I’m going to do something good. It sounds like what you guys do. It sounds like what you did so I agree with that. Maybe we came up in the same place so we learned the same place so we learned the same lesson. (shrugs shoulders) I don’t know. JJ: Okay, any final words? RV: (waves) Hey, everybody. JJ: (laughs) RV: Bye-bye. (laughs) (break in audio) [01:14:00] JJ: Because I just want t ask you I know that your nickname is Buffy and I have nicknames and a lot of people had nicknames at that time. So how, some nicknames are given like negative. Like mine was negative. RV: I was going to ask you. JJ: So how did you get your -- you were going to ask me that? RV: Well, I was going to ask you but I was going, I thought to myself with a name like Buffy, I don’t have the right to say, “How’d you get the name Cha-Cha?” But it was some friends of mine gave me that name. And just because I was always serious and just efficient and get the job done. We just had a period of time at our church where it was like this laughter thing was happening and I was just like, “Oh, just call me Buffy.” Because it was like pff, you know? But then it was like it kind of stuck. It was like, “No, that’s a good,” [01:15:00] you know. So we just, but how did you get the name Cha-Cha? JJ: So okay, I’ll tell you. So you were kind of the serious type at that time? 53 �RV: Yeah. JJ: And they didn’t like that or...? RV: No, we just, we, it’s kind of hard to explain. Our church went through a time where there was this laughter thing that would just happen. Just like this lightness that was happening. So at, a lot of that just washed away and I just, I felt like I wasn’t being productive. But it was just more of a, I think it was just more of a spiritual, just a cleansing and a joy coming. So -- JJ: But you actually chose your name. RV: No, God started calling me that. (laughs) JJ: Okay, God -- okay. RV: Yeah, yeah. So -- JJ: God chose it at the church -- RV: Yeah. JJ: But and then -- RV: And you know, it stuck. It just -- JJ: You told people to, you told people to start using it. RV: Yeah. Well, my friends just started, yeah, just started. Yeah, just calling -- JJ: Because you could, so you actually picked it yourself so it was -- RV: Well, I kind of heard [00:16:00] it so -- JJ: From God. RV: Yeah. JJ: Okay. Okay. I’ll go with that, I’ll go with that. RV: I didn’t want to come out and say I heard it but I did. 54 �JJ: I’ll go with that. So mine is, some people, their nicknames are done in a negative sense. Like if your eyes are big or something they might say frog or something like that or -- RV: Yeah. Is that within gang, kind of gang? JJ: Within the gang or if you’re light-skinned, they might call you Casper the friendly ghost or that kind of stuff. Actually, Orlando did that to me. He was calling me that for a little bit. But actually -- RV: But it’s okay from a friend, yeah. JJ: But it was a sweet from a friend, it was a sweet, yeah. But what happened is when I first came to Lincoln Park, the neighborhood was changing from Caucasian to Latino, Caucasian meaning different ethnic minorities. And so it was like you were talking earlier. This guy had names for everybody. So for the Blacks, he had [Sambu?]. [01:17:00] There were gypsies there, (laughs) there were hillbillies, pork and beans, they would call them pork and beans. RV: (laughs) Yeah, I heard all that. Yeah. JJ: And so for me, for me, called me a [cha-cha boo?] from the dancing MF. I was just a little kid. This guy was a big Irish guy and all that. But I mean I did get him later for it -- RV: (laughs) Yeah. JJ: But he started calling me cha-cha bull MF and then as Latinos came in, I started kind of liking the name Cha-Cha. I think related to the Latino thing like -- RV: Embracing it. JJ: -- kind of what you’re saying, embracing it. So the Latinos started calling me 55 �Cha-Cha. RV: That’s really good. JJ: It stayed with me but I keep it because it reminds me of the racism but then also, it’s part of Latino culture to be more informal than formal. So I like to, I use it. Some people use my regular [01:18:00] name. And then I’ll use José Jiménez even though my sisters call me Joseph. I used to get upset with them. I said, “Wait a minute, I’m José Jiménez, I’m trying to get back to my roots.” But that is my real name. It was changed in the school system where they couldn’t pronounce it so they called me Joseph. You’re an American, you’re Joseph. That kind of stuff. RV: Yeah, kind of like Ellis Island, yeah. JJ: But it, so I, so I, yeah. So I’m, so I would go back to Puerto Rico, coming back here is when I became, got more cultural. Instead of using José Jiménez, and I kept the nickname Cha-Cha. Because people couldn’t pronounce José Jiménez, either, so Cha-Cha was easier to -- RV: That’s cool. JJ: But now, I’m doing my own interview. I don’t want to (laughs) but so -- RV: Oh, I wanted to know. JJ: So hopefully, that was a good way. RV: I’m glad you told me. I’m glad I asked. JJ: Okay. That was (laughter) yeah, yeah. END OF VIDEO FILE 56 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6c6e9d7f290f4672e8eb4132feb3895b.mp4 415dcc2beccd119eb3f262d68b8299db Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Young Lords in Lincoln Park Collection Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Description An account of the resource Collection of oral history interviews and digitized materials documenting the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Interviews were conducted by Young Lords' founder, José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, and documents were digitized from Mr. Jiménez' archives. The Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection grows out of the ongoing struggle for fair housing, self-determination, and human rights that was launched by Mr. José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords Movement. This project is dedicated to documenting the history of the displacement of Puerto Ricans, Mejicanos, other Latinos, and the poor from Lincoln Park, as well as the history of the Young Lords nationwide. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection (RHC-65)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-25 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng spa Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2012-2017 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Título Spanish language Title entry Rebecca “Buffy” Vance vídeo entrevista y biografía Sujetos Spanish language Subject terms Young Lords (Organización) Puertorriqueños--Estados Unidos Derechos civiles--Estados Unidos--Historia Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Narrativas personales Justicia social Activistas comunitarios--Illinois--Chicago Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park (RHC-65)</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65_Vance_Rebecca Title A name given to the resource Rebecca “Buffy” Vance interview and transcript Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vance, Rebecca Description An account of the resource Rebecca “Buffy” Vance was friends with “Stony,” who was a white southerner and one of the main Young Lords from the Wieland branch of the group before they became human rights activists for Latinos and the poor. Stony was about 17-years-old then and lived across from Wieland on North Avenue. His sisters became members of the auxiliary group, the Young Lordettes. Wieland culture was completely different from the culture at Halsted and Dickens and Burling and Armitage where the other main group of Young Lords hung out. The difference was that on Wieland and North Avenue, they did not have to share space with the other Puerto Rican Clubs of Lincoln Park. Pockets of Puerto Ricans left behind from the destruction wrought by urban renewal in the Puerto Rican barrio of La Clark were still around then. Wieland Street was one of the streets that still survived. Masao Yamasaki, a man of Japanese descent, became friends with Stony and other Young lords and tried to help them with counseling and guidance. Mr. Yamasaki did this through the YMCA, where Young Lords would go for swimming and basketball. He owned a factory and started providing a few of them, including Stony, with jobs. And Stony remained in his packaging company for years, becoming a supervisor for the company. Ms. Vance was never in the Young Lords but grew up in Lincoln Park and attended Alcott Elementary at 2625 North Orchard. Alcott School then had an after school program that would supervise the youth at night to keep them out of trouble and off the streets. A few of the Young Lords attended Alcott and spread the word about the program. They would have to walk 8 to 10 blocks to attend but it did help some of them as they participated in sports, arts and crafts, and other activities. There were also the social dances, where youth danced to tunes such as “Wipe-out,” “Twine Time,” “Monkey Time,” and “Louie Louie.” Today Ms. Vance today works at the University of Illinois Circle Campus as Assistant to Communications and Development and Alumni Relations. Prior to joining the College of Law, she worked as a development Secretary for Will AM-FM-TV. Ms. Vance has also worked at Amdocs Inc. and in benefit planning. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-04-20 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/cff294a853b69bddaf3b2d49d4409914.pdf 42474b66a177d60c755f47bf8bbed748 PDF Text Text Trevor Vance 04/26/2020 COVID-19 Journaling As a student at Grand Valley State University I remember getting an email in the afternoon the Thursday we got back from Spring Break. It said that the school will be temporarily closing and that we should all go home. I was at the gym and everyone there was shocked. No one thought that it would have come to that, but I am thankful it did. I think the university to the necessary steps to keep everyone safe. I lived in an apartment with friends and we all started packing the next day to had home. It was a wild experience. It almost felt like I was dreaming. I was taking a sociology class at the time and the first day of class we discussed COVID-19 and none of us thought it would have got this big. We tracked it everyday until we eventually got sent home. I was able to pack up all my belongings and bring them home, but I did not have much down at my apartment. I did it by myself and headed back up north to my parents’ house. Before we got sent home, I had all A’s in my classes and I still currently have all A’s after several weeks of turning online. All my professors did a great job transitioning to online and still giving us the material, we needed to succeed. My professors sent out little motivational and “Stay safe” emails every now and then. They also checked up on us and make sure we had everything we needed to succeed so that was amazing. It was nice knowing that they had our backs if we needed anything. I believe that both the professors and myself handles the situation very well. The one thing I did not like about being sent home is that I didn’t have a gym. The gym is a huge part of my life and being without it for so long has mentally and physically worn me down. I personally believe that gyms should be able to stay open because for a lot of people that is their safe haven. In order to be myself I need workout and I haven’t been able to do that. That has been the hardest part about the whole situation in my opinion. My daily life consists of doing online work, working around the house, getting stuff ready for my graduate school application, and other little things. There is not much to do because you technically aren’t supposed to leave the house unless you need something. My family has been very supportive, and we are getting through this situation together. We play board games, do stuff outside, watch movies together, etc. One thing that I love is that we eat dinner around the table again. We haven’t done this in over a decade so it is nice to have this back again. I do not have a job off of campus so I can not speak on that matter. Getting everyday items like groceries and household items is a wild experience. Everyone avoids everyone and wears masks and gloves and you could see real concern in their eyes. There has not been shortages of supplies from where I am from (northern Michigan). People just stay to themselves and get in and out of the store. You don’t see any friendly conversations going on. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-04-26_VanceTrevor Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vance, Trevor Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-26 Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journal Description An account of the resource Journal of GVSU student Trevor Vance's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c25432f3ec3ea22014754a046d91cd1f.mp4 98e6461317735267ec7baccabecabe1e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e9ad1e10158f31f7687bf355519c3ec0.pdf a7ece26d0f667c719311f86813d426c5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Allen Vande Vusse Vietnam War Interview Length: (01:29:54:00) Pre-enlistment / Training (00:00:14:00) · Vande Vusse was born and raised in Holland, Michigan and lived for the majority of his younger life, graduating from Holland High School in 1962; while Vande Vusse was growing up, his father worked as a butcher (00:00:14:00) · After Vande Vusse finished high school, he got a job working for a company called Municipal Foresters, where he worked at clearing trees away from powers; Vande Vusse stayed at the job until he joined the Marine Corps (00:00:32:00) o Vande Vusse married in 1963 and although he and his wife had twin daughters, they ended up getting divorced in 1968; both Vande Vusse and his wife were just too young to get married (00:00:43:00) · Once Vande Vusse’s divorce was final, his draft status went from 3A to 1A, so when he was twenty-four years old, Vande Vusse received his draft notice to join the Army (00:01:02:00) o Vande Vusse’s father had served in both World War II and the Korean War as a Navy corpsman assigned to the Marines (00:01:16:00) o In 1967/1968, in Vande Vusse’s opinion, a lot men were being drafted into the Army, sent through basic and advanced training, deployed to Vietnam, and ended up returning home in a wooden box in less than a year because they did not have enough training (00:01:35:00) § Given his experience serving with the Marines, Vande Vusse’s father told Vande Vusse that if he wanted to keep his act together, Vande Vusse should enlist in the Marines instead of waiting to be drafted by the Army (00:01:52:00) · The Marines offered a ninety-day delayed enlistment program, so Vande Vusse ended up official joining the Marines at the beginning of February 1969 (00:02:43:00) o Vande Vusse ended up getting married for a second time two weeks before he left to join the Marines (00:02:54:00) § When Vande Vusse got married for a second time, his new wife knew that he had to serve his time in the service (00:03:02:00) o Initially, Vande Vusse went to Detroit, where he went through a physical and took a series of tests for his intelligence level (00:03:18:00) § While in Detroit, Vande Vusse was in a group of recruits to consisted of both draftees and enlistees; from what Vande Vusse saw and mostly overheard, the draftees tried all sorts of tricks to try and get out of serving (00:03:46:00) · Even while Vande Vusse was in boot camp, other recruits would claim all sorts of problems to get out of serving (00:04:49:00) · Once the day finally came, Vande Vusse and four other recruits flew from Detroit to San Diego for boot camp; because he had been part of the delayed-enlistment program, Vande �Vusse was placed in-charge of the records for all five of the recruits (00:05:34:00) o When the group arrived at the airport in San Diego, they found a Marines sergeant, who ordered them onto a bus; the sergeant did not actually start shouting until the bus had reached the recruitment depot in San Diego (00:05:43:00) § Once at the depot, the sergeant gave the men thirty seconds to get off the bus and stand on a series of yellow foot prints painted on the ground outside the bus (00:06:07:00) § Before Vande Vusse had left home, his father told him that the Marines were going to be tough on him (00:06:26:00) · However, Vande Vusse was in good physical shape from cutting down the trees, so he did quite well in the physical aspects of the training (00:06:33:00) o Whereas Vande Vusse was nearly twenty-four years old, most of the other recruits were only seventeen- or eighteen-year-olds (00:06:48:00) · At the beginning of the training, the instructors basically brain-washed the recruits, stating that there were three ways to do everything: the right way, the wrong way, and the Marine Corps way, and the Marine Corps way was always right (00:07:21:00) o There was some physical abuse by the instructors but ultimately, the abuse made the recruits tougher (00:07:39:00) § There was a sign above the gate leading into boot camp that read “the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war” and in Vande Vusse’s experience, that was true (00:07:50:00) § Nevertheless, until the day he dies, Vande Vusse will always be proud of having been a United States Marine (00:08:01:00) o Each of the different branches in the military were trained to fill different roles and the Marines were trained as shock troops, which put them at a disadvantage while serving in Vietnam (00:08:12:00) § For the most part, the Marines were not trained for doing long-term warfare, which was more in-line with the Army’s job (00:08:23:00) o During boot camp, Vande Vusse and the other recruits would wake up at five o’clock in the morning and go to bed a nine o’clock at night (00:08:41:00) o The training consisted of a lot of discipline and a lot of physical training; after the recruits had only been there two or three weeks, they were already running three miles in platoon formation (00:08:47:00) § By the end of boot camp, the recruits were running three miles several times a day (00:08:57:00) o As part of the training, the recruits spent two weeks at nearby Camp Pendleton to train on the rifle range (00:09:14:00) § One of the big things that the Marine Corps believed in was marksmanship and everyone was trained in the Marines to be an infantryman, regardless of what their specialty would end up being (00:09:23:00) § In boot camp, Vande Vusse and the other recruits trained using M-14 rifles; Vande Vusse did not see his first M-16 rifle until he got to Vietnam (00:09:46:00) · Although the M-14 was a much more accurate weapon, especially at long range, the men serving in Vietnam found out that most of �the fighting there occurred at close range and they wanted the firepower of the M-16 (00:09:53:00) o All three of Vande Vusse’s drill instructors were Vietnam veterans, one as an infantryman, one as part of an air wing, and one as a clerk/typist (00:10:26:00) § The drill instructors made it clear to the recruits that if they did not follow the instructor’s lessons, then they were going to deploy to Vietnam and they were going to die (00:10:47:00) § In a way, the drill instructors made the recruits into robots, so that the recruits instantly responded to commands (00:10:53:00) · When the recruits first arrived at boot camp, the purpose of their first haircut was not only for health reasons but to degrade the recruits (00:11:02:00) · The drill instructors took recruits from every part of American society and made them all equal; the recruits were not individuals anymore but were part of a team (00:11:09:00) o Vande Vusse would figure that 90% of the recruits he trained with were white, with half-a-dozen black, half-a-dozen Hispanics, and one American Indian (00:11:36:00) § All three of Vande Vusse’s drill instructors were white (00:12:10:00) · At one point, boot camp lasted for twelve weeks but by the time Vande Vusse went through, the duration had been reduced to ten weeks, including the two weeks spent at Camp Pendleton on the rifle range (00:12:17:00) o The two weeks on the rifle range came about two-thirds of the way into training, after which they returned to boot camp and spent the remaining time preparing for graduation and final inspection (00:12:29:00) o Just before the graduation ceremony, the senior drill instructor came out with a list and read down, alphabetically, what each recruit would be doing once he left boot camp (00:12:44:00) § When the drill instructor reached Vande Vusse’s name, he said “2500”, which was radio communications (00:12:57:00) o All the recruits went through a graduation ceremony and the older brother of one of Vande Vusse’s friends who was stationed in San Diego ended up coming to the graduation (00:13:02:00) · After graduation, the men were given four hours of liberty before being packed on a bus and taken up to Camp Pendleton for thirty days in an ITR (Infantry Training Regiment), the same thing as Advanced Infantry Training in the Army (00:13:15:00) o Everyone received the initially four weeks of time in an ITR and if a recruit was to be an infantryman, he would stay longer (00:13:36:00) o When Vande Vusse first enlisted, he was only given two choices for his assignment “ground” or “air” (00:13:56:00) § Because he scored above a 120 on the General Military Subjects test, a standardized test everyone in every branch of the military had to take, Vande Vusse was assigned to a more technical field (00:14:07:00) § Vande Vusse actually took the General Military Subjects test before he enlisted and he knew his score before he enlisted (00:14:42:00) · Originally, when he was going to be drafted into the Army, Vande �Vusse went to Grand Haven, Michigan and enlisted in the Marines (00:14:56:00) · When Vande Vusse got to Detroit, the gunnery sergeant in-charge of the Marine section said that Vande Vusse had really good test scores and if he only enlisted for two years, he would go into the infantry; however, if Vande Vusse enlisted for four years, then he would probably be assigned to a school (00:15:13:00) · Therefore, Vande Vusse ended up enlisting for four years instead of the normal two years (00:15:36:00) o Vande Vusse was eventually assigned to be a radio operator, which he would later find out was a prime target for the enemy to attack; without a radio, a unit could not be re-supplied, could not call in air or artillery support, could not call in for medi-vacs, etc. (00:15:54:00) § Typically in the Marine Corps, only one out of every eight Marines was in the infantry; it took everyone else working in the rear and behind the scenes to support that single infantryman (00:16:26:00) o The four weeks in the ITR consisted of a lot of forced marches and the recruits were taught about all the different heavy weapons (00:16:42:00) § At one point, during a night, a soldier half-a-mile away from the recruits lit up a cigarette, just to show the recruits the importance of maintaining light discipline (00:17:02:00) § There was also a jungle warfare section set up, where the recruits were shown the different types of booby-traps the enemy used (00:17:24:00) § All the instructors were Vietnam veterans and most were infantry veterans (00:17:40:00) · After finishing the four weeks in the ITR, Vande Vusse returned home on a ten-day leave before returning to San Diego to go through a twelve-week radio school (00:18:46:00) o In the radio school, Vande Vusse learned how to operate all the different communications equipment, including radios and telegraphs, how to operate a switch-board, Morse Code, etc. (00:18:58:00) § With Morse Code, Vande Vusse and the other recruits had to eventually reach the point that they could receive forty words a minute and send out thirty words a minute (00:19:21:00) · There were some men who could not make those thresholds and ended up washing out of the program (00:19:36:00) o Vande Vusse ended up graduating at the top of his class at the end of the program and he and all the other recruits were supposed to receive promotion to lance corporal (00:19:40:00) § However, the weekend before graduation, Vande Vusse was visiting an aunt and uncle who lived in Long Beach, California and while he was gone, unbeknownst to him, there was a racially-motivated fight in his squad bay (00:19:48:00) § As a result of the fight, his entire class was blackballed, none of the men received their promotion to lance corporal, and all the men received orders for Vietnam (00:20:04:00) · Although there was not visible racial tension in the radio school, �given that it was the latter part of the 1960s, there was racial tension in all of the branches (00:20:25:00) · Looking back, Vande Vusse attributes a large portion of the racial tension to the “Project 100,000” started by Senator Eugene McCarthy (00:20:37:00) o During “Project 100,000”, the military lowered the test score requirements, so that people who would have normally failed the test pasted instead and were allowed into the military (00:20:49:00) o It took until the mid-1970s for the problem to be resolved, once the fighting in Vietnam was over (00:21:37:00) o Most of the personnel who came in as part of the project had problems, which meant they would often get into trouble and get bad conduct discharges (00:21:45:00) · Once Vande Vusse had his orders for Vietnam, he returned home on another leave and on the day he had to leave for Camp Pendleton and his staging battalion, Vande Vusse’s oldest daughter was born (00:22:14:00) o Vande Vusse was able to hold his daughter for about five minutes before having to go to Grand Rapids for the flight to California (00:22:37:00) o As it turned out, Vande Vusse’s entire class from radio school ended up in the same staging battalion (00:22:51:00) o All the men from the radio school arrived on a Friday and on Sunday, they were told to board a bus that would take them to Twenty-Nine Palms, which was a town in the Mojave desert that was home to a Marine Corps air station; apparently, there were enough radio operators in Vietnam at the time (00:22:56:00) § The Marine Corps base at Twenty-Nine Palms was the largest Marine Corps base in the country and consisted of nine-hundred-and-forty-seven miles of desert divided between bombing ranges for aircraft from the Naval Air Station at Miramar outside of San Diego and artillery ranges for the three artillery units stationed on the base (00:23:24:00) § Once he was at Twenty-Nine Palms, Vande Vusse worked as a radio operator for the 9th Communications Battalion for about six months (00:24:18:00) · Vande Vusse and the other Marines in the unit would go on maneuvers in the desert, setting up radio relays and way-stations (00:24:28:00) · As well, every month, a couple of Marines would take a radio jeep, drive into the desert to track down civilians who had accidentally wandered onto the base (00:24:33:00) § While Vande Vusse was stationed at Twenty-Nine Palms, his wife and daughter moved out to California and the family was living in a trailer park off the base (00:24:59:00) · When their daughter was about three months old, Vande Vusse and his wife found out she had a defect where one of her hips had not calcified properly (00:25:08:00) �· Vande Vusse and his wife had to take their daughter to Camp Pendleton, where she was placed in a brace for her hip to her knee with a support in between and every month, the couple had to return to Camp Pendleton to have the brace changed (00:25:15:00) · A Chief Warrant Officer in Vande Vusse’s section realized Vande Vusse and his wife were having problems with their daughter, so when a commanding general’s orderly’s enlistment ended, the Chief Warrant Officer sent Vande Vusse to be the replacement, so the Chief Warrant Officer could remove Vande Vusse’s name from the rotation board to Vietnam (00:25:28:00) § Vande Vusse ended up spending six months as an orderly for the general, which resulted in a promotion from Lance Corporal to Corporal (00:26:09:00) · However, despite his name not being on the board, Vande Vusse still ended up going to Vietnam because there was a specific need for a radio operator (00:26:17:00) · While Vande Vusse was an orderly, every morning, just before the general arrived at his offices, Vande Vusse would run the general’s one-star flag up the flag pole outside (00:26:31:00) · During the day, Vande Vusse would take care of the general’s laundry and be the field driver for the general; the general had a staff sergeant who drove him around while on base but whenever he went into the field, Vande Vusse was his driver (00:26:44:00) · The general, Brigadier General Carl Hoffman, was an awesome gentleman to work for; the general ended up retiring as a Major General and was a veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War (00:27:12:00) o The general’s sergeant major had served as a tail gunner aboard a TBF torpedo bomber in the South Pacific during World War II (00:27:28:00) · Vande Vusse received orders for Vietnam around October 1970, after which he was given thirty days leave, which he used to move his wife and daughter back to Holland (00:27:40:00) o After the leave was over, Vande Vusse returned to Camp Pendleton and joined at staging battalion, which took a month to go through (00:28:00:00) § While in the staging battalion, Vande Vusse got all the shots he would need for overseas deployment, filled out a will, went through jungle school again, and learned additional information and tactics for fighting in the jungle (00:28:08:00) § Vande Vusse was a corporal at the time and at one point, the commanders decided they needed two corporals to be in-charge of a group of soldiers assigned to mess duty for a month; Vande Vusse and another corporal were assigned the job, which meant another month of being in the staging battalion (00:28:28:00) o Vande Vusse eventually made it to Okinawa like everyone else, where he exchanged his clothes for jungle fatigues (00:28:51:00) �§ § § As it turned out, someone had forgotten to give Vande Vusse a shot at Camp Pendleton but getting the shot on Okinawa required Vande Vusse to be quarantined for ten days (00:29:06:00) It ended up being January of 1971 before Vande Vusse actually made it over to Vietnam (00:29:21:00) To get to Okinawa, Vande Vusse flew out of Travis Air Force Base near San Francisco aboard a civilian airliner; from Okinawa to Da Nang, Vande Vusse again flew aboard a civilian airliner (00:29:29:00) Vietnam Deployment (00:30:03:00) · As Vande Vusse’s airliner was on the approach to the airport in Da Nang, Vande Vusse noticed a series of black spots on the runway, which turned out to be patches from where rockets had hit the runway (00:30:03:00) · One of the first things Vande Vusse remembers was that standing in the doorway of the airliner, it was extremely hot and humid (00:30:16:00) o Having landed during the day, Vande Vusse and the other men could see F-4 Phantoms and gunships lined up along the runway and another group of soldiers who were boarding another airliner to go home, who were making cat-calls back towards Vande Vusse’s group (00:30:36:00) o After arriving, Vande Vusse and the other men went to a large barracks building, where they were then assigned to various units (00:31:06:00) § When they got to Vande Vusse, he was told to sit off to the side and that in an hour-and-a-half, a truck was going to come pick him up to take him to the 1st Med. (00:31:27:00) § By then, Vande Vusse had been in the Marines for nearly two years and had never heard of a Marine medical battalion; however, he later found out that every Marine division had a medical battalion consisting of seventy-five to eighty percent Navy personnel plus a Marine communications section, a motor section, and a supply section (00:31:39:00) · The Navy personnel were further divided into doctors, corpsmen, and nurses (00:32:08:00) · Some of the doctors were actually in the unit voluntarily, with one doctor volunteering for the Navy and to go to Vietnam just for the practical experience (00:32:17:00) · When Vande Vusse joined the unit, the 1st Medical Battalion was located about halfway between the Da Nang Air Force base and the 1st Marine Division headquarters (00:32:52:00) o The battalion was stationed in a typical compound with six guard towers and barbed wire surrounding the entire compound (00:33:01:00) § The compound had an outer LZ (landing zone), then a taxi-way to an inner LZ, which was surrounded by a revetment to protect any helicopters on the LZ (00:33:10:00) § An opening on one side of the inner LZ led to the emergency room while an opening on the other side led to the communications bunker where Vande Vusse worked (00:33:32:00) �o When Vande Vusse arrived at the compound, the first thing he did was talk with a sailor, who told Vande Vusse he was being assigned to the communications section and subsequently took Vande Vusse to meet the sergeant in-charge of the communications section (00:33:44:00) § The sergeant was grinning from ear-to-ear when Vande Vusse arrived because Vande Vusse was his ticket home; Vande Vusse had been sent to the unit as a replacement for the sergeant (00:33:58:00) § Before he left, the sergeant showed Vande Vusse where the communications section’s hooch was, where the communications bunker was located (00:34:26:00) § The morning after Vande Vusse arrived, a lance corporal was showing the techniques and lingo that the Marines used with the radios when an Army helicopter called in saying he had wounded (00:35:41:00) · The lance corporal answered, took down the types of wounded and then called the emergency room so the doctors and corpsmen would be ready when the helicopter landed (00:35:32:00) · A few minutes later, the helicopter called back and said to change on of the wounds, a head shot, to a permanent routine; when Vande Vusse asked what that was, the lance corporal explained that the wounded soldier had died (00:35:55:00) o The lance corporal then had to call the motor pool for an ambulance to the LZ to pick up the body bag (00:36:10:00) · Even through the walls of the bunker, Vande Vusse and the lance corporal could hear the helicopter coming in and Vande Vusse, being curious, walked outside and watched as the helicopter landed, a corpsman pulled the two wounded off, who were then immediately taken to the emergency room (00:36:21:00) · Two more men then pulled off a dark green bag and laid it along side the LZ, after which the helicopter took off (00:36:38:00) · Vande Vusse walked over, looked at the body bag, and to this days, question how he was lucky enough to be assigned to the rear, in Da Nang (00:36:51:00) · Vande Vusse’s official assignment was to be in-charge of the communications section, which involved assigning the eight or nine radio operators to different work periods, which were normally four to six hour shifts (00:37:33:00) o Someone needed to constantly be on the radio because the men never knew when a medevac would be coming in (00:37:45:00) o Because he was a corporal and there were only a couple of other sergeants in the motor pool, around every third night, Vande Vusse would be sergeant of the guard (00:37:53:00) § During those nights, Vande Vusse would have to go around every hour on the hour to the various foxholes and bunkers on the perimeter to make sure none of the personnel on guard duty had fallen asleep (00:38:08:00) o The main road leading from the Da Nang Air Force base went past the compound and continued past Freedom Hill and the 1st Marine Division headquarters before curving back around to China Beach, which was the headquarters of the Force �Logistics Command (00:38:34:00) § Once every couple of weeks, the Marines would have to go onto a ridgeline beyond the road and do perimeter duty up there (00:38:49:00) § To one side of the battalion compound was an Army SkyCrane unit and just to the south was a South Vietnamese Army compound (00:39:07:00) · Vande Vusse arrived in Vietnam rather late in the war in 1971 and around that time, President Nixon was winding down the war (00:39:41:00) o Nevertheless, there were still casualties from mines, booby-traps, sniper fire, etc.; the personnel in the battalion had no way of knowing when something was going to happen (00:39:50:00) § It might go two or three days of nothing happening then all of the sudden, there would be two or three helicopters (00:39:57:00) § One time, a CH-53 Sea Stallion came into the LZ and Vande Vusse remembers that the helicopters was on the LZ for an extra half-a-day because of a mechanical problem (00:40:03:00) · As well, the was some concern over the proximity of the revetments, given that the CH-53 was larger than the helicopters that normally landed at the LZ (00:40:03:00) · The typical helicopter used by the Marines was the CH-46 Sea Knights, which was a close cousin to the CH-47 Chinooks used by the Army (00:40:33:00) · A couple of times a month, the compound would send out “med-caps”, which usually consisted of two or three corpsmen plus half-a-dozen Marines, including a radio operator, and sometimes, some South Vietnamese soldiers (00:41:20:00) o The groups would visit small villages around the Da Nang area and the corpsmen would treat any wounds of the local villagers (00:41:41:00) o The med-caps were one of the good things that the Marines did while in Vietnam; the Marine commanders were constantly arguing with General Westmoreland about the needed to win hearts and minds, something the Marines recognized as important for a long time (00:42:08:00) § However, from Vande Vusse’s perspective, the Army philosophy was to treat the situation like a conventional war in Europe, which did not work in jungle warfare (00:42:32:00) o In the compound, there were Vietnamese civilians who would show up in the morning and leave in the afternoon and they would do the men’s laundry, worked in the mess hall, etc. (00:42:58:00) § The one girl who worked in Vande Vusse’s hooch was a nice, young Catholic girl (00:43:12:00) o Out in the villages, the villagers were happy to get the shots and treatment from the corpsmen (00:43:46:00) § Nevertheless, a large portion of the villagers had been re-located from smaller villages, which upset them; the villagers wanted to be left by their little piece of land and to live their life (00:43:59:00) · Part of the dominant religion of Vietnam, Buddhism, is the idea of ancestor worship and for the most part, the grandparents, greatgrandparents, and even great-great-grandparents of the villagers �were buried on that little plot of land (00:44:12:00) · The re-located villagers settled into tar-paper shacks surrounding the various military bases (00:44:32:00) · Vande Vusse saw a little bit of the drug use / insubordination / prostitution / lack of discipline that is often attributed to soldiers in the rear area; two separate incidents stand out the most in his mind (00:45:25:00) o One night, Vande Vusse was walking as sergeant-of-the-guard and was walking past the Graves Registration, which prepared dead bodies for shipment home for funerals, and the staff sergeant in-charge of the section noticed Vande Vusse walking past and invited him in for a sandwich (00:45:37:00) § The staff sergeant opened up the storage building, one of the few air conditioned on the base, and the staff sergeant had stored all his food inside one of the storage containers (00:46:02:00) § The two men were eating their sandwiches when the staff sergeant told Vande Vusse there was something he needed to see; the staff sergeant then stood, pulled open another storage container and inside was a dead body (00:46:28:00) § The staff sergeant turned the body’s head and on the back side was a massive hole packed full of gauze; the man had been a corpsman with a drug problem and had committed suicide by shooting himself with a .45caliber pistol (00:46:46:00) o A couple of months later, Vande Vusse was sergeant-of-the-guard during the day when someone came running up from the other side of the compound and said that someone was shooting up the area with an M-16 (00:47:17:00) § Vande Vusse loaded his .45 and started running in that direction; he came around one corner and there was a young black Marine shooting up the area with the M-16 (00:47:34:00) § As Vande Vusse came around the corner of the building, a round hit about three feet above his head, so he ducked back behind the building (00:47:53:00) § It turned out that the Marine was high on drugs and as Vande Vusse leaned back around the corner, he leveled his pistol to shoot the Marine in the leg (00:48:06:00) § At about the same time, a doctor grabbed Vande Vusse’s shoulder to stop him from shooting and the Marine ran out of ammunition; as the Marine fumbled getting the clip out of the rifle, the doctor ran up and tackled him to the ground (00:49:42:00) § MPs handcuffed the Marine, took him away, and he was never seen in the unit again (00:50:09:00) o Whenever Vande Vusse was sergeant-of-the-guard, the lieutenant who was incharge would always come around midnight and the two men would then go around together to check all the positions, as well as go into any of the un-used bunkers, trying to catch other men doing drugs (00:50:28:00) o For the most part, Vande Vusse believes it was more the sailors in the compound who were using drugs than the Marines (00:50:57:00) § Although it was fairly easy to get a hold of drugs, Vande Vusse himself �never used drugs while in Vietnam (00:51:11:00) o Within Vande Vusse’s unit, there were never any racial issues (00:50:28:00) § For the most part, the medical personnel in the unit were white, with a handful of black personnel (00:52:31:00) § Nevertheless, as Vande Vusse’s tour continued, more racial tension did start to creep into the unit (00:53:06:00) · For example, the men would be standing in line in the mess hall and the black men would start rapping their hands on the table; the white men would then make up their own sequence just to counter the black men (00:53:09:00) · The racial problems amongst Marines ended up being worse once Vande Vusse returned home from Vietnam (00:53:23:00) End of Vietnam Deployment / 10th Marine Artillery / Recruiter (00:53:34:00) · Vande Vusse ended up deploying to Vietnam for four-and-a-half months (00:53:34:00) o At the end of May 1971, the 1st Marine Division stood down and returned to the United States; all the Marines who had been in-country for less than five or six months were farmed out to the smaller units that remained behind (00:53:40:00) o One day, the girl who cleaned his hooch brought Vande Vusse some local fruits and even though the corpsmen had warned the men not to eat any local produce, Vande Vusse did not pay attention and ate both fruits (00:53:58:00) § Vande Vusse ended up with terrible bowel problems, to the point he was bleeding internally (00:54:21:00) o Vande Vusse’s condition eventually reached the point that he had to be evacuated back to Okinawa for surgery (00:54:31:00) o After he spent ten days on Okinawa, an Army doctor looked at Vande Vusse’s chart and before he knew it, he was on a series of flights back to the United States, before ending up at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Chicago (00:54:38:00) o By the time he got out of the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, the vast majority of the Marine forces were no longer in Vietnam, so he did not have to go back to Vietnam; Vande Vusse was at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital for two-and-a-half months, first recovering from surgery then serving as part of the Marine Corps detachment at the hospital (00:55:04:00) § One of Vande Vusse’s duties in the Marine Corps detachment was driving a truck to O’Hare Airport in Chicago with a couple of other men to pick up any deserters, who were then shipped to either Camp Pendleton or Camp Lejuene for court-martials (00:55:31:00) · Finally, Vande Vusse’s new orders came through and he transferred to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to serve with the 10th Marine Artillery Regiment (00:55:51:00) o When he joined the regiment, Vande Vusse figured he would be getting back into communications; however, because he was able to type forty words a minute, after three weeks, Vande Vusse was transferred to be a battery correspondence clerk (00:56:01:00) o In a way, being a correspondence clerk was nice because Vande Vusse never had to serve any duties, such as KP or guard duty; first, his captain always wanted �Vande Vusse around and second, Vande Vusse was the person who made up the rosters for those duties (00:56:34:00) § While working as the clerk, Vande Vusse kept quasi-normal business hours, from eight o’clock in the morning until five o’clock in the afternoon; as well, ever so often, working in the barracks to check liberty passes for Marines leaving the base on weekends (00:57:02:00) o It was at Camp Lejuene where the racial tensions amongst the Marines really started heating up (00:57:31:00) § On several different occasions, there were armed white guards who were severally beaten by black men (00:57:35:00) § However, in the middle part of the 1970s, the problems with racial tension somewhat subsided because the primary agitators had been discharged from the military (00:58:01:00) o Marines stationed on the base used drugs frequently, with nearly fifty percent of the drug usage by minorities (00:58:16:00) o When Vande Vusse first arrived at Camp Lejuene, it was still early enough that there were still draftees in the various units (00:58:55:00) o While Vande Vusse was stationed at Camp Lejuene, his family was not living with him (00:59:52:00) § Because the camp was in the South, a lot of people did not realized that the Civil War was over; from what Vande Vusse saw, whites in the South liked black people more than they liked northern Whites (00:59:55:00) · Therefore, Vande Vusse’s family stayed in Holland and Vande Vusse himself lived on the base (01:00:31:00) · The environment on the base was fine; it was once the soldiers were off the base that problems arose (01:00:45:00) · During his third year in the service, Vande Vusse decided to re-enlist and according to the military regulations, if a person has passed three years and one day in their four-year enlistment and re-enlists, the final year is dropped and four fresh years are added from the date of re-enlistment (01:01:12:00) o When he re-enlisted, Vande Vusse was promoted to the rank of sergeant, although he could change MOSs (Military Occupational Specialty), because he was in a specialty that was considered critical (01:01:28:00) o Instead, Vande Vusse was given the chance to choose his duty station for a year and he chose to go back to Twenty-Nine Palms because he and his wife loved living out there (01:01:38:00) o Once they were back at Twenty-Nine Palms, Vande Vusse and his wife lived in the same trailer park they had lived in the first time Vande Vusse had been assigned to the base (01:01:53:00) § Vande Vusse loved working at the base because in the summer, he only worked from seven o’clock in the morning until noon because of the heat (01:02:02:00) o Vande Vusse was originally supposed to return to the 9th Communications Battalion as the leader of a communications section but along the way, someone looked at his files and saw he had a secondary specialty of administrative clerk and was a good typist, so he was instead assigned to headquarters company �(01:02:17:00) § The headquarters company was in the same place where Vande Vusse had worked as the clerk for the general, only this time, Vande Vusse was incharge of “Force Troop, Central Files” (01:02:46:00) § Vande Vusse’s job was keeping track of the records for all the Marines stationed on the base as well as store all the manuals for the various training classes (01:02:51:00) o Vande Vusse was supposed to work in the headquarters company for a year but during the tenth month, the company commander, who disliked Vande Vusse and the other sergeants because they were exempt from field duties, called Vande Vusse into his office (01:02:58:00) § Vande Vusse walked into the office, where the captain had a big grin on his face and he told Vande Vusse that he had orders for Vande Vusse to go to San Diego for drill instructor school (01:03:30:00) § Vande Vusse said he did not want to be a drill instructor and when the captain said he did not have a choice, Vande Vusse told the captain the captain to flip through Vande Vusse’s records to his re-enlistment, which guaranteed Vande Vusse would be at a duty-station of his choice for a minimum of one year (01:03:43:00) § The captain kicked Vande Vusse out of his office and Vande Vusse returned to being a clerk (01:04:28:00) § About a month and a half later, Vande Vusse was called into the captain’s office again and told he was going to San Diego for recruiter school and he had to report two days after his one year was over (01:04:33:00) · During recruiter school, all the Marines had to be able to type at least forty words a minute and if a Marine could not type that fast, he had to go through forty hours of typing training; Vande Vusse himself passed the test on the first try, which meant he had forty hours free during the training (01:05:13:00) o Vande Vusse and the other Marines in the school had a lot of classes on the history and traditions of the Marine Corps, in the event that the Rotary Club or some other organization asked the recruiters to come and speak (01:05:28:00) o As well, all the men had to give both five- and ten-minute speeches, which were video-taped (01:05:40:00) § There were some men who did not want to be recruiters and they would often act stiff as boards during their speeches (01:05:55:00) · Vande Vusse distinctly remembers the instructors getting after a master sergeant for not using his hands enough when he talked; after that, the master sergeant would stand at attention during his speeches and every so often, one of his hands would fly up (01:06:14:00) § After each person finished giving their speech, the video tape would be shown to the entire class and everyone else would critique how the person had done (01:06:36:00) o At one point, professionals from the phone company were brought in to teach the men how to make cold phone calls and within a span of two minutes, convince a young man to visit the recruitment office (01:06:47:00) �o One of the tricks the men were taught was finding former Marines working at high schools and trying to get a copies of senior class lists with name, address, and phone number; some schools would voluntarily give up the lists and others did not (01:07:10:00) § At one of the Catholic prep high school in Buffalo, New York, the priest in-charge of the school was hesitant to let Vande Vusse speak with the students at the school (01:07:28:00) · Vande Vusse finished the recruiter school in 1973 and was assigned to Buffalo, New York, where he was then assigned to the recruiting station in Amherst, New York (01:07:55:00) o Vande Vusse spent forty-six months as a recruiter and was extremely good at doing the job (01:08:16:00) § Vande Vusse’s quota was to enlist five people per month and for forty-two of the forty-six months, he managed to reach the quota (01:08:31:00) § Vande Vusse worked off the idea that he should not lie to the potential recruits; he would tell them the truth about what could be guaranteed, what could be not (01:08:40:00) § Vande Vusse found out that just like in sales, his best asset was a satisfied customer (01:08:50:00) o There were always those recruiters who wanted to be Marines but right after Vietnam, both the Marines and the Army had difficult times reaching their recruit quotas (01:09:23:00) o When Vande Vusse first returned home from Vietnam, there were a lot of instances of veterans getting spit on, harassed, etc. (01:10:16:00) § However, because Vande Vusse came home and went straight to a military facility, the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, he never experienced that; as well, because Vande Vusse stayed in the Marine Corps, this meant he did not experience as much of the anti-war protests as the men who got out of the service a few days after the returned to the United States (01:10:33:00) § When he worked as a recruiter, Vande Vusse and the other recruiters did run into anti-military sentiments at some of the high schools, mostly amongst the principals and school administrators (01:10:53:00) · However, because most were public schools, they were required to allow the recruiters in at least once a month (01:11:06:00) · One of the high schools in Buffalo specifically taught students to work in nearby airplane factories and one of the teachers was a former Marine who had served in the air wing (01:11:18:00) o Through the teacher, Vande Vusse got the senior class list and he managed to recruit around six students from that teachers class alone (01:11:51:00) o At one point, Vande Vusse enlisted an all-state football player; because of the football player’s enlistment, Vande Vusse managed to get enlistments from a group of nine other young men (01:12:41:00) § One of the other young men was so skinny that when Vande Vusse took him for his physical, the young man had to eat what seemed like five pounds of bananas and made the necessary weight by one pound �(01:13:13:00) § The entire group went off to boot camp together and Vande Vusse was afraid that the skinny kid was not going to make it (01:13:28:00) § About three or four weeks later, Vande Vusse was sitting in his office and the football player walked in; when Vande Vusse asked what happened, the football player said the instructors threw him out (01:13:33:00) · The young man broke down and cried as he described how the instructors yelled at him (01:13:51:00) § Five weeks later, the skinny kid walked in wearing dress blues, which was a mark of distinction for recruits (01:13:55:00) o After Vietnam, seventy-five percent of all the recruits had to be at least high school graduates; if a recruit was not a high school graduate, then he needed to get higher test scores (01:14:46:00) o The day someone finished recruiter school, he had to at minimum thirty-six month remaining in his enlistment; this meant Vande Vusse had to extend his enlistment for another year and two months (01:15:26:00) End of Enlistment / Post-Military Life / Reflections (01:15:46:00) · When his extension ended, Vande Vusse seriously considered staying in the Marine Corps because he had made staff sergeant while working as a recruiter (01:15:46:00) o Being either a recruiter or drill instructor was considered one of the toughest assignments in the Marine Corps, which meant as soon as someone reached the minimum time in-grade necessary for promotion, they automatically went to the top of the list for the promotion (01:15:54:00) § Had Vande Vusse extended his enlistment, at nine years, he would have been promoted to gunnery sergeant (01:16:18:00) o However, being a recruiter after Vietnam was tough for Vande Vusse and the other recruiters (01:16:30:00) § They were often working six days a week, ten, twelve, or fourteen hour days just to make their quotas (01:16:44:00) § As well, although they did not realize it at the time, most of the recruiters had some sort of mental problem as a result of their experiences in Vietnam (01:17:08:00) § However, the recruiters were “tough” Marines, so their solution was to go to a local bar three or four times a week, which was not good for the men or for their marriages (01:17:17:00) · Vande Vusse figures if he had decided to re-enlist, he would not still be married (01:17:35:00) § Being a recruiter was a “damned if you do/damned if you don’t” situation; if someone did good as a recruiter, he stayed as a recruiter and Vande Vusse did not want another four years of being a recruiter (01:17:59:00) · Nevertheless, when he left the military, Vande Vusse went to work for the post office, which allowed him to keep paying into his retirement fund, so that when he actually did retire, he had a pension for thirty-nine years (01:18:36:00) · For a long time after he got out of the Marines, Vande Vusse did not talk about his experiences in Vietnam (01:19:10:00) �o Although Holland was a very patriotic city, with thousands of people showing up the annual Memorial Day parade, Vietnam veterans were ostracized, even at a lot of VFW and American Legion posts (01:19:41:00) o One year, a group of Vietnam veterans started a Vietnam Veterans Association chapter in Holland and Vande Vusse remembers watching them march in the Memorial Day parade behind the World War II veterans (01:20:15:00) § One of the veterans noticed Vande Vusse, who was leaning against a tree wearing his Marine uniform and although he motioned for Vande Vusse to join them, Vande Vusse did not (01:20:27:00) § After the parade, Vande Vusse watched the memorial ceremonies and as he reminisced about his experiences, he began to cry and a photographer for the local paper managed to take a picture as a tear rolled down Vande Vusse’s face; the picture was on the front page of the newspaper the following day (01:20:41:00) · Right after getting out of the service, Vande Vusse went back to work cutting down trees, then worked as both a bartender and a bar manager before eventually working for the post office (01:21:11:00) o After that, Vande Vusse got involved with the Vietnam Veterans chapter in Holland as well as the Holland VFW (01:21:26:00) o While he was with the post office, Vande Vusse still had the habit of going out once or twice a week to get drunk, not realizing that the problems were coming from his experiences in Vietnam (01:21:47:00) o Vande Vusse’s problems continued but he always kept them hidden, especially during the last fourteen years at the post office, when he was working as a manager in Muskegon, MI (01:22:38:00) · About two years after Vande Vusse retired, he started having nightmares and finally, his wife suggested go to see a VA psychologist (01:22:55:00) o However, Vande Vusse did not go but when he was talking with another group of veterans, one of them suggested he go see a psychologist and this convinced Vande Vusse he should go (01:23:09:00) o After Vande Vusse saw the psychologist, the psychologist said that government gave seven valid reasons for someone to have PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and Vande Vusse had five of the reasons (01:23:28:00) o There was a psychologist who traveled from Grand Rapids, MI to Muskegon and for four months, Vande Vusse met with him once a week for an hour (01:24:08:00) § Although the psychologist did not cure any of Vande Vusse’s problems outright, he helped Vande Vusse solve them himself (01:24:23:00) o After about two months of seeing the psychologist, the psychologist said that he had done as much as he could for Vande Vusse and that if Vande Vusse wanted to continue, he needed help from somewhere else, namely in the form of God (01:25:19:00) § However, before then, it was difficult for Vande Vusse to equate God with what he had witnessed in Vietnam; nevertheless, Vande Vusse followed the advice and it helped his situation immensely, both internal and externally, in his relationship with his family (01:26:56:00) �· The VA benefits for returning soldiers are better now than they had been after Vietnam (01:27:52:00) o After getting out of the service, Vande Vusse was not able to go to college because all the VA paid for was tuition; however, by that time, Vande Vusse already had a wife an two children to take care of (01:27:59:00) § Now, the VA pays not only tuition but also room and board, so Vande Vusse recommends that any returning veterans go to school, even if it is only a junior college or technical school (01:28:05:00) o As well, Vande Vusse recommends any returning veterans who are having problems seek help from the VA or any veteran organization (01:28:34:00) § The veterans cannot ever fully forget their memories but the personnel at the VA can help the veterans to manage the memories (01:29:09:00) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VandeVusseA1381V Title A name given to the resource Vande Vusse, Alan (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vande Vusse, Alan Description An account of the resource Allen Vande Vusse was born and raised in Holland, Michigan, and graduated from high school there in 1962. He married and got a job shortly afterward, and his marriage gave him a draft deferment, which he lost after getting divorced in 1968. Upon receiving his draft notice, he enlisted in the Marine Corps so as to stay out of the Army, joining in early 1969. He scored well on the aptitude tests and took specialized training in communications and took a four-year enlistment, which meant that he stayed in the US until January, 1971, when he was sent to Vietnam so serve as a radio operator for the 1st Marine Medical Battalion at Da Nang, where he communicated with helicopters bringing in wounded soldiers and the teams that met them upon landing. He served there for the better part of a year, but his tour was cut short by a serious intestinal problems which required hospitalization. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval hospital, and from there to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He extended his enlistment, and was able to move to California, where he trained as a drill instructor and eventually wound up as a recruiter in Buffalo, New York. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine 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 2012-05-16 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/7ee00b9103001e3a6b61d094818491bc.mp4 5bcdb6a5b17d2465bcf23713612eb8f4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5227d4dc811205bd6d9e632c914b1f19.pdf 010778e74438462f1d32963de67c12c1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jim Vanden Hout Vietnam War 1 hour 35 minutes 26 seconds (00:00:13) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 7, 1942 -Born in a “birthing home” not a hospital -Parents were laborers -His father worked on the railroad -His parents divorced when he was young -His mother went to work at a furniture factory -He was one of four children -He grew up in Lowell, Michigan -Played on the rivers there -It was a good town to just run around in and use your imagination -Had the Showboat and the 4H Fair for entertainment -Attended Lowell High School and graduated from there in 1960 (00:02:36) Adult Life -Tried college for one semester -Lost interest in college and left after that semester -He worked for his brother in law, Gurney Hahn, at Hahn Hardware Store -He got married and moved to Arizona with his wife where he worked for Continental Airlines -Moved back to Michigan and found work at Old Kent Bank (00:03:53) The Cold War -Remembers President Kennedy getting assassinated more than the Cuban Missile Crisis -He was living in Grand Rapids during the Cuban Missile Crisis -He remembers his step-father being on the Civil Air Patrol -Involved going to a shed with a telephone and watching the skies for planes -Report back the planes that you saw and where they were -Part of it was to look for Soviet aircraft -The other part was to just keep track of what planes were in the air -He did air raid drills in school -Remembers that the atomic bombs were still a fresh memory in the minds of average citizens -Remembers that during the Crisis there was the feeling that nuclear war could break out -He remembers the Kennedy assassination well -Everyone was shocked and upset by it -For two, or three, days businesses were shut down -Everyone stayed home and mourned the death of the president (00:09:02) Awareness of the Vietnam War -He initially didn’t pay a lot of attention to the Vietnam War -Americans had been in Vietnam aiding France for a while -So a U.S. presence wasn’t that surprising or newsworthy -Most people didn’t pay attention to Vietnam before it escalated in the 1960s �-Remembers hearing about the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) when France surrendered -Remembers that things didn’t get serious until the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964 (00:11:44) Getting Drafted -He got divorced which made him eligible for the draft -Got drafted on January 22, 1968 -The Vietnam War had dramatically escalated by this time -He had been exempt because he had had a wife and children -He didn’t care that he was drafted -Felt adrift after losing his family -Wanted to do something new with his life -On February 7, 1968 he would have been twenty six years old -This would have made him ineligible for the draft -He boarded a bus in Grand Rapids on January 22 and went down to Detroit -Received an Army physical -Took an oath to defend the Constitution -He didn’t notice anyone trying to get out of being drafted at the time -Noticed some men in basic training that wanted to get out though (00:16:40) Basic Training -From Detroit he went directly to Fort Dix, New Jersey for basic training -They had to wear heavy clothes during training because it was still cold -It didn’t feel like preparation for Vietnam -He found basic training to be interesting -He had a brother that served in the Marines so he had an idea of what to prepare for -Being twenty five he was more willing to accept discipline and instruction -The focus in basic training was to work as a unit and to respond as a unit to orders -Given hygiene training and first aid training -Given rifle training with the M14 rifle -The physical training was designed to get everyone in shape together -The fat lost weight and the skinny gained weight -After completing basic training you felt a little cocky -Some of the recruits from Detroit decided to leave, and they were never caught -Also did some mental testing to see what his aptitude was -Most men were going to wind up in the infantry -His testing showed that he would be placed into a mortar crew -Not the infantry, but almost the same -The drill instructors in his training company had not been to Vietnam -Some of the other instructors had been though -Those that had automatically commanded respect -Basic training lasted ten weeks (00:23:47) Advanced Individual Training (AIT) -After basic training he was not given a leave home -He was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana for AIT -Called “Little Vietnam” because of the climate and the focus of the training -If you went to Fort Polk you were going to go to Vietnam -He arrived at Fort Polk in mid-March 1968 -Went from winter to summer in an instant �-It was humid, there was a lot of vegetation, and there were a lot of hills -Very similar to Vietnam -The barracks and training facilities were old, wooden, and had been built in World War II -The mortar training was interesting -Not allowed to fire the mortars during training -Trained on how to set up, aim, and prepare a round to be fired -The aiming process involved a scope on the tripod of the mortar -Firing involved attaching a charge to a round to propel it out of the tube -The more charges you attached the farther the round will go -Almost all of the instructors had been to Vietnam -There were mock villages set up for training exercises -Taught how to conduct house searches and what to look for -Realistic training -He was exposed to the M60 machinegun, M79 grenade launcher, and the M16 assault rifle -The M16 is what he would use in Vietnam as opposed to the M14 -AIT lasted eight (to ten) weeks (00:31:00) Deployment to Vietnam -Given twenty days of leave including travel time before deploying to Vietnam -After about four months of being gone it didn’t feel like that much time -He went to Oakland Replacement Depot, California -You took all of your gear with you and then handed it over to the Army for shipping -Confined to a building called a “shipping shed” (similar to an auditorium) -Full of bunk beds and soldiers waiting to get deployed -Stayed in it for a few das waiting for his orders to deploy -Spent most of the days sleeping or getting something to eat -Not allowed to leave the shipping shed -He made a phone call home before leaving -Found people that he knew from AIT to talk to -Flew over to Vietnam on a chartered commercial airliner -En route stopped in Hawaii and Okinawa to refuel (00:35:38) Arrival in Vietnam -Arrived in Bien Hoa Airbase, Vietnam in May 1968 -Remembers that his first impression of Vietnam was that it was hot and humid -The hostesses were the last American women you would see for a while -Before leaving the plane men would give them various service pins and ribbons -The idea was that they would hold onto those things until the men came home -He went to another replacement station in Bien Hoa -Stayed there for four (or five days) -Waiting for his orders to join a unit (00:38:03) Joining the Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) -From Bien Hoa he was flown up to Chu Lai to join the Americal Division (23rd Infantry) -The division had been formed on the island of New Caledonia during World War II -The men he joined had all trained together on Hawaii and went over to Vietnam as a unit -He started off in the mortar platoon of Echo Company, 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment -Echo Company also had the recon platoon and the radar platoon -Upon arrival he learned that the mortars they used were the 4.2 inch mortars �-Stationary because they were too heavy to carry -Dug into an emplacement on a base and manned by a crew there -This meant he wouldn’t have to go into the field too often, if at all -Also meant getting to sleep in a bed and eating hot food (00:43:45) Joining the Recon Platoon -Upon arrival his 1st Sergeant told him that the recon platoon was better than mortars -You didn’t have to fill sandbags or do other labor on the base -You were largely left alone on the base and in the field -No one had been killed or hurt yet -There was a good officer leading the platoon -He decided that the best thing to do would be to join the recon platoon so he did -When he joined the recon platoon he was considered the “FNG” -He hadn’t proven himself in combat yet -He was not welcomed with open arms -But because he had volunteered he wasn’t completely shunned either -He went out and joined his unit in the field where a firebase was being built -He helped dig bunkers and fill sandbags (00:46:40) Mission and Living Conditions in the Recon Platoon -Lived out of his backpack while in the field -Stayed in the field for extended periods of time and moved on foot -The mission for the recon platoon was to gather intelligence and report it back to the battalion -The objective was to do this without being seen by the enemy -They would fly into an area by helicopter -After leaving the landing zone they would patrol that area for two or three days -Afterwards one of two things would happen: -Half the time they would get picked up by a helicopter -Other half of the time they would be ordered to walk to a new area and patrol it -At the start of each day they would find a place to leave their backpack and conduct patrols -At night they would come back to that spot and pick up their backpack -They were operating north of Chu Lai and south of Da Nang (00:51:12) Enemy Contact -When they had contact with enemy soldiers it was mostly North Vietnamese and not Viet Cong -They were operating closer to the demilitarized zone (border of North Vietnam) -The Viet Cong had been effectively wiped out during the Tet Offensive -Remembers that their first contact was probably an ambush at a river crossing -Didn’t see the enemy every day -Part of this was because as a recon platoon their job was to avoid enemy contact -They would occasionally get sniped at by Viet Cong soldiers -His platoon was never in a major fight -Mostly small and quick firefights (00:53:55) Interactions with Vietnamese Civilians and Armed Forces -They would run into members of the South Vietnamese Popular Force -Pro-American militiamen that guarded local bridges and their villages -Never encountered South Vietnamese Army units in the field -The militias were primarily just defending the areas that they lived in -The Popular Force was worthless as a fighting force �-They were operating in an area inhabited by the Montagnard people -Never made direct contact with them -Only saw where they had made camp -The Montagnards mostly kept to themselves -They weren’t enemies of either party -Probably weren’t aware of what the war was even about (00:56:40) Downtime in the Rear -Very rarely got back to a rear area -Most soldiers in Vietnam spent upwards of ninety days in the field without a break -They would occasionally go to a base in the rear for a stand down -It was a chance to clean up -Chance to drink beer, eat steak, there was plenty of marijuana, music, and movies -Stand downs only lasted about two or three days (00:58:25) Racial Tensions, Drug Use, and Morale Problems -There were only two black soldiers in his unit -One was in the recon platoon and he knew him from advanced individual training -The other one worked on the firebase in supply -They were both good men -Remembers that everything in his unit was friendly between black and white soldiers -Most problems came up in the rear, or were worse in the rear -The enemy did not discriminate, they shot at everyone equally -As a result, soldiers in the field worked together regardless of race to survive -Drugs weren’t a major problem in the recon platoon -Marijuana was widely available in the country -You could buy a pack of marijuana cigarettes for $1 -It grew everywhere -Men didn’t smoke it in the field, or if they did it wasn’t often -Officers turned a blind eye to marijuana use in the rear -Remembers that the beer drinkers were loud and aggressive -It was more relaxing to be with the men that were smoking marijuana -He smoked once in the field and never did it again -It made him feel tired and helpless -Only smoked it two or three times while in the rear -He never enjoyed alcohol because it tended to make him sick -Never heard of “fragging” in his battalion -Fragging: intentional killing of an inept or overbearing superior officer -After their original lieutenant left the new lieutenant was not received well by some men -There was talk of “dealing with him” but nothing ever came of it (01:08:05) R&R to Malaysia -He went to Penang, Malaysia for his R&R -It was not a popular place to go like Japan, Australia, or Hawaii -He went with his platoon’s medic -Stopped in Thailand -It only lasted four or five days -It was chance to get some good food, sleep in a good bed, play golf, drink, and see women -On returning from R&R he had a feeling that he was going to die in Vietnam �-He took the R&R in December 1968 -Missed the Bob Hope Christmas Show (01:11:28) Bronze Star -A bronze star was awarded for either meritorious service or for valor -He was awarded a bronze star for meritorious service -The commendation was based on good work in a combat zone -Because he was a sergeant he was awarded the bronze star -If he was a lower rank he would have received the Army Commendation Medal (01:13:44) Getting Wounded -Prior to getting wounded his platoon had been operating near the Laotian border -They were completely alone and outside of artillery support -They were monitoring the Ho Chi Minh Trail -They had been dropped into a landing zone that was covered in elephant grass -Had to walk through triple canopy jungle -Found a hardened dirt trail that went through the jungle -Not a good sign because it was a sign that the area was used by somebody -Once they got to a clearing they were picked up and taken to a firebase -They were placed on bunker security to guard the perimeter of the firebase -While he was there a major engagement occurred just beyond the firebase -Remembers seeing wounded and dead soldiers carried back to the base -After a few days the fighting died down -His recon platoon was charged with going out and tracking down the remaining enemy troops -On the patrol they came to a rice paddy that had a dike -It was easier to walk on the dike, but more dangerous to -The first squad made it through without incident -Second squad (his squad) did not -The man in front of him tripped an explosive booby trap which severely wounded Jim -He was taken by medevac to the firebase and stabilized there -From there he was taken to a surgical hospital in Chu Lai -He was conscious through the whole thing -He had been peppered with shrapnel and his corroded artery had been nicked as well (01:21:04) Evacuation and Recovery -After being stabilized he was sent to a surgical hospital in Japan -He was wounded on January 23, 1969 -He spent a week in Japan -From Japan he was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C. -Stayed there for a few weeks and was able to get a leave home (01:22:05) End of Service -After recovering he was sent to Fort Carson, Colorado to the 10th Mechanized Infantry -He still had ten months left to serve -He was afraid that he would get sent back to Vietnam to complete his tour there -Fortunately he was no longer considered fit to be in a combat zone -He initially worked in the motor pool then became the company armorer -Repairing the various weapons for the company -He was discharged from the Army on January 22, 1970 �(01:24:05) Coming Home & Life after the War -He returned to Grand Rapids and continued to work at Old Kent Bank -Upon returning home he wasn’t harassed by protestors -He didn’t have problems readjusting to civilian life -Credits this to being older and to being able to go back to his old job -Most of his coworkers were interested to hear about Vietnam (01:28:17) Veterans’ Groups and Associations -Upon returning home he wasn’t welcomed home by the VFW or American Legion -Felt that was tasteless considering they were supposed to support returning veterans -Member of the Disabled American Veterans -He has had no problems with the Veterans’ Administration -They have been helpful getting him any necessary medication -Part of that may be attributed to the fact that he is considered 40% disabled -Remembers when he first visited they measured his scars -Part of seeing what he qualified for in terms of assistance (01:31:54) Reflections on Service -Vietnam was a profound life moment that couldn’t be duplicated -He wouldn’t volunteer to do it, but he was glad that he didn’t miss the experience -Feels that new veterans have a more difficult time -Due to the fact that they have to get redeployed multiple times as opposed to once -Doesn’t feel that he has any major psychological scars from his wartime experience -He didn’t see any close friends killed in front of him -Believes that because he was older he was better off than the younger men -For some of them it was their first major life experience and it scarred them � 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_VandenHoutJ1731V Title A name given to the resource Vanden Hout, James (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-02-12 Description An account of the resource Jim Vanden Hout is a Vietnam War veteran who was born on February 7, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he was twenty five he was drafted into the Army on January 22, 1968. He received training at Fort Dix, New Jersey and Fort Polk, Louisiana before being deployed to Vietnam in May 1968. He was sent to Chu Lai where he was assigned to Echo Company of the 4th Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division). He momentarily served with the mortar platoon before volunteering to join the recon platoon. He conducted numerous patrols in the area between Chu Lai and Da Nang and near the Laotian border. On January 23, 1969 he was wounded in combat and was ultimately evacuated to the United States. He finished his service at Fort Carson, Colorado and was discharged on January 22, 1970. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vanden Hout, James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jones, Adam (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. 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/477456467f891c0a199346fbd5fa8d24.mp4 08a5145afd65f2b69cb514a2ccd0acae https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/60e8d80bcf22a0a0d973d15d6e46cf54.pdf c4046b118b9f88e198a58b897231a8fc PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Cold War Era Interviewee: Ken Vandenberg Length of Interview: 00:23:25 Background:          Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1938. Mother was a homemaker and his father was a farmer He as 3 brothers and 3 sisters. One of his brothers passed away when his was only 4 months old. Before he entered the service, he worked at a dairy, bottling milk and processing different dairy products. After the war, he worked at a delivery man and delivered dairy products for 22 years. His uncle served as a sergeant major in the Dutch military during WWII. He was a very educated man, and a high officer. Ken spent some time with his uncle while he was in the service and he thought that his uncle was top notch and a great man. (2:05) He was once told that his uncle was wanted by Hitler. Nazi soldiers came to his grandmother’s house and asked for him. She said he was not there. They told her if she was lying they would kill her too. However, they did not find him, as she kept him well hidden. He also had a brother that was stationed in Korea during the Korean War. Ken was drafted for service in the Army in December and entered in January, 1962. Training (3:35)           Early days of training were busy. They were doing so many things that it seemed like such a short time. He was hoping things would slow down and they eventually did when he got stationed in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Things started going back to normal when they settled in at Fort Knox for basic training, but that first week was hectic. He did a lot of marching while he was there. They also did a lot of target practice with the M-1 Rifle. He also did some other training, though he cannot recall what it was. After basic he was sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia, for his military police training. (5:10) There were a lot of different things he had to do for training while he was there. One thing he had to learn was map reading. Another part of his training was self-defense. He learned a lot of judo and karate. He also had to take classes while he was there on the things that military police had to do. After training was complete, he was shipped to France to serve for two years. �  Adapting to military life was not that easy. It was all about following orders. It was also about being part of a team. Sometimes you forget that you are in the military and you would be outside cleaning sidewalk cracks with a toothbrush. Active Duty France (7:10)               He served in La Rochelle, France during the Cold War Era. During his time in the military, he heard a lot about the Bay of Pigs. Russia had been sending weapons to Cuba, which the United States viewed as a threat. So he and others were preparing to leave to go to Cuba, if necessary. Where he was stationed, the MP’s were a really close unit. Most of them got along pretty good together. He stayed in touch with his friends and family back home through letters mostly. However, if it was a special occasion, like his parent’s anniversary, he phoned home. He often forgot what time it was back home because of the time difference. So when he called home, it was the middle of the night. He got it from his dad because of it. (9:15) When he was off duty, he did a lot of bowling. He really enjoyed it. He had a company commander who loved bowlers. He and his bowling buddy were invited to a tournament because of their averages. They also played softball, and a little football. He was not really scared, but mostly apprehensive, especially when the Bay of Pigs came about. However, when Russia pulled their ships out, things got back to normal. While he was in France, he worked in the military police. He did a lot of patrolling. He also did guard duty at different bases, but he mostly did patrolling. He got out of the Army on December 7,1963. Post Duty (11:49)            He thought the world of President Kennedy, and he was assassinated by Oswald. He though Kennedy was the greatest commander-in-chief. When he got out of the service to visit family and friends. His brother owned a farm and needed help picking corn, since they did not have the big combines yet. After he was done at the farm, he went back to work at the dairy as a driver/salesman. He is not a member of any veterans’ organizations. In the little village of Martin, he and other veterans from every era, get together and talk about things and march around in parades. (14:10) While he was in the service, there were no women in the MP unit. He shows some of the things he used to use while he was a military policeman. First, a nightstick. Many people think you use this to beat the bad guys up, but really it is supposed to be used to fend the guy off, so you can pull out your gun. All military police carry a .45 with 6 rounds of ammo. �                    He also has an album from his time in Europe. Some of it is from when he had some time off and took a trip to the Netherlands. There is also a photo of him when he made soldier of the month. (16:10) How you get to be the solider of the month, they ask you questions about military, civilian and other question, to make sure that you are kind of up-to-date about what is going on around the world. They also want to know how you are doing in sports or politics, or whatever. You never know what they are going to ask, but he must have done pretty well because he won it. He also has a hat from his time in the service. He used to have all of the emblems on there, which were made of gold. However, when he got out, a friend of his was going into the MP, so he sold him all of the emblems. He never had to shine them because they never corroded. He wished he would have kept it, but back then he did not think it would have made a difference. He also has his discharge papers. He ended up getting out 2 months early because his mother was sick. She was complaining to everyone that she was never going to see her youngest son again. He does not remember who told him that but he went to his company commander and they got him back home (18:50) While he was on duty one night, the transportation sergeant had been in his vehicle downtown and he had too much to drink. He was sitting in his car at a red light, and when it turned green, he did not move. So Ken and his partner went to check it out and found him sleeping. Ken decided that if he did not give him any trouble he would drive the man back to his base and get him off the road. So that’s what they did. The next morning the sergeant woke up and did not remember how he got home. Ken told him that he drove the guy back here. The guy told him that when it was time for Ken to go home to come see him, because he would make sure that Ken flew home. (20:30) So when he was ready to go home, he went back to see him and sure enough he flew home. He went to Paris and got on the plane and as they were shipping out, they were called back. Turns out that one of the planes tires blew. While they were working on the tire, they were taken to a hotel near the airfield to get some food. While they were out, it was discovered that the plane’s brakes were out. If that tire had not blown, he could have died. He was nervous after that, and the guy who was going home on emergency, because his wife was having a baby was more nervous than he was. (22:05) When he got home, arriving at Fort Dix, he was told that if he stayed an extra couple of days, he would just get discharged and he would not have to come back. So he waited. He was in the Reserves until December 1967. Then, he was truly discharged. � 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 VandenbergK0994V Title A name given to the resource Vandenberg, Kenneth (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vandenberg, Kenneth Description An account of the resource Ken Vandenberg of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was drafted into the Army in 1961. After basic training at Fort Knox, he went to Fort Gordon, Georgia for military police training, and was then sent to La Rochelle, France, where he served until 1963. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Yonker, Lauren Prins, Amanda Yonker, Alyssa Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-04-24 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/1960b9f91441cfe4168a59ab45e08a39.pdf c66eded7fb281d407779de9628210891 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections Kent County Oral History collection, RHC-23 Gerritt VandenBosch Tape # (7:54) Interviewer: When did you come over to this country? VandenBosch: We came in on, we arrived in New York on Memorial Day, 1920, in… New York and from there we went to Inwood, Iowa, where a second cousin of my father lived, and we stayed there for a few weeks until we found a place to live. Interviewer: Did you have a problem finding a place? VandenBosch: Not at that time because they arranged it, but it was right near their home in the country on a farm. Interviewer: Oh, this is of course what we have studied and we hear just the opposite. Did your father have any problems with jobs? Did you just primarily farm? VandenBosch: No it, this was after the war, after World War One and we were living in a time of inflation then as we are right now, it was a period very similar, and he did have a problem finding work because he had not farmed in the Netherlands. But he worked by the day, in Inwood, in that area. He did some construction work, helped some farmers, anything he could get a hold of at the time. Interviewer: Did the, were the people that lived around you Dutch also? I mean, was like a community? VandenBosch: Most of them were, yes. Yes, it was a smaller Dutch community. Interviewer: Let me see…did you feel discriminated at all because you were an immigrant?..maybe at that age… VandenBosch: Not there at first, remember I was only eight-years-old. Interviewer: That’s true. VandenBosch: And so I really don’t recall, but I don’t think that was true anyway. I don’t think there was discrimination as we see it in many areas since that time, other races. Interviewer: Was your family mobile, I mean was there the ability to move around the country? Of course, like you say it was a time of inflation. VandenBosch: You mean as far as transportation was concerned, or…? Interviewer: Right, and well did you move like from city to city, like in years…? �VandenBosch: Yes, but not as often. The rate of people moving I think today, is something like the every five years, the average isn’t it? At that time I don’t think it was anywhere near that, probably once in every ten or twelve years. But we moved to Inwood and lived there for a very short time and then we moved to Steam Minnesota, and we lived there for a very short time and we moved Sault Center, Iowa. And that was, all these communities were not too far apart, but we lived in Sault Center Iowa for only a very short time and my father died. See we arrived in 1920, and in January of 1922 my father died, and he didn’t like this country. He would’ve moved back for anything in the world. Interviewer: Why? Do you know? VandenBosch: Well I think for one reason was that he couldn’t find the kind of work that he was accustomed to in the Netherlands. And it was a time of inflation, prices were skyrocketing. They had just a little money when they came and everything was used up on just the necessary things to start a home, and so he couldn’t find the work, I think this was mostly it. And he had intentions of going to Chicago, finding something to do and earning enough money to go back, but he died. Interviewer: How, who took care of you? VandenBosch: Well my mother was left alone of course with five of us, I was the oldest and the neighbors were very good, they understood he was thirty-six-years-old when he died, see. So they were sympathetic and helpful. But at the same time it was a real struggle for her. And we, I remember that we got assistance from the county, as a widow’s pension, she got a widow’s pension. Which was a very small pension, but it helped. Interviewer: Well sure. How, boy in your case, how did the Depression affect you? I mean, what really…? VandenBosch: Well the Depression of course came a little later for us, and the height of the Depression was just prior to the Roosevelt administration in 1932, it was when Hoover was president and yes it affected everyone there, the farmers as well. Then I recall that when Roosevelt was elected, the farm program at that time was that all the farmers because the price of the meat and pork and everything was so low that all the farmers should kill all the little pigs that they raised. And many people, there were conservative areas there, a conservative Dutch community, and many people didn’t go along with that, and so they didn’t all participate in that program because they couldn’t see killing these little pigs. But they did. After this became a policy I remember that the farmer that I happened to be with, decided the following year not to raise any pigs, that’s how he cooperated with it. Interviewer: Boy, this is really interesting. Tell me about your experiences with World War II. Did you serve…? �VandenBosch: I was too young to really know what world, what? World War II? Oh, that’s different. Interviewer: You probably were… VandenBosch: Well yes, I was married and we had a family then. And I was classified 3A, because of my family and because I had worked in the defense plan. I was working at the Winters and Crampton Company at that time, as a Precision Inspector in Grandville, Michigan. Later on this became known as the Jervis (?) Corporation, but I worked as an inspector there. Interviewer: Are you a member of the Dutch Immigrant Society? VandenBosch: No I am not. Interviewer: Oh, I just wondered. I was just curious. Man: He was. He didn’t pay his dues. VandenBosch: I was. I slipped, I slipped, I didn’t pay my dues and I was expelled. Man: Yep…(muffled laugh) Interviewer: I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…I was just…I was.. VandenBosch: No, we were just having a little fun here. Interviewer: Do you make any trips back to the Netherlands? VandenBosch: I never have, no I’ve never gone back, I hope sometime to get back. Interviewer: What are your feelings about America today, as opposed, I mean do you feel any differently as opposed to Depression times, I mean as far as any more loyalty to the Netherlands then than you do now, or just because you’ve been, were so young and raised here, do you feel, you don’t feel any different? VandenBosch: Well I think that, as your parents trained you of course, you never lose that, well that feeling for your place of birth, no matter where that is or how long you’ve departed from it, it’s always been your place of birth and you have a certain loyalty to that. But being only eightyears-old, or seven when I arrived here you don’t have the same feeling as, for example, an older person who has gone through all the political programs and knows more about the country than I do. Interviewer: Do you find any, this will kind of wind us up now I think, do you find any problems now at all with any discrimination? Of course, nobody really knows that you’re, I mean, do you think the Dutch right now, like for instance the members of the society, do they find any problems? �VandenBosch: I, I doubt it. Interviewer: I mean accepting… VandenBosch:I think there is a real acceptance on the part of the people of this area to the Dutch. I think this would be true of other nationalities as well. I think there is a very good understanding amongst the people here in that respect. Interviewer: Very good. Thank you very much. VandenBosch: You are welcome. D Depression, the · 2, 3 Dutch Immigrant Society · 3 W Winters and Crampton Company · 3 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/64a9d667c17d048346729ff669aeedce.mp3 cb090309654996c7d6d1244abef0da02 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Rapids Oral Histories Subject The topic of the resource Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Local histories Memoirs Michigan--History Oral histories (document genre) Description An account of the resource Taped and transcribed interviews conducted in the early 1970s primarily of the children and grandchildren of many of the founders of Grand Rapids, Michigan; many of whom were residents of the Heritage Hill neighborhood. Interviews were collected to develop a significant collection of oral resources that would supplement other primary and secondary local history materials. Initially funded as a private project, Grand Valley State College (now University) assumed responsibility for continuing the project until 1977. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Various Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/452">Grand Rapids oral history collection (RHC-23)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf; audio/mp3 Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text; Sound Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-23 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1971 - 1977 Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. 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-23_VandenBosch Title A name given to the resource VandenBosch, Gerritt Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VandenBosch, Gerritt Description An account of the resource Gerritt VandenBosch arrived in New York on Memorial Day, 1920. From there he moved to Inwood, Iowa. He discusses being a Dutch immigrant during the Depression. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan--History Local histories Memoirs Oral histories (document genre) Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Grand Valley State University Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf audio/mp3 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Rapids oral history collection (RHC-23) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a11b0e05747e04102ce38200b116404a.mp4 fddb3c959cb41891a931e71f0d18ff9b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cacc46adab1f95fe668a02620045fb2c.pdf bfd5d144de3aa2de40581dca080dd89b PDF Text Text GrandValleyStateUniversity Veterans History Project Vietnam War James VandenBosch Pt. I () Background Information (00:01)        Born and raised in AdaMichigan. (00:02) He was in ROTC at CrestonHigh School from 1958-1959. (00:09) After moving, James attended Grand RapidsJunioCollege. (00:34) James briefly attended Michigan State University and then Western Michigan University. After finding he did not like school he joined the Navy in 1966. (00:41) He remembers at the age of 12 the Korean Conflict was occurring. He was worried of events that were to come. (1:44) When James joined the Navy he joined as a hospital corpsman. (4:17) James was placed in the navy at a higher rank than normal cadets due to his 2 year degree. (4:34) Basic Training (5:09)       Attended boot camp at Great LakesNavalAcademy in the summer of 1966. (5:09) Men were taught discipline, physical skills as well as how to tie knots or patch a hole in a ship. (5:45) Because of his ROTC training James not only knew most of the basic military knowledge, but he liked the order of the military. (7:08) Men are taught, above all, how to be a part of a team and the importance of team work. This was helpful to James in his career latter in his life. (8:15) In boot camp, James was made a 1st platoon Commander. (9:05) He was under a lot of stress. James found that this made him stronger. (9:43) Hospital Corps School ()    Next James attended hospital corps school. This was designed to transform men into hospital corpsmen. (10:17) Men were trained to use their skills in many different environments such as a hospital, a ship, or in the field. (10:51) The first ship James served on was an aircraft carrier. (12:54) First Cruise (USS Shangri La) (14:50)     During his first cruise, James and his wife got engaged. (14:52) James was flown from Grand Rapids to New Jersey. He was then flown on a military flight to Spain. He was then flown to Italy, then to Turkey were he Shangri La was anchored. (15:24) The USS Shangri La was a World War II carrier. (16:41) He learned a lot about basic information of being a medical corpsman. He also preformed basic medical aid such as stitches. (17:42) �    The cruise lasted 7 months. He visited NaplesFrance, Spain and Italy. (18:00) He very much loved seeing as much of the world as he did during this part of his service. (19:20) While in Naples, James and a friend saw an opera. (20:28) In most places the civilians were very welcoming of the sailors. In Rome, However, there were protesters there to meet them. (21:19) Service at Camp Lejeune (22:50)            After his service on the USS Shangri La ended he was sent to Camp LejeuneNorth Carolina. He believed it very likely that he was about to be sent to Vietnam. (23:41) At CampLejeune, the men spent 8-9 weeks being turned from fleet sailors into grunt corpsmen. The men were taught how to use weapons and firearms. The men were taught on the Colt 45. And the M14. (24:41) They were taught on how to stage an ambush and fight one off. They were also taught how to build shelters, dig foxholes, ext. (25:43) There was a Vietnamese village set up at CampLejeune. (26:06) The men were taught to function as a Marine rather than a sailor. Maries dressed differently, talked differently, and were more macho. (26:52) He was honored when the Marines started to see him as one of their own. (29:10) After completing his training, James was sent on a shakedown cruise on a troop ship from World War II. (30:00) James did become sea sick on this cruise. There were many men that James had to check with colds or sea sickness. (31:38) When James returned to the states after this cruise, he was given his orders for Vietnam in October of 1968. (32:55) He did enjoy his service up to this point very much. (33:44) Combined Action Platoon (34:20)           James did not believe he was going to come back from Vietnam. His wife was 5 months pregnant at the time. (34:58) He was sent to a combined action platoon training program once arriving in Vietnam. This training focused mostly on civil action and peace keeping. The men were taught some of the language, customs, and traditions. (35:35) The platoon was placed with a CAP Unit. These consisted of some Vietnamese citizens who were too young or too old to enter the military and were commanded by James’s platoon. (37:45) After having grown used to the conditions that he was in, James was transferred to another unit in early 1969. (39:00) The Vietnamese civilians thought that James was a doctor. He constantly reminded them that he was not. He also recalled how awful the Vietnamese peoples’ teeth were. (42:02) When large groups were sent into a village for the civil program, it was effective. Having one medic treat an entire village, however, was ineffective and impractical. (43:19) It was difficult to see who the enemy was. (44:25) Most men that James served with were 18. James was 24. (45:30) Through news papers and especially letters, men knew how the country felt about the war in the late 1960s. (46:51) Because the CAP Unit lived off the land, many of them were off on their own and seemed to be �much like hippies in James’s eyes. (48:35) Arrival in the 26th Marines (50:00)           James was forced to compete with his friend for a spot working in the office, and another working in the bush. James took the bush job because he thought he was better prepared for that type of combat. (51:04) James was sent from the HQ to De Nang and then was taken to the 26th Marine Regiment. He was handed an M16 which he had never used before. (52:24) When he arrived at his company, the area looked very bleak and plain with little vegetation. (54:49) When James arrived he met the senior corpsman whose place he was taking. He introduced him to all his subordinate corpsmen and gave him a minor surgery kit. The entire switching over process took 30 minutes. (56:08) Because of James's superior age and training, he believed he was better equipped to deal with the challenge of caring for other men than the average soldier. (59:01) James's CO was a mustang officer who had worked his way through the ranks. When James met him he was 1st lieutenant. He was a charismatic leader who was very easy to follow. He was also the only man that James met that was older than him. (1:00:49) The Gunny [Gunnery Sergeant], the one James started out with, was on his 3rd tour in Vietnam. He had a poster child appearance and easy to listen to and trust due to performance and experience. (1:03:40) The Gunny also told James to cut his dog tag chain and make it half the size. This would stop the tags from snagging on the bush while the men were crawling through the jungle. He also told James how to keep his pants perfectly straight so that the extra fabric would not snag traps. (1:05:44) Situational awareness was highly emphasized. Gunny ultimately died after he stepped on a booby trap. While dying, his last wish was to have a cigarette. (1:07:51) James feels fairly extensive survival guilt for the death of his Gunny. He copes with it by telling the stories of the dead as a way of honoring the lives of the dead. (1:10:41) Action with the 26th Marines (1:12:30)        James's CO was also hit by some hostiles that were entrenched at the top of a hill. The CO charged up the hill causing James followed him. By the time James got to the top of the hill the marines had overrun the men that were defending the hill. The CO had been shot however, at the top of the hill. (1:12:35) The CO asked if he was not going to have children due to his injury. James lied and said yes. He lied often in the field as to not deter men’s hope. (1:17:22) The first time James traveled into the bush with his new company was in late December of 1968. This was the first time he had been shot at. (1:18:11) The reason that the unit was in the camp that James found them in was to regroup and supplying the platoon with replacements to get them battle ready. (1:20:00) The men were flown by chopper without being told where they were headed. They landed on an LPH off shore. (1:21:24) As a Senior Corpsman, James was included in on many informative briefings on the environment that the Marines were going to be sent into. (1:22:54) All of the men, when hearing about going into battle, were worried about self preservation. But �men also contemplated as to whether or not the men would be able to perform in combat. (1:25:09) Operation Russell Beach (1:26:45)                  The first operation lasted 1 month. There were lots of casualties due to booby traps. However, the men did not have any enemy encounters during this first operation. (1:27:34) After finding a man in the unit with appendicitis, James had to order an emergency medevac in bad weather to save his life. This gained him respect of his peers and CO. (1:28:27) Because the men went over as individuals there was not a sense of camaraderie even amongst units or platoons. (1:31:30) While traveling on the beach and a hill, one segment of the platoon encountered a very large mine field that was undetected. (1:32:53) When the mine field was discovered, there was one Vietnamese taken prisoner that James was assigned to watch. After several explosions that resulted in casualties, the prisoner was lost. (1:35:33) A U.S. tank then began to move up the left side of the hill. The troops moved through the field behind the tank, thinking that the tank would deploy a mine before the men did. (1:36:11) John Fogarty, a fellow Marine, was the first man that James knew in his platoon. (1:38:09) To make hot water, men would drop small cubes of C4 into their cups. (1:39:35) The tank that the men followed up the hill deployed a Bouncing Betty mine that ultimately resulted in John Fogarty’s death. (1:40:35) An Amtrack was sent to use C4 line charges to detonate the mine field. The C4 detonated before it got out of the Amtrack. This resulted in several casualties in the Amtrak crew. (1:42:28) James was told years after that choppers were used after the explosion to look for casualties but were unable to find any. (1:45:55) They believed that 10 men were involved in the Amtrack accident. However, when the site was cleaned up, there were only ever parts found not whole bodies. (1:47:28)] On the operation the men were used to cut off any VC that were located on the Batangan Peninsula. While the men were blockading the area, the monsoons hit. The men could not move and simply sat in the rain. (1:49:30) The men did undercover an extensive tunnel system that was under the men’s feet. They sent “tunnel rats” or the smallest marines, down the hole. The tunnel rats brought out approx. 100 people, dogs, and chickens. (1:51:10) The people were soon interrogated to see if they were VC or VC sympathizers. After the men and women were removed, the Marines spent several days packing the tunnel with charges and destroying the tunnels. (1:53:45) Most casualties were due to booby traps. (1:55:11) The operation was eventually called off due to lack of results seen by HQ. (1:56:03) Operation Taylor Common (1:56:57)     The men were given 1 week to regroup before being sent back on another operation. (1:57:00) James was sent south of De Nang. The Marines were given the task of keeping the VC out of the city. (1:58:25) The Marines spent much of their time on search and destroy type maneuvers. If an enemy unit or resource was located, it was often detonated using explosives. (1:59:26) The operation consisted simply of par tolling the area in random patterns, hoping to stumble �upon any VC. (2:00:44) Disk 2 (2:56:55) Note: new disc, time coding restarts            The men were moved into the combat zone via helicopter. (Vertically inserted). (2:53) The land was very flat with little to no hills. There were many rice paddies. (3:28) In these operations, the marines began running into enemy soldiers who were better equipped than what they had encountered previously and wore uniforms. (5:12) When James landed during operation Taylor Common there was no bombardment to prepare a landing zone. (6:45) The environment was difficult to adapt to and added to the psychological distress of combat. (8:49) James felt rather detached from his job and his men after having been in combat. The reason for this was that if James got involved with every situation it would have been too emotionally exhausting. (11:28) The men were sent out on one trip through a rice paddy at night. The Marines had difficulty moving and were very loud. (14:00) Somehow, another company had been caught by surprise on the other side of the rice paddy. A fire fight soon broke out. The fire fight lasted in total 15 minutes. Several casualties were taken. (16:02) One man that James had to treat from the fire fight was gut shot. As James talked to him awaiting his medevac. James believed the man would be fine but he later found that he had died. (19:20) During his time in the Marines, James had to medevac 150-200 marines. (19:40) This experience with the gut shot wound, gave James greater perspective on how serious particular wounds actually were. (22:03) Fire Fight at “The Rock Pile” (23:20)        The company then moved into an area deemed “The Rock Pile” named so due to the amount of very large rocks that coated the ground. As the CP group began approaching the rocks they began to take rounds from mortars. Here James did come under fire and take minor shrapnel wounds. (23:25) Once the men got used to being in combat they could adjust to the stress of battle fairly easily. The most important thing a man could do was keep moving. (26:15) This fire fight resulted in many casualties, most of which had rather serious wounds. (27:28) James had to perform a procedure on one marine where a new airway was created y poking a hole in the trachea just below the Adam’s apple. (28:50) The man with the trachea procedure did eventually die. (30:38) The fire fight lasted several hours. Upon its completion the helicopters moved in and evacuated all the casualties. As one helicopter was lifting off, it was shot down 100 yards from the landing zone. (31:02) As emergency platoon was sent over to secure the crash site. The men in the helicopter simply laid on the floor trying hard not to be shot by any machine gun fire they were taking. All the men on the helicopter survived. (32:12) �         A4s were called in to destroy the helicopter so that it could not be picked apart by any VCs who may find it. (33:35) The night after the fire fight, the unit slept in the rock field due to its value as natural cover. The men were attacked by a few mortars while staying there. (35:00) As the men traveled the next day they found blood trails where they were VC bodies on the previous day. As they continued and followed the trails the marines stumbled upon a mass grave that had uniformed VCs in it. (36:55) The marines continued to chase the VCs they were tracking until approx. 6 PM. At this time the men ran into an enemy line. (39:15) It was at this battle that the CO was hit. (41:32) At this point in time the unit had been in 2 fire fights without being resupplied and was running low on things such as ammunition. (41:50) The men were in contact with regular VC groups but had very little ammunition to defend themselves with. Because it was past dark, a helicopter could not be sent out to resupply the marines. (43:57) During the night, the sound of an aircraft could be heard. Then the men saw circles of fire go up in the sky. This was a C-130 that protected the Marines perimeter for the entire night until the men could be resupplied. (46:18) James believes that if it were not for the C-130s defending them, he would not have survived. (48:10) Mortar Bombardment (49:29)          After the fire fight, the Marines were pulled back. The men were given some fairly good food and a chance to rest. (49:30) The men never particularly had problems with morale due primarily to the CO and his attitude towards combat. (53:52) When James slept in Vietnam he thought it was more like half sleep. This was due primarily to the constant threat of violence particularly at night. (56:14) In the middle of the night, James herd several mortar rounds being fired. James jumped into another man’s fox hole in order to find cover. (57:30) James had to wake up the CO. (59:45) There were no casualties that were taken from this mortar bombardment. (1:01:18) In the morning, the men evaluated the damage of the attack. There were no casualties. Several were lost that day though due to sniper fire. (1:01:47) After approx. 50 days involved in the operation the morale was devastatingly low. The men were then taken to an outpost where they were given steak dinners, ice cream, and beer. (1:02:53) The men were then moved to hill 51 were they were stationed for some rest. (1:03:57) Operation Oklahoma Hills (1:04:20)    The men flew west away from the coast (to a location that James believes was out of the country). (1:04:33) The men were sent into a very mountainous area. To James's surprise the unit was sent into the valleys rather than up mountains. (1:06:36) The valleys had elephant grass at their base. The men used machetes to hack through the grass. This exhausted the marines. After several hours of travel, the CO decided to take another route �         around the grass. (1:07:00) The men were picked up after several days and moved to another part of the mountains. This time as the Marines traveled they were going uphill. (1:09:46) As the men continued to travel they entered the triple canopy. This area consisted of jungle with vegetation so thick that it created a sense of twilight during the middle of the day. (1:10:40) An artillery strike was called before entering the triple canopy. When the artillery strike came in, it struck the U.S. unit. Several casualties were taken. (1:11:40) Because the closest LZ was 5 miles down the mountain the unit was faced with 2 options. One, to go down the mountain and evacuate the wounded. The other was to continue up the trail and complete the missions with the casualties. The unit chose the latter. (1:13:37) The men continued up the mountain and set up a camp. After collecting every man’s poncho, a small field hospital was constricted for the wounded. (1:15:00) The following morning, a vertical evacuation was conducted. This was a skill that James learned in his training but never expected to put into practice. The men were strung out along the trail in order from most urgent injuries to least. (1:16:50) As each casualty was lifted out of the jungle, the rope and apparatus that they were attached to started to swing the man into the foliage. To correct this problem, ropes were attached to the casualties so that marines on the ground could keep the apparatus still. (1:19:30) It took approx. 1 hour to evacuate every casualty. (1:20:17) To compensate for the lack of LZ to evacuate the injured as well as get supplies, one was created by clearing a space on the top of the mountain. (1:21:43) Rest and Recuperation (1:22:51)         As a result of yelling at his CO due to his foolish artillery call, James was ordered to take some time for R and R. (1:22:52) James was picked up 2 days later at the newly constructed LZ. (1:24:41) This ended James's time in the bush. (1:25:00) When returning back to base he was given a clean uniform, a shower, a haircut, and prepared to meet his wife in Hawaii. (1:25:20) James had mixed emotions about leaving his company. He was very thankful to get out of the bush; however he did not like the idea of letting his unit go out into the jungle without him. (1:26:00) When in the bush the only thing he could think about was his wife and his former life back home. He spent a week in Hawaii and very much enjoyed it. (1:27:26) Before leaving for Vietnam, James was drunk on Scotch. He did not like the idea of returning to the war. (1:28:36) When he returned he was assigned to a base hospital. This was after 8 months in the Bush. (1:29:12) Thoughts on Service (1:30:00)     There was talk of James being sent back to Okinawa where the men would get retrained and sent out on another mission or assignment. (1:30:03) James was sent to Da Nang where he finished the rest of his service. (1:31:08) There was an enlisted men’s club that James had access to. Pallets of beer were taken in daily. (1:31:50) James believes that Vietnam was a mess, particularly in the way it affected the enlisted men �    psychologically. (1:33:40) James has been to the Vietnam memorial in Washington DC nine times. (1:34:39) There are more men that committed suicide during the Vietnam era then there are names on the Vietnam memorial wall. It is because of this statistic that James gets involved to help veterans and talk to them about any problems they may have. (1:35:18) James does not like how there was no connection between soldiers. However at the same time, he believes that if he had been more emotionally involved he would not have lasted as long as he did. (1:37:15) The average soldier (young high school graduate) was emotionally unstable and more easily affected by combat. (1:38:30) Vietnamese People and Culture (1:40:35)           There was the idea in the bush that every person that James ran into was a VC. (1:40:55) James and some men were invited in to a village by the village headman. This was a great honor. (1:41:38) Many of the people that James saw lived in small little huts. Each hut often housed an entire extended family. (1:44:21) To tolerate all of the emotional pain and torment of constant war, James believes that the people were very strong willed and loyal. (1:45:00) While in the bush the men herd stories of Vietnamese ambushes where men were killed, had their genitals cut off, and then stuck in their mouth. Other calling cards, such as leaving an Ace of spades with a body, were meant to deter the military from entering an area. (1:46:45) Because field doctors were put through medical school at the navy’s expense, they owed the military a certain amount of time as pay. Because of this, field doctors were very disgruntled and rebellious. (1:48:43) The field doctors had not been out of medical school any more than a year before being deployed. (1:51:00) Several doctors went to the Pink Elephant, an officer’s club, in De Nang. Because they had never been in the bush, they would not go unless some marines (including James) went with them. While the doctors were in the officers club James was in an enlisted men’s club. When the club closed, James was ordered to leave. The Doctors did not want to leave. In order to stay longer, the doctors temporarily promoted James to lieutenant for 3 hours until the doctors wanted to leave. (1:52:20) The officers club was very well accommodated with leather chairs, little cocktail tables, waitresses, and other luxurious amenities. (1:57:32) At approx. 2-3 o’clock in the morning, a truck was sent to the officer’s club to take the officers back to their station of duty. (1:58:29) End of Enlistment (2:00:10)     James was offered a second R&R before he was to leave Vietnam. After he received his orders to leave he soon canceled it. (2:00:19) James was required to turn all his gear in before leaving the country. (2:00:45) James was sent to the air port via truck. After turning in his gear, James felt very venerable being in a combat zone without his gear. (2:01:13) The transition back to being a civilian took a long while to set in for James and other soldier. (2:02:12) �  James arrived in Long Beach California. At that point he began the process of being discharged from the Navy. This process took approx. 1 week. (2:03:03) James flew to Grand Rapids, Michigan, after being discharged. He we met at the air port by his wife, child and parents. (2:04:08) Life after Service (2:04:35)          James was out of the military but still had 2 years on the inactive reserve. (2:04:40) James ad his family rented a house in Rockford, Michigan, for some time while he looked for a job. (2:06:11) At the time James did not realizes that he had some problems, but James was very moody and anxious. These were being signs of PTSD. (2:06:45) James began working with his dad as a belt sander in a clock factory. (2:07:38) One of the men that James worked with in the reserve suggested that James should go into a nursing program. (2:08:45) The degree was 3 years. The class work was done at Grand Rapids Community College and the clinical work at Butterworth Medical Hospital. (2:11:00) 3 out of 5 days of class were spent in the hospital with patients. (2:12:28) James worked on the ambulance crew during school in order to make some extra money. (2:13:40) After James graduated, military recruiters came in to recruit for the nurse corps. James had been evolved in the Navy for 6 years now. (2:15:08) Service in the Nurse Corps (2:16:10)          Because Nurses were officers, James had to go through “fork and knife school” where men are taught protocol and logistics of being an officer. (2:16:45) This training was in Newport, Rhode Island. The training lasted 6-8 weeks. (2:17:47) After his training was complete, James’s first active duty station was Great Lakes Naval Base. (2:18:30) He began working in a combination orthopedic and neurological ward. (2:19:00) James’ experience in active duty and as a nurse helped him become a leader in the hospital as well and understand and treat his patients more effectively. (2:20:03) James was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base for approx. 2 years. In the 1970s the military was beginning to be down sized. James was not taken out but was sent to Philadelphia. (2:23:12) He worked in surgical and intensive care unit. (2:24:18) James was later made the head nurse of his unit. At this time he was promoted to a first lieutenant. (2:24:40) He was then sent to Guam (2:25:31) Life in Guam (2:25:40)    The Navy shipped all of James’s and his family’s belongings to Guam. The Navy even shipped one of James’s cars. (2:25:45) Guam was a very secluded and remote area. Because it was more primitive it was approx. 10 years behind the rest of the U.S. (2:26:34) Because the area was so small, James was involved with the native population more than if he was working in a large city. (2:28:34) �      Due to the hospital being smaller in size, there were no separate wards; instead all patients were placed in one large holding room. (2:29:05) For the most part, the people of Guam were very welcoming to the military. Some did not like the Military’s presence and would beat up Marines. (2:29:41) James was invited to several civilian homes for dinner. The food was very good. (2:30:41) James invited a civilian he had eaten with to one of his parties to cook. (2:33:05) One of the things there was to do in Guam was snorkel. When James snorkeled off World War II beaches there were wrecks, such as a Japanese Zero that was shot down. (2:34:11) He was in Guam for 3 years. His family loved being there. (3:35:30) Service in Oakland, California (2:36:05)         James was given orders to work at the Oakland Naval Hospital. While there he and his family lived on the island of Anita. (3:36:12) San Francisco was fascinating. He loved living in California, except for how expensive it was. (2:37:35) James lived in Naval housing in Anita. (3:38:20) James became charge nurse of an orthopedic ward in Oakland. He then switched over to the education department and began working as an instructor. (3:38:50) James applied for duty under instruction which was a program orientated toward public health that would improve his “outdated” education. (2:40:00) James desired to instruct corpsmen. Instead he was ordered to 29 Palms, California, to a small hospital. (2:51:45) Living in 29 Palms was like living on the surface of the moon. He did not enjoy his time there. His 3 kids however, did enjoy it. (2:43:50) James was happy to retire after his service in 29 Palms. He retired in 1989. (2:45:36) Life After Military Service (2:46:00)         He began working in occupational health at Butterworth Hospital. He believes health care became under influence by so many outside organizations that it was seen as difficult to excursive one’s profession. (2:47:00) At the age of 62 in January of 2007, James retired. (2:47:42) Because the nurse corps is made up of people who were civilians for most of their lives, they refuse to follow military order as much. (2:49:17) James realizes that the stresses placed on combat soldiers are almost the same regardless of where or when they served. (2:50:47) He thinks that the psychologists that work with soldiers with PTSD have trouble because the soldiers feel uncomfortable talking to someone who has not had the same experience. (2:51:23) He is very interested in U.S. military and the psychological effects of combat. (2:53:43) He liked his experience, and was very glad that he joined the military. (2:55:25) � 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 VandenboschJ0851V1 Title A name given to the resource VandenBosch, James (Interview outline and video, 1 of 2), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VandenBosch, James Description An account of the resource James VandenBosch, born in Ada, Michigan, enlisted in the Navy in 1966 and trained as a medical corpsman. After a cruise aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri La in the Mediterranean, he trained for combat duty with the Marines at Camp Lejeune and was sent to Vietnam in 1968. After a short stint with a Civil Action Patrol working in the villages near Da Nang, he became the senior corpsman for a rifle company of the 26th Marines, and participated with them in a series of combat operations. He spent the last part of his tour at a hospital in Da Nang. After his discharge, he eventually decided to go to nursing school and re-enlist in the Navy, this time as a nurse and officer. He did so, and retired from the Navy in 1989. 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 United States. Navy Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-28 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4a6991e1d8c7607173a43310d4ab8fb6.mp4 31f9e6513ac8b7c50cdf42a18c84c717 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bfd29236862738115f7facd2f889c3fa.pdf 4b0243df787453f961f50f07ce6a1eea PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Vietnam War James VandenBosch Pt. I (2:02:41) Background Information (00:01)        Born and raised in Ada, Michigan. (00:02) He was in ROTC at Creston High School from 1958-1959. (00:09) After moving, James attended Grand Rapids Junio College. (00:34) James briefly attended Michigan State University and then Western Michigan University. After finding he did not like school he joined the Navy in 1966. (00:41) He remembers at the age of 12 the Korean Conflict was occurring. He was worried of events that were to come. (1:44) When James joined the Navy he joined as a hospital corpsman. (4:17) James was placed in the navy at a higher rank than normal cadets due to his 2 year degree. (4:34) Basic Training (5:09)       Attended boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Academy in the summer of 1966. (5:09) Men were taught discipline, physical skills as well as how to tie knots or patch a hole in a ship. (5:45) Because of his ROTC training James not only knew most of the basic military knowledge, but he liked the order of the military. (7:08) Men are taught, above all, how to be a part of a team and the importance of team work. This was helpful to James in his career latter in his life. (8:15) In boot camp, James was made a 1st platoon Commander. (9:05) He was under a lot of stress. James found that this made him stronger. (9:43) Hospital Corps School (10:15)    Next James attended hospital corps school. This was designed to transform men into hospital corpsmen. (10:17) Men were trained to use their skills in many different environments such as a hospital, a ship, or in the field. (10:51) The first ship James served on was an aircraft carrier. (12:54) First Cruise (USS Shangri La) (14:50)     During his first cruise, James and his wife got engaged. (14:52) James was flown from Grand Rapids to New Jersey. He was then flown on a military flight to Spain. He was then flown to Italy, then to Turkey were he Shangri La was anchored. (15:24) The USS Shangri La was a World War II carrier. (16:41) He learned a lot about basic information of being a medical corpsman. He also preformed basic medical aid such as stitches. (17:42) �    The cruise lasted 7 months. He visited Naples, France, Spain and Italy. (18:00) He very much loved seeing as much of the world as he did during this part of his service. (19:20) While in Naples, James and a friend saw an opera. (20:28) In most places the civilians were very welcoming of the sailors. In Rome, However, there were protesters there to meet them. (21:19) Service at Camp Lejeune (22:50)            After his service on the USS Shangri La ended he was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He believed it very likely that he was about to be sent to Vietnam. (23:41) At Camp Lejeune, the men spent 8-9 weeks being turned from fleet sailors into grunt corpsmen. The men were taught how to use weapons and firearms. The men were taught on the Colt 45. And the M14. (24:41) They were taught on how to stage an ambush and fight one off. They were also taught how to build shelters, dig foxholes, ext. (25:43) There was a Vietnamese village set up at Camp Lejeune. (26:06) The men were taught to function as a Marine rather than a sailor. Maries dressed differently, talked differently, and were more macho. (26:52) He was honored when the Marines started to see him as one of their own. (29:10) After completing his training, James was sent on a shakedown cruise on a troop ship from World War II. (30:00) James did become sea sick on this cruise. There were many men that James had to check with colds or sea sickness. (31:38) When James returned to the states after this cruise, he was given his orders for Vietnam in October of 1968. (32:55) He did enjoy his service up to this point very much. (33:44) Combined Action Platoon (34:20)          James did not believe he was going to come back from Vietnam. His wife was 5 months pregnant at the time. (34:58) He was sent to a combined action platoon training program once arriving in Vietnam. This training focused mostly on civil action and peace keeping. The men were taught some of the language, customs, and traditions. (35:35) The platoon was placed with a CAP Unit. These consisted of some Vietnamese citizens who were too young or too old to enter the military and were commanded by James’s platoon. (37:45) After having grown used to the conditions that he was in, James was transferred to another unit in early 1969. (39:00) The Vietnamese civilians thought that James was a doctor. He constantly reminded them that he was not. He also recalled how awful the Vietnamese peoples’ teeth were. (42:02) When large groups were sent into a village for the civil program, it was effective. Having one medic treat an entire village, however, was ineffective and impractical. (43:19) It was difficult to see who the enemy was. (44:25) Most men that James served with were 18. James was 24. (45:30) Through news papers and especially letters, men knew how the country felt about the war in the late 1960s. (46:51) � Because the CAP Unit lived off the land, many of them were off on their own and seemed to be much like hippies in James’s eyes. (48:35) Arrival in the 26th Marines (50:00)           James was forced to compete with his friend for a spot working in the office, and another working in the bush. James took the bush job because he thought he was better prepared for that type of combat. (51:04) James was sent from the HQ to De Nang and then was taken to the 26th Marine Regiment. He was handed an M16 which he had never used before. (52:24) When he arrived at his company, the area looked very bleak and plain with little vegetation. (54:49) When James arrived he met the senior corpsman whose place he was taking. He introduced him to all his subordinate corpsmen and gave him a minor surgery kit. The entire switching over process took 30 minutes. (56:08) Because of James's superior age and training, he believed he was better equipped to deal with the challenge of caring for other men than the average soldier. (59:01) James's CO was a mustang officer who had worked his way through the ranks. When James met him he was 1st lieutenant. He was a charismatic leader who was very easy to follow. He was also the only man that James met that was older than him. (1:00:49) The Gunny [Gunnery Sergeant], the one James started out with, was on his 3rd tour in Vietnam. He had a poster child appearance and easy to listen to and trust due to performance and experience. (1:03:40) The Gunny also told James to cut his dog tag chain and make it half the size. This would stop the tags from snagging on the bush while the men were crawling through the jungle. He also told James how to keep his pants perfectly straight so that the extra fabric would not snag traps. (1:05:44) Situational awareness was highly emphasized. Gunny ultimately died after he stepped on a booby trap. While dying, his last wish was to have a cigarette. (1:07:51) James feels fairly extensive survival guilt for the death of his Gunny. He copes with it by telling the stories of the dead as a way of honoring the lives of the dead. (1:10:41) Action with the 26th Marines (1:12:30)      James's CO was also hit by some hostiles that were entrenched at the top of a hill. The CO charged up the hill causing James followed him. By the time James got to the top of the hill the marines had overrun the men that were defending the hill. The CO had been shot however, at the top of the hill. (1:12:35) The CO asked if he was not going to have children due to his injury. James lied and said yes. He lied often in the field as to not deter men’s hope. (1:17:22) The first time James traveled into the bush with his new company was in late December of 1968. This was the first time he had been shot at. (1:18:11) The reason that the unit was in the camp that James found them in was to regroup and supplying the platoon with replacements to get them battle ready. (1:20:00) The men were flown by chopper without being told where they were headed. They landed on an LPH off shore. (1:21:24) �  As a Senior Corpsman, James was included in on many informative briefings on the environment that the Marines were going to be sent into. (1:22:54) All of the men, when hearing about going into battle, were worried about self preservation. But men also contemplated as to whether or not the men would be able to perform in combat. (1:25:09) Operation Russell Beach (1:26:45)                  The first operation lasted 1 month. There were lots of casualties due to booby traps. However, the men did not have any enemy encounters during this first operation. (1:27:34) After finding a man in the unit with appendicitis, James had to order an emergency medevac in bad weather to save his life. This gained him respect of his peers and CO. (1:28:27) Because the men went over as individuals there was not a sense of camaraderie even amongst units or platoons. (1:31:30) While traveling on the beach and a hill, one segment of the platoon encountered a very large mine field that was undetected. (1:32:53) When the mine field was discovered, there was one Vietnamese taken prisoner that James was assigned to watch. After several explosions that resulted in casualties, the prisoner was lost. (1:35:33) A U.S. tank then began to move up the left side of the hill. The troops moved through the field behind the tank, thinking that the tank would deploy a mine before the men did. (1:36:11) John Fogarty, a fellow Marine, was the first man that James knew in his platoon. (1:38:09) To make hot water, men would drop small cubes of C4 into their cups. (1:39:35) The tank that the men followed up the hill deployed a Bouncing Betty mine that ultimately resulted in John Fogarty’s death. (1:40:35) An Amtrack was sent to use C4 line charges to detonate the mine field. The C4 detonated before it got out of the Amtrack. This resulted in several casualties in the Amtrak crew. (1:42:28) James was told years after that choppers were used after the explosion to look for casualties but were unable to find any. (1:45:55) They believed that 10 men were involved in the Amtrack accident. However, when the site was cleaned up, there were only ever parts found not whole bodies. (1:47:28)] On the operation the men were used to cut off any VC that were located on the Batangan Peninsula. While the men were blockading the area, the monsoons hit. The men could not move and simply sat in the rain. (1:49:30) The men did undercover an extensive tunnel system that was under the men’s feet. They sent “tunnel rats” or the smallest marines, down the hole. The tunnel rats brought out approx. 100 people, dogs, and chickens. (1:51:10) The people were soon interrogated to see if they were VC or VC sympathizers. After the men and women were removed, the Marines spent several days packing the tunnel with charges and destroying the tunnels. (1:53:45) Most casualties were due to booby traps. (1:55:11) The operation was eventually called off due to lack of results seen by HQ. (1:56:03) Operation Taylor Common (1:56:57)  The men were given 1 week to regroup before being sent back on another operation. (1:57:00) �   James was sent south of De Nang. The Marines were given the task of keeping the VC out of the city. (1:58:25) The Marines spent much of their time on search and destroy type maneuvers. If an enemy unit or resource was located, it was often detonated using explosives. (1:59:26) The operation consisted simply of par tolling the area in random patterns, hoping to stumble upon any VC. (2:00:44) Disk 2 (2:56:55) Note: new disc, time coding restarts            The men were moved into the combat zone via helicopter. (Vertically inserted). (2:53) The land was very flat with little to no hills. There were many rice paddies. (3:28) In these operations, the marines began running into enemy soldiers who were better equipped than what they had encountered previously and wore uniforms. (5:12) When James landed during operation Taylor Common there was no bombardment to prepare a landing zone. (6:45) The environment was difficult to adapt to and added to the psychological distress of combat. (8:49) James felt rather detached from his job and his men after having been in combat. The reason for this was that if James got involved with every situation it would have been too emotionally exhausting. (11:28) The men were sent out on one trip through a rice paddy at night. The Marines had difficulty moving and were very loud. (14:00) Somehow, another company had been caught by surprise on the other side of the rice paddy. A fire fight soon broke out. The fire fight lasted in total 15 minutes. Several casualties were taken. (16:02) One man that James had to treat from the fire fight was gut shot. As James talked to him awaiting his medevac. James believed the man would be fine but he later found that he had died. (19:20) During his time in the Marines, James had to medevac 150-200 marines. (19:40) This experience with the gut shot wound, gave James greater perspective on how serious particular wounds actually were. (22:03) Fire Fight at “The Rock Pile” (23:20)      The company then moved into an area deemed “The Rock Pile” named so due to the amount of very large rocks that coated the ground. As the CP group began approaching the rocks they began to take rounds from mortars. Here James did come under fire and take minor shrapnel wounds. (23:25) Once the men got used to being in combat they could adjust to the stress of battle fairly easily. The most important thing a man could do was keep moving. (26:15) This fire fight resulted in many casualties, most of which had rather serious wounds. (27:28) James had to perform a procedure on one marine where a new airway was created y poking a hole in the trachea just below the Adam’s apple. (28:50) The man with the trachea procedure did eventually die. (30:38) �           The fire fight lasted several hours. Upon its completion the helicopters moved in and evacuated all the casualties. As one helicopter was lifting off, it was shot down 100 yards from the landing zone. (31:02) As emergency platoon was sent over to secure the crash site. The men in the helicopter simply laid on the floor trying hard not to be shot by any machine gun fire they were taking. All the men on the helicopter survived. (32:12) A4s were called in to destroy the helicopter so that it could not be picked apart by any VCs who may find it. (33:35) The night after the fire fight, the unit slept in the rock field due to its value as natural cover. The men were attacked by a few mortars while staying there. (35:00) As the men traveled the next day they found blood trails where they were VC bodies on the previous day. As they continued and followed the trails the marines stumbled upon a mass grave that had uniformed VCs in it. (36:55) The marines continued to chase the VCs they were tracking until approx. 6 PM. At this time the men ran into an enemy line. (39:15) It was at this battle that the CO was hit. (41:32) At this point in time the unit had been in 2 fire fights without being resupplied and was running low on things such as ammunition. (41:50) The men were in contact with regular VC groups but had very little ammunition to defend themselves with. Because it was past dark, a helicopter could not be sent out to resupply the marines. (43:57) During the night, the sound of an aircraft could be heard. Then the men saw circles of fire go up in the sky. This was a C-130 that protected the Marines perimeter for the entire night until the men could be resupplied. (46:18) James believes that if it were not for the C-130s defending them, he would not have survived. (48:10) Mortar Bombardment (49:29)          After the fire fight, the Marines were pulled back. The men were given some fairly good food and a chance to rest. (49:30) The men never particularly had problems with morale due primarily to the CO and his attitude towards combat. (53:52) When James slept in Vietnam he thought it was more like half sleep. This was due primarily to the constant threat of violence particularly at night. (56:14) In the middle of the night, James herd several mortar rounds being fired. James jumped into another man’s fox hole in order to find cover. (57:30) James had to wake up the CO. (59:45) There were no casualties that were taken from this mortar bombardment. (1:01:18) In the morning, the men evaluated the damage of the attack. There were no casualties. Several were lost that day though due to sniper fire. (1:01:47) After approx. 50 days involved in the operation the morale was devastatingly low. The men were then taken to an outpost where they were given steak dinners, ice cream, and beer. (1:02:53) The men were then moved to hill 51 were they were stationed for some rest. (1:03:57) Operation Oklahoma Hills (1:04:20) �            The men flew west away from the coast (to a location that James believes was out of the country). (1:04:33) The men were sent into a very mountainous area. To James's surprise the unit was sent into the valleys rather than up mountains. (1:06:36) The valleys had elephant grass at their base. The men used machetes to hack through the grass. This exhausted the marines. After several hours of travel, the CO decided to take another route around the grass. (1:07:00) The men were picked up after several days and moved to another part of the mountains. This time as the Marines traveled they were going uphill. (1:09:46) As the men continued to travel they entered the triple canopy. This area consisted of jungle with vegetation so thick that it created a sense of twilight during the middle of the day. (1:10:40) An artillery strike was called before entering the triple canopy. When the artillery strike came in, it struck the U.S. unit. Several casualties were taken. (1:11:40) Because the closest LZ was 5 miles down the mountain the unit was faced with 2 options. One, to go down the mountain and evacuate the wounded. The other was to continue up the trail and complete the missions with the casualties. The unit chose the latter. (1:13:37) The men continued up the mountain and set up a camp. After collecting every man’s poncho, a small field hospital was constricted for the wounded. (1:15:00) The following morning, a vertical evacuation was conducted. This was a skill that James learned in his training but never expected to put into practice. The men were strung out along the trail in order from most urgent injuries to least. (1:16:50) As each casualty was lifted out of the jungle, the rope and apparatus that they were attached to started to swing the man into the foliage. To correct this problem, ropes were attached to the casualties so that marines on the ground could keep the apparatus still. (1:19:30) It took approx. 1 hour to evacuate every casualty. (1:20:17) To compensate for the lack of LZ to evacuate the injured as well as get supplies, one was created by clearing a space on the top of the mountain. (1:21:43) Rest and Recuperation (1:22:51)         As a result of yelling at his CO due to his foolish artillery call, James was ordered to take some time for R and R. (1:22:52) James was picked up 2 days later at the newly constructed LZ. (1:24:41) This ended James's time in the bush. (1:25:00) When returning back to base he was given a clean uniform, a shower, a haircut, and prepared to meet his wife in Hawaii. (1:25:20) James had mixed emotions about leaving his company. He was very thankful to get out of the bush; however he did not like the idea of letting his unit go out into the jungle without him. (1:26:00) When in the bush the only thing he could think about was his wife and his former life back home. He spent a week in Hawaii and very much enjoyed it. (1:27:26) Before leaving for Vietnam, James was drunk on Scotch. He did not like the idea of returning to the war. (1:28:36) When he returned he was assigned to a base hospital. This was after 8 months in the Bush. (1:29:12) Thoughts on Service (1:30:00) �        There was talk of James being sent back to Okinawa where the men would get retrained and sent out on another mission or assignment. (1:30:03) James was sent to Da Nang where he finished the rest of his service. (1:31:08) There was an enlisted men’s club that James had access to. Pallets of beer were taken in daily. (1:31:50) James believes that Vietnam was a mess, particularly in the way it affected the enlisted men psychologically. (1:33:40) James has been to the Vietnam memorial in Washington DC nine times. (1:34:39) There are more men that committed suicide during the Vietnam era then there are names on the Vietnam memorial wall. It is because of this statistic that James gets involved to help veterans and talk to them about any problems they may have. (1:35:18) James does not like how there was no connection between soldiers. However at the same time, he believes that if he had been more emotionally involved he would not have lasted as long as he did. (1:37:15) The average soldier (young high school graduate) was emotionally unstable and more easily affected by combat. (1:38:30) Vietnamese People and Culture (1:40:35)           There was the idea in the bush that every person that James ran into was a VC. (1:40:55) James and some men were invited in to a village by the village headman. This was a great honor. (1:41:38) Many of the people that James saw lived in small little huts. Each hut often housed an entire extended family. (1:44:21) To tolerate all of the emotional pain and torment of constant war, James believes that the people were very strong willed and loyal. (1:45:00) While in the bush the men herd stories of Vietnamese ambushes where men were killed, had their genitals cut off, and then stuck in their mouth. Other calling cards, such as leaving an Ace of spades with a body, were meant to deter the military from entering an area. (1:46:45) Because field doctors were put through medical school at the navy’s expense, they owed the military a certain amount of time as pay. Because of this, field doctors were very disgruntled and rebellious. (1:48:43) The field doctors had not been out of medical school any more than a year before being deployed. (1:51:00) Several doctors went to the Pink Elephant, an officer’s club, in De Nang. Because they had never been in the bush, they would not go unless some marines (including James) went with them. While the doctors were in the officers club James was in an enlisted men’s club. When the club closed, James was ordered to leave. The Doctors did not want to leave. In order to stay longer, the doctors temporarily promoted James to lieutenant for 3 hours until the doctors wanted to leave. (1:52:20) The officers club was very well accommodated with leather chairs, little cocktail tables, waitresses, and other luxurious amenities. (1:57:32) At approx. 2-3 o’clock in the morning, a truck was sent to the officer’s club to take the officers back to their station of duty. (1:58:29) End of Enlistment (2:00:10) �      James was offered a second R&R before he was to leave Vietnam. After he received his orders to leave he soon canceled it. (2:00:19) James was required to turn all his gear in before leaving the country. (2:00:45) James was sent to the air port via truck. After turning in his gear, James felt very venerable being in a combat zone without his gear. (2:01:13) The transition back to being a civilian took a long while to set in for James and other soldier. (2:02:12) James arrived in Long Beach California. At that point he began the process of being discharged from the Navy. This process took approx. 1 week. (2:03:03) James flew to Grand Rapids, Michigan, after being discharged. He we met at the air port by his wife, child and parents. (2:04:08) Life after Service (2:04:35)          James was out of the military but still had 2 years on the inactive reserve. (2:04:40) James ad his family rented a house in Rockford, Michigan, for some time while he looked for a job. (2:06:11) At the time James did not realizes that he had some problems, but James was very moody and anxious. These were being signs of PTSD. (2:06:45) James began working with his dad as a belt sander in a clock factory. (2:07:38) One of the men that James worked with in the reserve suggested that James should go into a nursing program. (2:08:45) The degree was 3 years. The class work was done at Grand Rapids Community College and the clinical work at Butterworth Medical Hospital. (2:11:00) 3 out of 5 days of class were spent in the hospital with patients. (2:12:28) James worked on the ambulance crew during school in order to make some extra money. (2:13:40) After James graduated, military recruiters came in to recruit for the nurse corps. James had been evolved in the Navy for 6 years now. (2:15:08) Service in the Nurse Corps (2:16:10)          Because Nurses were officers, James had to go through “fork and knife school” where men are taught protocol and logistics of being an officer. (2:16:45) This training was in Newport, Rhode Island. The training lasted 6-8 weeks. (2:17:47) After his training was complete, James’s first active duty station was Great Lakes Naval Base. (2:18:30) He began working in a combination orthopedic and neurological ward. (2:19:00) James’ experience in active duty and as a nurse helped him become a leader in the hospital as well and understand and treat his patients more effectively. (2:20:03) James was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base for approx. 2 years. In the 1970s the military was beginning to be down sized. James was not taken out but was sent to Philadelphia. (2:23:12) He worked in surgical and intensive care unit. (2:24:18) James was later made the head nurse of his unit. At this time he was promoted to a first lieutenant. (2:24:40) He was then sent to Guam (2:25:31) �Life in Guam (2:25:40)          The Navy shipped all of James’s and his family’s belongings to Guam. The Navy even shipped one of James’s cars. (2:25:45) Guam was a very secluded and remote area. Because it was more primitive it was approx. 10 years behind the rest of the U.S. (2:26:34) Because the area was so small, James was involved with the native population more than if he was working in a large city. (2:28:34) Due to the hospital being smaller in size, there were no separate wards; instead all patients were placed in one large holding room. (2:29:05) For the most part, the people of Guam were very welcoming to the military. Some did not like the Military’s presence and would beat up Marines. (2:29:41) James was invited to several civilian homes for dinner. The food was very good. (2:30:41) James invited a civilian he had eaten with to one of his parties to cook. (2:33:05) One of the things there was to do in Guam was snorkel. When James snorkeled off World War II beaches there were wrecks, such as a Japanese Zero that was shot down. (2:34:11) He was in Guam for 3 years. His family loved being there. (3:35:30) Service in Oakland, California (2:36:05)         James was given orders to work at the Oakland Naval Hospital. While there he and his family lived on the island of Anita. (3:36:12) San Francisco was fascinating. He loved living in California, except for how expensive it was. (2:37:35) James lived in Naval housing in Anita. (3:38:20) James became charge nurse of an orthopedic ward in Oakland. He then switched over to the education department and began working as an instructor. (3:38:50) James applied for duty under instruction which was a program orientated toward public health that would improve his “outdated” education. (2:40:00) James desired to instruct corpsmen. Instead he was ordered to 29 Palms, California, to a small hospital. (2:51:45) Living in 29 Palms was like living on the surface of the moon. He did not enjoy his time there. His 3 kids however, did enjoy it. (2:43:50) James was happy to retire after his service in 29 Palms. He retired in 1989. (2:45:36) Life After Military Service (2:46:00)       He began working in occupational health at Butterworth Hospital. He believes health care became under influence by so many outside organizations that it was seen as difficult to excursive one’s profession. (2:47:00) At the age of 62 in January of 2007, James retired. (2:47:42) Because the nurse corps is made up of people who were civilians for most of their lives, they refuse to follow military order as much. (2:49:17) James realizes that the stresses placed on combat soldiers are almost the same regardless of where or when they served. (2:50:47) He thinks that the psychologists that work with soldiers with PTSD have trouble because the soldiers feel uncomfortable talking to someone who has not had the same experience. (2:51:23) �  He is very interested in U.S. military and the psychological effects of combat. (2:53:43) He liked his experience, and was very glad that he joined the military. (2:55:25) � 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 VandenboschJ0851V2 Title A name given to the resource VandenBosch, James (Interview outline and video, 2 of 2), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VandenBosch, James Description An account of the resource James VandenBosch, born in Ada, Michigan, enlisted in the Navy in 1966 and trained as a medical corpsman. After a cruise aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri La in the Mediterranean, he trained for combat duty with the Marines at Camp Lejeune and was sent to Vietnam in 1968. After a short stint with a Civil Action Patrol working in the villages near Da Nang, he became the senior corpsman for a rifle company of the 26th Marines, and participated with them in a series of combat operations. He spent the last part of his tour at a hospital in Da Nang. After his discharge, he eventually decided to go to nursing school and re-enlist in the Navy, this time as a nurse and officer. He did so, and retired from the Navy in 1989. 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 United States. Navy Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-28 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ea1f9826bff83c5ecffac53bad4c0ce3.mp4 f7d4f81372a19c9c389653b3b7e3d2f5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/384e36f33eaf80fdfcaa45e03243d221.pdf f54491b97a783eaff3ab9e547ef083f4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Robert N. Vander Laan (30:00) Introduction (00:03) Childhood and Family (00:40) • • • • • • • • • • Born in East Grand Rapids, MI on April 14, 1933. Attended Beckworth School, father would drive him there. Family farm was on Site of Meijer Gardens on East Beltline Road. Father was a farmer, raised cows and grew spinach. Recalls a bit about Pearl Harbor, remembers that it was not talked about much around the house. Grandfather served in Army in World War I, with uncles. All returned uninjured. For Kindergarten through Grade School, had 3 teachers. Played different types of sports recreationally during grade school. Recalls putting on plays during holidays. Recalls the rationing of food, tire, and gasoline during World War II. Also remembers the coupon books that were handed out. During High School, played football for the school team. Graduated High School in 1951 Enlistment (11:17) • • Voluntarily drafted for the Army in 1952, chose this option because regular Army Enlistment required two years whereas draftees were only required to serve two years. Volunteered to be Army Engineer. Basic Training (11:45) • • • • • • Trained at Fort Polk, Louisiana from March until August (12:00) Trained with full field pack. Forced march 10 miles daily. Camp was from 5:00 AM daily to dark. (12:29) Had a good Corporal. Name was Buckley. Had Served throughout World War II. Had been in the service 11 years. Corporal had own room in barracks separate from rest of outfit Inducted at Fort Custer, was only there long enough to get orders to go to Fort Polk. (14:30) Basic training and some basic engineering training at Fort Polk. �• Was then sent to Camp Kilmer in New Jersey. There he received special training. Spent some time on leave in New York City. (15:32) Active Duty (16:45) • • • • • • • • • • • Was sent to Europe. Trip took 11 days. The trip was rough. Landed in Frankfurt, Germany Moved on to Stuttgart, Germany. Time there was spent in old German Army Barracks. Had opportunity to travel around Europe while in Germany. Visited Paris, Italy, Germany, and Spain. (17:20) Army gave strict orders to behave while traveling throughout Europe. Made note that Army showed them a video about how to behave when traveling. (18:40) Saw the damage to Europe from World War II. France was very hard hit. Said he saw the devastation of the Mercedes plant in Stuttgart. It had been leveled. They were in the process of rebuilding the country when he was over there. (19:04) Visited two Concentration Camps while he was there. Dachau Concentration Camp was one of them. The Army brought them to visit to show them what had been done by the Nazis in World War II. It was a very upsetting experience for him. He states that you could almost smell death there. There were also reminders up to remember what happened there. (21:25) One thing that he thought was interesting were the beautiful gardens all around Stuttgart. Spent 18 months on tour. (22:32) At end of tour, was sent back to Camp Kilmer by boat. Trip was a little rough again. The ship held about 2000 troops. Was an army boat that was built in 1943-1944. Was given many oranges and lemons on the boat ride back to combat scurvy. (22:43) Spent 10 days at Camp Kilmer, and then was sent to Fort Sheridan to be separated. (24:50) After Separation (25:05) • • • • • Returned to Grand Rapids After separation. Attended College for one year, and then worked in a sheet metal plant and continued to work on the farm. Brother-in-Law was trained as a Tanker in Louisiana. Fought in World War II. Landed at Normandy on D-Day. Badly injured and was on 100% disability, but survived. Still alive at age 94 (as of date of interview) (26:18) Met wife at a friend’s birthday party in 1954. Married wife in 1956. Has four children, two boys and two girls. (27:30) Worked for the sheet metal company for 20 years, also farmed pairs and some apples. (29:20) Also has six grandchildren �• • Time in service did not change life very much, because of he fact he saw very little combat. Has been married 51 years. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VanderLaanR Title A name given to the resource Vander Laan, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vander Lann, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Vander Laan is a Korean War era veteran who served in the 7th Army 966 Field Engineering Battalion. He was sent to Germany during his time in the service, and was never involved in any active combat. However, he witnessed the aftermath of WW II during his travels throughout Europe. He also discusses his reaction upon being taken by the Army to several concentration camps in the Munich are. He also recalls the difficulties of basic training during the summer in Louisiana. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alvin, Warren (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 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 2007-06-25 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ff18baa40f4ab9e4d338eeeb7585b2e.mp4 e22f18069d9d18ce6f3f0957d0e8b223 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/013840460b8b6b57875ab2c5a195627d.pdf 9ad19eeca9a409414700bea1cc1a008b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee name: Kenneth Vander Molen Length of total interview: 2hrs. 9mins. Pre-Enlistment (02:28) • Family (02:30) o Vander Molen was born on August 7th, 1926 as a twin in Detroit, Michigan. (02:32) • Education (02 :53) o Briefly describes early education in some depth. (03:13) o Went to SE High School in Detroit. (03:52) Relates his impression of the military from an experience he had after visiting a distant cousin in Chicago in 1933 who owned a ROTC uniform. (04:06) Mentions how seeing a ROTC uniform impressed him enough to sign up for the ROTC. (04:30) o While still in high school, he joined the ROTC. He briefly mentions the duties that he was involved with and the benefits he had as a result. (05:20) o The day Pearl Harbor was attacked he was attending a choir practice while at the age of 13. (05:22) The janitor came in and told them the news. (05:41) At the time, he had no indication of where it was or what it meant. Describes his thoughts in some detail. (06:16) o After this, he relates how his English teacher talked about the war to her students. (06:55) o Briefly discusses what the mentality was in America at the start of the war. (07:36) o As a student, he was on deferment until age 18. As he approached 18, he was eager to be called up to serve. Before hand he always watched war movies to get a picture of what war looked like. (09:31) Enlistment/Basic Training (10:05) o Why he joined (10:15) �ƒ Upon turning 18, Vander Molen and twin sign up for the draft on August 7th 1945. (10:26) Signing up for immediate induction into the service which at the earliest he could go Sept 25th. He did this without the knowledge of his parents. (11:26) o Where he went and what company he served with (12:17) ƒ Went to Michigan Central Station in Detroit and traveled by train to Chicago. (13:26) The next morning, they were marched to a building where they chose what branch they wanted to serve with. (13:45) ƒ Briefly describes in some detail the selection process for military service. (14:05) ƒ From there he reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, for basic training. (17:08) Briefly describes what orientation was like and what Fort Sheridan, as a reception center was like. (17:28) Troops waited at Fort Sheridan for their postings and where they would be sent for basic training. (18:30) • Briefly describes what it was like to be around German POWs who served the U.S. Army. Also relates how soldiers weren’t allowed to talk with them. (18:50) o Camp Robinson training (19:56) ƒ After a week at Fort Sheridan, Vander Molen went by train to Little Rock, Arkansas and from there to Camp Robinson for basic training. (20:30) ƒ While here, he briefly describes what living conditions and the people he stayed with were like. (21:10) ƒ Basic training consisted of training to become infantry replacements. (21:43) Briefly describes in some detail what this training entailed. (22:05) Stayed in Camp Robinson for 12 weeks. (23:06) ƒ Briefly describes his company commander and then mentions his night training upon being assigned to the Americal Division. (23:38) o Time after basic training (24:14) ƒ Upon completing basic training, he was granted a 3 day furlough in which he used to visit Little Rock. (25:15) Spending his whole time in base camp, he relates his church experience there with a fellow West Michigan native. (25:53) �ƒ Afterwards, he went by train to San Francisco. Briefly describes his train experience in some detail. (27:48) o San Francisco, CA (29:01) ƒ Reported to Fort Ord, California, with the expectations that he would leave shortly for the Pacific theater to fight. (29:10) o Voyage across the Pacific (30:06) ƒ Vander Molen relates his thoughts and experience as his squad left aboard the General H.W. Butner, AP-113, a military transport, holding 5261 troops aboard and sailed out of San Francisco Harbor. (30:41) • Briefly mentions that the only thing he lived for during his long voyage were rumors of where they were headed. (32:04) • Briefly describes his day-to-day duties aboard ship. (33:28) • Briefly describes what the King Neptune Ceremony entailed for Navy guys and men like himself plus a few other stories on his Pacific crossing. (34:25) • They traveled to Finschaefen, New Guinea where they stayed for a few short days. (35:37) • Briefly describes his experience with the local natives on New Guinea (36:41) • Joining up with a convoy of cargo and Liberty ships being the fastest ship in the convoy took the lead. (37:21) • Briefly describes what it was like to get into a LCM (landing crafts) for the first time and what the process of landing was like for him. (38:11) Active Duty (39:40) • Leyte, The Philippines (39:57) o Upon landing, Vander Molen and his unit were issued rifles. Afterwards, they boarded a LST called 777 consisting of 385 men. A few days later they went to the island of Cebu. (41:29) • Cebu, The Philippines (41:45) �o Vander Molen briefly give a history of the combat fought already by the American Division on the island before his arrival back in March, 1945. (41:59) o Arriving in April, Vander Molen’s unit came in as replacements. Mentions that it was the roughest island landing in the Pacific because the Japanese had laid land mines along the coastal areas. (42:11) ƒ American troops from the 1st landing wave had lost 12 LSMs to mines. (42:55) ƒ Vander Molen, upon landing, mentions seeing the results of blown-up vehicles and un-kept equipment. (43:07) ƒ Having been assigned to G Company, he mentions digging foxholes (44:36) and that their first night on the beach was spent in combat. (45:10) ƒ In addition to this, replacements like him were paired up with veterans who did much of the shooting while the replacements stayed hunkered down and observed. (45:29) ƒ Briefly describes his feelings of that 1st night being in combat. (46:07) ƒ The next morning he went on patrol with 11 others. He served as the man who if the others were shot was the get-away man. (47:03) ƒ As a side note, Vander Molen mentions that American soldiers fighting in the Pacific removed any insignias to identify their rank or officers to discourage the Japanese from shooting their officers and medics when they attacked. (47:38) • Briefly describes the philosophies of both the Americans and the Japanese way of fighting in the Pacific. (48:48) o During one encounter, they were on patrol and saw an empty pillbox occupied by a Japanese soldier. (51:11) Briefly describes his 1st time under fire while out on patrol. (51:25) o Briefly relates how long replacements like him lasted and if they did last 5 months were considered part of the band of brothers. (52:01) ƒ Being 18, Vander Molen learned much about being a soldier from Jack Morton. (52:44) �ƒ Briefly relates how the Americans treated dead and wounded Japanese soldiers. (53:26) o Briefly relates the events of the Americans taking of Hill 21. (55:28) o Relates seeing his twin brother and various other wounded men coming down the hill with trippy (medic) and being shipped to a hospital. (56:17) o Describes an experience of going up another ridge. Relates how individual units were focused on their own objectives. Usually with minimal knowledge of what companies were to the left and right of them. (57:53) o During one encounter going up a ridge, Murphy, his commanding officer, ordered a bayonet attack. (58:38) The Americans made it to the Japanese trenches without a shot being fired. (59:45) ƒ Anticipating a hot meal after this engagement, Vander Molen relates how a group of Filipinos were coming down the road with food and the Japanese began to open up on them and so food went every which way. (1:00:24) For the most part they ate K-rations and local foods. (1:01:05) o Vander Molen relates how later he volunteered as a 1st scout and being equipped with a Thompson sub machine gun. (1:01:45) Briefly relates what the jobs of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd scouts squad leaders’ jobs entailed. (1:02:16) ƒ Briefly relates what indications were identifiable if a Japanese unit was in the area based on the smell of their food. (1:03:10) ƒ The selective process of scouts was usually done at random. (1:03:35) ƒ Was part of his company’s action in the splitting of the Japanese lines, to isolate them and divide the north and southern Japanese lines. (1:04:47) o Briefly relates how his military experience has shaped him today and what the service has taught him about life. (1:05:53) Interview Ends (1:08:41) CD #2 Material   Cebu, the Philippines cont. (00:07) • Vander Molen’s company was going over the high hills to Toledo and split the island to sort of  persuade the Japanese to retreat northward and contain them more. (00:37)   • Describes one encounter, while going for a hill where the velocity of Japanese machine gun fire   was so close that that he was thrown to the ground along with another soldier. (00:57) His  sergeant had ordered him to stay where he was. Being as close as he was to the Japanese  �position he should have run forward like one of his comrades and take the Japanese position but  he stayed put. (01:37)   • Vander Molen relates how in terms of disease that poisonous centipedes was the only danger to  catching a disease. (02:38)  •  From there, he mentions going to a nearby village on the western side of Cebu, to meet up with  132nd Company [Regiment?]. Stayed there 4 days. (03:21)   • As they moved back over the hills northward they faced less Japanese opposition. In one  encounter he ran into a Japanese soldier with a pistol who shot a sergeant in the stomach.  (05:21) Mentions that he crawled over there and got the wounded man out of there. Being a 1st  Scout he had a tracer in which he used to shoot the hut where the Japanese sniper was in which  lit it on fire. (06:03) That same night he could hear the sound of this wounded sergeant as he lay  wounded calling out to his mother. (06:19) Next morning they took his dead body back. (06:30)   • Cebu City (06:47)   • • o From there they went to Cebu City where he was told by Trippy (medic) that he had  come down with Hepatitis. (07:28)   o Next day, his twin‐brother Gordon returned to active duty while he was heading  towards the aid’s station. (08:01)   o Briefly relates a few short but interesting stories including running across his brother  and relating a Coca Cola experience. (09:15)   Treatment of Filipinos and Vander Molen’s recovery (11:14)   o Vander Molen mentions meeting the 85th Filipino Battalion and their Col. Cushing.  (11:22)   o While in Cebu, he mentions that Filipino girls of Spanish descent were off limits to  soldiers. (12:28)    o Briefly mentions that once he reached 2nd Battalion aid’s station that he was air  evacuated by C‐47 helicopter to Leyte (13:10) where he went to a field hospital and  spent his few days sleeping 30 hours. (14:22) The next day, his equipment and clothes  were stolen. Briefly relates his recovery and the various duties he performed while  recovering. (15:53)  o  Spent 80 days there getting well. (16:13)   Recovery and afterwards (16:28)   �• o On August 6, 1945, everybody in the hospital was in disbelief with the dropping of the A‐ bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Didn’t realize the destructive power that it had.  (16:53) What followed were celebrations with the dropping of the bomb. (17:14)  o After 80 days in the hospital, Vander Molen mentions getting new stuff, boarding a LST,  and getting back to Cebu. (18:01)  o Upon arrival in Cebu, he witnessed the sword surrender of 2,791 Japanese soldiers to  Gen. Arnold and the 132nd Regiment part of the Americal Division. Describes the  experience in some detail. (19:13)   o Afterwards, he relates how one American accompanied these POW Japanese solders  through the streets of Cebu and the Filipino hostility towards the Japanese. (21:33)   o Soon afterwards, Vander Molen left Cebu for Japan to be part of the occupation force  with the 77th Div., the Americal division, and 1st Cavalry Div. were supposed to be the  invading force of the southern island of Japan but ended up being the initial  occupational forces.  (22:14)   Japan Occupation (22:53)   o Sept. 9th, 1945—The Americal Division arrived in Tokyo Bay. (23:01) Further notes what  would have happened had the bomb not been dropped. (23:07)   o Vander Molen describes the extensive network of fortifications of Tokyo and how  American troops would not have been prepared for such resistance had the Americans  had to attack Japan. (23:21)   o Briefly discusses the raping of Nanjing by the Japanese. (24:07)   o Upon docking in Tokyo Harbor, they spent their 1st night in Yokohama itself. (25:03)  Their next morning they went by truck to an inland town named [Fusanobi]. (25:16)   o Living Conditions (25:22)   ƒ Briefly describes the living accommodations in the small engineering college  they stayed at. (25:36)    ƒ The Japanese attitude towards the Americans was gracious even as they  gathered up Japanese weapon stockpiles. (25:46)   ƒ Describes in some detail an experience he had when going to a Japanese school  and how embarrassed the Japanese teacher was of children’s pictures of  Japanese planes shooting down American ones. (26:19)   �ƒ Briefly mentions that McArthur did not allow American soldiers to fraternize  with Japanese business women. (27:21) One division that did this was removed  from Japan. (27:40)   ƒ During occupation, the Army found he could type and so he was transferred  from line company to service company for his typing abilities. (28:01) His job  entailed typing orders allowing certain American divisions to return home.  (28:15) Those he mentions with 85 points plus went home. (28:56)   ƒ • Those with a lot of points were transferred to the X Division or Americal  Division to go home. (29:11)   • Mentions that he was in Japan for 3 months. (29:54)   • Briefly describes how limited his time was for sight‐seeing and how  important his job was. (30:30)   • Mentions which type of service people had priority in going home first.  (31:14)   • Briefly describes the relationship between the other branches of service  with infantrymen. (32:07)   • Briefly reflects on various quotes of Omar Bradley and Sergeant Green  of the infantryman’s experience. (32:24)   Upon completing his typing job, he joined the U.S. Regular Army. (34:29) He  briefly relates why he joined. (34:54) Mentions that he was to get out Dec. 1,  1946. (35:08)   • • Mentions that everyone received a 90‐day furlough back in the U.S. of  which he only took a 30‐day furlough. (36:11)   Returning Home (36:27)   o Vander Molen mentions boarding a ship with the Americal Division. They were replaced  by the 77th Division. Briefly describes the crossing. (36:48)  o Upon arriving in Seattle, Washington, they were unloaded and boarded trucks headed  for Fort Lawton, Washington, a separation center. (38:12)  o From Fort Lawton; Vander Molen boarded a train to Fort Sheridan, Illinois. (39:23)   o With his return to Fort Sheridan, he spent 30 days on furlough after of which upon  walking in the service officers there did not know what to do with him since he had  served some time overseas in Japan and therefore could not be shipped back. (41:08)  �After the Service (41:22)   • Fort Sheridan, Illinois (41:27)    o Vander Molen made the decision to stay at Fort Sheridan and was selected for the job of  selecting draftees to join the Army. (41:40) Up to this point, the number of draftees was  still high and so it was his job to select up to 50 men at a time for service. (41:47)   o Briefly describes what it was like, being that the Army was still segregated up to that  point. (43:34)   o Stayed at Fort Sheridan for 10 months during which time he was only controlled by  Washington D.C’s Infantry HQ (44:10)   o For a brief period, he was assigned to the MPs. (44:33)  ƒ • o On weekends, he hitchhiked to Detroit to visit relatives. He relates in some detail  various experiences with these hitch‐hiking trips and how soldiers were given priority  over others. (45:41)   o Mentions that the usual civilian had no concept of distance or what went on while U.S.  armed forces were overseas. (49:27)   Adjusting to Home (49:46)   o • •  During one encounter, he describes how he stopped a major general’s car  because of orders to stop all vehicles coming and going from the base. (44:53)   Upon getting home, people asked his brother his story but not him. Shares his feelings  about this. (49:48)  Other stories (50:06)   o Also discusses in some depth how mail was circulated between loved ones back home  and soldiers on the frontlines. (53:18)    o Also discusses, while with a National Guard unit, what religion meant in the U.S. Army  and how the saying that there was atheism in the foxholes just was not true. (53:44)  Personal Reflection (57:01)   o Briefly relates what he learned while in the service and recommends people to join the  military for at least 2 years. (57:13)   o Briefly discusses his college experience and the significance of doing oral history  interviews so that the coming generations might remember what happened in the past.  (1:00:30) Interview ends (1:01:41)   � 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 VanderMolenK Title A name given to the resource Vander Molen, Kenneth (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vander Molen, Kenneth Description An account of the resource Kenneth Vander Molen is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army, first as an infantry replacement and then later in the regular army from August 1945 to December 1946. In this account, Vander Molen discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and training in the U.S. and active duty in the Philippines and Japan. Among the interesting things Vander Molen discusses is the fighting on Cebu and his time in Japan during its occupation. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Michigan Military Preservation Society (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-12-08 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/9dc89530fe67ff978bdfd16c384ec71f.mp4 9637d95922c818f96aeffdeb5c5d4ed4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/346e08dfc32d7c054c9f1a4095ed46d6.pdf 1548138e0b87e29f0dba587f05c2364c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Name of War: World War II Interviewee’s Name: Morris Vander Veen Length of Interview: 1hr 3mins. Pre-Enlistment (00:03)  Childhood (00:12) o Vander Veen was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 20th, 1926. (00:17)  Education (00:52) o Attended St. Stephen’s Elementary in Grand Rapids and went there for eight years before moving on to Ottawa Hills Public High School and graduating from there in 1944. (01:02) o Shortly before graduation he persuaded the Marine Corps to let him join before turning 18. Once he graduated they quickly scooped him up. Describes his reactions to Pearl Harbor being attacked. (01:16) o Briefly mentions the effects that Pearl Harbor had on him personally and what had attracted a relative to join the armed services before he did. (02:04) Enlistment/Basic Training (02:21)  Why he joined the Marines (02:43) o Joined because he thought the Marines could offer him a chance to see the World. (03:02) o Briefly describes the events of 1944 in some detail. He like many other recruits feared that the war would end before they saw any combat and could serve their country. (03:37)  Where he went (04:18) o Boot Camp (04:30)  After high school, he briefly relates a brief period of time where he waited for marching orders. By June, 1944 he was sent to Parris Island, SC to the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot by train for processing. (04:38) � Upon getting off, he mentions that he was met by the sternest looking corporal he had ever seen. Briefly describes what he was like. (05:17)  Describes what the first days of basic training were like and how they were treated. Mentions the process of how they received their uniforms, and split into platoons of about 80 men. Briefly mentions their living arrangements and daily routine. (05:48)  Was in basic training for about 10 weeks during summer, 1944 at about which time their drill instructors worked them to death to quickly train them and then send them to the Pacific as fast as possible. (08:28)  Vander Veen mentions learning how to march and drill in close formation. Also took classes in grenade throwing, swimming, bayonet training, and shooting on the rifle range. Training also consisted of determining who was suitable to handle the M1 rifles and dividing up the marksmen from the snipers. (08:51)  The grueling physical and mental conditioning they put the men under helped to make them the 2nd best branch in the U.S. Armed Services behind the Paratroopers. Briefly describes what his graduation was like in July/August, 1944. Following this he took a battery of tests to determine where he could best serve. It was determined he would be suited for taking advanced infantry training to go into the Marine infantry at Camp Lejeune, NC. (10:42)  Briefly describes what his parents’ reaction was to him joining the military. (13:34) o Camp Lejeune training (13:48)  After basic training, he was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he describes what life was like as a lowly Marine private fresh out of boot camp. The training consisted of training under-fire conditions to prepare them on how to react in combat situations. It was a rigorous process where knowing the material was more important than how much you trained. (14:09)  Following his training here, he was sent by cattle car to the Pacific. When they left Parris Island, Marines usually began to lose track of some of their buddies that they went through the training with. (15:43) �o Camp Pendleton, CA (16:48)  Describes journey in some detail to the next place he served. Ended up stationed at a base located just above Oceanside, CA near San Diego. The war mentality prevalent in the Marines during this time was not so much on the mounting casualties being accumulated with island-hopping but getting trainees through the program quickly to be sent to the Pacific. (17:22)  From Oceanside, California he was taken by cattle car to San Diego where his unit boarded an troop transport named the General HM Ernest. Left port on a Sunday. Describes the thoughts of many Marines and the seasickness running rampant among the men. (19:22) o Their journey took them past Hawaii to the Russell Islands, a branch of the Solomon Island chain. The whole time they were not aware of where they were going. (21:02) o Banika Island, Solomon[Palau?] Islands (21:24) o Was attached to the 32nd Replacement Draft which landed on an island called Banika Island, 4 miles from Peleliu, the relief island station for the 1st Division. (21:27) o Remained here for four weeks before being transferred to the 1st Division. Upon arriving here in December, 1944 he describes what the weather and his living conditions were like. Spent his time loading ammo. (22:14)  After his time here, he was put aboard a bananas boat assigned to the 4th Joint Assault Signal Company, a combined air and naval artillery liaison group. (25:30) o As a raw green recruit attached to the 1st Division the veterans in his unit didn’t accept him initially until he proved himself in combat. (26:22) o Peleliu (26:51)  Briefly describes what the camp setup was like here. Before leaving the island they practiced landing drills here and in Guadalcanal before pushing off for Okinawa. (27:39) �Active Duty (28:08)  Campaign Background (28:14) o Left the Solomon Islands on March 15th, 1944 [1945] bound for Okinawa. Their convoy met up at a little atoll called Ulithi Atoll, Yap, Micronesia. Describes how it was the largest convoy invasion fleet in the Pacific Theater of WWII. The place that they met was the sight of where the aircraft carrier, [USS Franklin] had been bombed and sunk [not sunk, but very badly damaged] killing 700 with only a handful of survivors. The fleet stayed here for two to three days before moving on. (28:15)  Okinawa Invasion (30:25) o The invasion of Okinawa began on April 1st, 1945. Vander Veen describes the opening hours of the naval barrage of the shoreline in some detail as well as where the landing site being on the north of the island and the Japanese position being on the south-side of Okinawa. (31:01) o The first couple of days were ones of difficult fighting. While the 2nd Division landed in the south and faced heavy casualties, the 1st Division faced light resistance in the jungle terrain, hills and crags of northern Okinawa. Briefly describes the grotesque sight and stench of garbage on Okinawa. (33:02) o Marching inland, their amphibious trucks got bogged down in the mud, while they took weeks to resupply. Mentions that on top of this they had to content with hundreds of flies and mosquitoes eating them alive. (34:56) o They eventually relieved the 27th Infantry on the line and encountered fierce resistance as the 27th Infantry withdrew and his unit took up their position. They faced heavy Japanese artillery bombardment. Briefly describes one encounter of the Japanese’ treatment of Okinawa’s civilians. (35:59) o Vander Veen briefly mentions how men would be shoulder to shoulder with one another at the front. Also relates how when attacking their objectives were measured in yards and destinations. To reach their objectives the Marines had to climb over crags and hills. Once they reached the southern end of Okinawa his Marine unit was told to march back to the northern end to conduct policing activities since the island was considered secure even though Japanese resistance was still prevalent in the south. (39:10) o At about this time, two atom bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Relates how he might not have been around had they been made to invade mainland Japan. With the A-bomb being dropped, he mentions that though �celebrations occurred on VE Day, there was much apprehension and suspension among the men as to whether the war had actually ended as they were being redeployed to northern China. (41:35)  Northern China (43:20) o Background (43:30)  Stayed in the area around Tientsin, China during his occupational duty. (43:43) o Occupation Duty (43:45)  Was put aboard an attack transport with the 1st Division while a typhoon hit the island they were stationed at. They then headed to Northern China in December, 1945 to restore Chinese rule there. While here it was part of his job to disarm Japanese soldiers, accept their surrender and send the Japanese settlers who had lived here for over a decade home to Japan. (43:46)  Was with the 3rd Battalion 7th Marines as he arrived in Tanggu Harbor which is 10 to 15 miles from Tientsin, China (44:46)  For the first month in China, he and his comrades were treated as liberators among the Chinese people but then the feeling fell to the wind. Spent a year in northern China where while here he describes the common Chinese stereotypes of westerners and vice versa of Chinese people. Takes a real look at these misconceptions. (45:19)  Briefly describes the smells and the daily routine that he and his comrades had while guarding a coal mine in Tientsin. Describes one episode in brief detail with some kids and the local authorities. (46:24)  For a two week period, Vander Veen’s unit spent their time warding off river pirates. Briefly relates what his living conditions were like here and that before going home was transferred to an artillery company in the 11th Marines. (48:27)  Describes one incident where a drunken kid was shot by a Marine for stealing a cookie where months before the Marine would have been given a medal for it. (50:17)  Briefly describes what the Chinese people were like and their attitudes towards Westerners. Also mentions that he turned 20 �while serving in China and that the training was more like a pleasure trip. (51:08)  Stayed in contact with his family by writing letters home. Describes the mailing system in brief detail. (54:01) o Going Home (54:29)  Was given a two week before being going home. (54:30)  For many Marines, the pull to get back to a normal life and start families was stronger than exchanging addresses to keep track of comrades afterwards. For the World War II generation this was a common mentality. (54:55)  Went home aboard a transport ship in July but was then quarantined for having scarlet fever in N. China for a month and then arrived in San Diego, California. First thing they did was go to Camp Pendleton to recuperate. (55:58)  Arrived back in the states with the option of being discharged or continuing his service. He was discharged at Great Lakes, IL in 1946. His family was aware he was coming home. (57:26) After the Service (58:10)  Adjusting to Home (58:20) o Upon being discharged, his family met him at Union Station as did many other families and salesmen who expressed their gratitude to him and his comrades. Describes the reception he received. (58:46)  Reflection (59:23) o Describes how his military experience shaped him as a person and his life today. Without his military background things probably would have been a lot different. (1:00:03) o The interviewer relates how through his various experiences how discipline was one of the things that many servicemen have taken away from their experience. (1:00:52)  Interview Ends (1:03:41) � 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 VanderVeenM Title A name given to the resource Vander Veen, Maurice (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vander Veen, Maurice Description An account of the resource Morris Vander Veen is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Marines from 1944 to 1946. In this account he discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and training in the U.S. and the Pacific. Serving his active duty in the Pacific Theater, Vander Veen gives one a brief but detailed perspective of what island-hopping fighting was like specifically focusing on the fighting on Okinawa. He then discusses in some detail what his occupational duties and responsibilities were while stationed in northern China. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Michigan Military Preservation Society (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine 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 2005-01-17 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ed8007adac6587e46e7918ee74f06340.mp4 579207fff8b287e63824161b7b732167 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0197c2702b9dc6a2823d06947980229c.pdf 6bca15a67283fb8b73ac09bedc5fbf1f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project William Vander Wall (1:39:36) (00:15) Background Information • • • • • William was born in Spring Lake, Michigan in 1922 He grew up during the depression and his family was very poor William went to high school in Grand Haven, but flunked out during his senior year in 1940 William began working for his father, but decided that he wanted to join the Marines after Pearl Harbor was attacked William was accepted into the Army on April 1, 1942 (4:45) Training in Tennessee • William began infantry training in Tennessee for six weeks • He was training as a gunner on a mortar squad • Later on his father advised him to get out of working as a gunner • William then volunteered to take part in amphibious training (11:00) Camp Edwards, Massachusetts for 2.5 months • William began amphibious training with mock landings on the coast every day starting at 6am • They each had to carry a large box full of sand, that simulated a package of ammunition • The coast was divided up between the Army and the Navy for training • They also worked on clearing mines and barbed wire to make way for tanks and trucks (16:30) Baltimore, Maryland • William was sent to Baltimore to help clean up the ship they were going to take overseas • The ship had been rammed and needed to be cleaned up and fixed • William had fun hanging out in Baltimore during his nights off (19:45) Trip Overseas • William had been living on the ship while they were loading and getting ready to leave • They left on October 19th towards North Africa with General Patton • There were two battalions on the ship, which was a troop transport ship called the USS Harrison • They had good sea weather with few submarine alerts and no attacks • William was given five books describing all the five areas they were planning on invading �(24:45) French Morocco • They ship landed on the beach and William was chosen to carry the flag, which was a bad idea because everyone was shooting in the flag • All the men were running off the ramp of the boat and they were being shot at by the Vichy French with machine guns • The men were stuck on the beach being shot at until tanks came in to help (31:50) Traveling Through Morocco • The men got past the shooting and ended up in a small town near Casablanca • They traveled through Casablanca and across North Africa without much opposition • William traveled through Algiers and Medennine; it was the first time he had ever seen any Arabs • They helped unload supplies in port towns while the US was getting ready for the invasion of Sicily (38:40) Sicily • William traveled with many others on an LST for three days • The weather was very stormy and William was sick the whole time • After landed in Sicily they established a beachhead and were not attacked during their landing • William remembered the first time he was very scared, July 10, 1943 when a German came flying and shooting at the men • The torpedo dropped seconds too quickly and hit the water, missing the LST • The men quickly traveled North towards Palermo and then went towards Messina • Many Italians gave up and were taken prisoner (48:30) Salerno Invasion September 15 • The Germans had known the Americans were coming and met them there on the beach • William arrived two days into the invasion with fading resistance • He helped bring in supplies into the devastated area while a bulldozer cleared the way for the men • They moved on into Naples to clear a port that had been blocked up by bombed ships (53:30) Anzio Invasion January 22 • This area was very wet and it was constantly raining • There was no resistance and they set up a beachhead, but were attacked by Germans later that night • They fought the Germans for five months before finally moving on • They began working in Anzio fixing devastation caused from fighting �• They area had been hit hard by German tanks and air raids (1:07:15) Rome • Rome was already an open city and the Germans had left heading North • The men spent two days touring Rome and relaxing • They then headed North for the Germans, but had to pull all the way back to Salerno again Where they began preparing for the invasion of Southern France (1:08:40) French Invasion • They traveled through Corsica and Sardinia with very nice weather • They then landed at Saint Rafael where they ran into some German resistance • A US LST was being bombarded by Germans and later blew up on the beach • The infantry continued to fight and some Germans began surrendering near the Rhone • German resistance continued near Alsace and Lorraine • They were fighting in December and it was very cold (1:18:50) Battle of the Bulge • William and others were moving towards the Battle, but were not aware of it • They were sleeping in an old abandoned German barracks when they were ordered to immediately move out • They traveled towards the battle, still unaware of it, and began blowing up roads to slow down any German movement (1:25:20) France • The men moved back into France and were preparing to cross the Rhone with the 85th pontoon outfit, which took 9.5 hours • They crossed the river and headed towards a labor concentration camp than built underground air craft • There were many Jews and women working there with dead bodies in the streets • They finally got news of the war’s end and headed to Marseilles to leave on a hospital ship � 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_VanderWallW Title A name given to the resource Vander Wall, William (Interview outline and video), 2008 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-09-04 Description An account of the resource William Vander Wall was born in Spring Lake, Michigan in 1922. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, he was very anxious about joining the service and was accepted into the Army on April 1, 1942. William trained with a mortar squad in Tennessee and also went through amphibious training in Massachusetts. On October 19th, they left on the USS Harrison towards French Morocco. William proceeded to help in the invasions of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Southern France. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vander Wall, William Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. 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/3978b6ec5c04c0a73b50f149c8d96e54.jpg bddb78c77e00f2ffaef111bedeb006c7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/adf19bd41ef0dd02fd958889bfdccfcd.jpg 241b0a95ba8065fc638c41d6c362c8cb 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 Adriana B. and Peter N. Termaat collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Termaat, Adriana B. (Schuurman) Termaat, Peter N. Description An account of the resource Collection contains genealogical, personal, and family papers and photographs documenting the lives and interests of Adriana and Peter Termaat. The bulk of the materials are related to family history and genealogical research carried out by the Termaats, including research notes and materials about places in the Netherlands that were significant to the Termaat and Schuurman families, such as the city of Alkmaar. Other materials in the collection are related to the Termaats' experiences on the eve of and during the Second World War, especially the German occupation of the Netherlands and the Termaats' participation in organized resistance to the Nazis. Also included are materials that document the family's post-war life in the United States, including their public efforts to recognize, commemorate, and honor people and events significant to World War II. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1869 - 2012 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/719">Adriana B. and Peter N. Termaat collection, RHC-144</a> Subject The topic of the resource Netherlands Netherlands--History--German occupation, 1940-1945 World War, 1939-1945 World War, 1939-1945 -- Underground movements -- Netherlands Dutch Dutch Americans Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-144 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text Image Type The nature or genre of the resource application/pdf image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng nl Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-144_Termaat_PHOT_1900-Adriana-Termaat-recto-img762 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vanderen, Leonard (photograher) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 Title A name given to the resource Adriana Termaat (1879-1952), circa 1900 Description An account of the resource Portrait photograph of Adriana Termaat (1879-1952), dauther of Aris Termaat (b. 1832) and Neeltje DeJong (b. 1847), taken by J. W. Besyn in Alkmaar, circa 1900. Subject The topic of the resource Dutch Group portraits Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/719">Adriana B. and Peter N. Termaat collection (RHC-144)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">No Known Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/036e3be69654652dbde2db42f826c23f.mp4 d7711fe14a542399c164c7564ec249d4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ff3e592fc0ad1d4dea35734e64e647ed.pdf 6e120a23c61683ac260c4d91d206186a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee: Henry Vandermeer Length of Interview: 00:40:27 Background        Born in Holland in the province of Friesland, in a small town just north of the capital of Leeuwarden. He was born in 1931. There were 10 children in his family. His father was a baker. His family was very active and very stable. He did not know what hunger was because of the family business. He did see hunger in others though. He was about ready to go to school, when he saw the local sheriff talking to his father. He would ask what it was about and that’s how he found out that the Germans had invaded Holland. He was 9 when the Germans invaded. It took them 5 days to occupy the country and 7 days to get to their town. German Occupation (3:15)             There were not many Germans in his town, but they did round up all the radios and bicycles. When the Germans did take the town, life became different. They were very authoritative. When they would paste announcements on someone’s house in the town that became the new rules that they had to live by. For example, they had a curfew by 8 pm. Some people were under house arrest. There were some people who kept and hid their radios and they would type or write out the news and share it with the people. It was the only way they got information. The Germans would give them news, maybe a couple of days late, but with always a twist on it. They made it seem as if they were always winning, even after 1944. There were German collaborators, but they were Nazi supporters before the war started. He thinks they got along with them in order to survive. He would continue going to school until 1944 when they emptied out the building so that German soldiers would stay there. But no one ever did. It stayed empty. Some of them would go to the teacher’s house to get tutoring. There was some active Dutch resistance. The English would drop in weapons for them to use. There was not a lot of violence in his village, but there were some men who were executed. His village did not suffer from any food shortages in his village, even in the late stages of the war. There were a lot of people in his community who made their own food. �         The Canadians and the Dutch resistance would help to liberate their village. He had found out that they had taken their line all the way up from France. They also had a dog with them. He could not believe it. There was not a lot of resistance by the Germans when they were pushed out. In fact, most of the fighting and deaths would happen to the south of his village. (11:30) The Canadians would load up a lot of their food and have it taken to other places throughout Holland that were suffering from hunger. They also appointed a mayor to try to help things get back to the way they were. His family would stay in Holland until 1946. Then his family would live in Apeldoorn for 6 years, while his father tried to create another business for himself. They would then move to the United States. His father decided to move to America because they had friends and family in Grand Rapids to help them. The economy was better here too. His family sent him and his sister there first in March 1952. They would get an apartment and set up a life for them and prepare for when their family moved over 3 months later. There was a Dutch Military obligation due to the conflict in Indonesia. Basic Training (15:40)                He was supposed to report for duty for March 14th, 1952. He left on March 7th and the first piece of mail he received here was telling him that he had to report for duty. He contacted the Dutch consul in town and wrote them that he was not coming back. He would then have to sign up for the local draft board. He would later on be drafted into the American Army as a non-citizen. Going in as a non-citizen, means that he would be awarded his citizenship on completing his time in the military. He would be sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for his basic training. It was all wooden barracks and it was rapidly build for WWII. His first 8 weeks of basic training and the next 8 weeks he would be trained in baking, butchering and cooking school. He asked for that training. He liked that too because he did not have to pull any guard duty or KP or anything like that. Infantry training was tough at first. They did a lot of marching and would march 5 miles. He knew English before he entered the Army. He had met an elderly gentleman who would teach him. He still is learning, but he knew enough that it got him by in the Army. While he was in basic, there were about a dozen non-citizen people who would serve with him. He would spend 18 weeks at Fort Leonard Wood. Once he was finished, he was sent on a plane to Camp Kilmer, New York [New Jersey]. He was there for 2 weeks and he didn’t know anyone. He felt very out of place. He didn’t have much to do either. The only assignment he had was to fry eggs for 3500 men, one morning. Eventually he was put on a ship and sent to . It was a owned by the merchant marines. There were about 2,000 troops on the ship and it took over 2 weeks to get there. The weather got really back when they hit the North Sea. � Some of them were sick the whole trip, though he did not have any problems. He learned that fresh air helped. Europe (22:35)                       He was taken to Bremerhaven in Northwestern Germany. From there he took a train to another German city, and then on to La Rochelle, France. They would drop some off at other cities along the way. He would be sent to a hospital in the town. The town itself was old, but the camp stayed in a different town. It had not been hit by bombs or anything during the war. He saw the German submarine station there which he would see on multiple occasions. He would work with a dietitian while at the hospital. The hospital was broken into three wards: the medical ward, the ladies ward, and one for the mental cases. The hospital did not treat the local population, but they did those who were in civil service. Since the hospital was so old, it did not have an elevator. His job was to be in charge of the medical ward food. He had to get the right orders from the sergeant and bring the food up and distribute it. It was an easy job to do. There were a lot of American troops based in the area at the time. There was a supply line that would go through the area on their way into Germany. Some people in the line would get sick and they needed a place to go. The hospital would provide a place for the people to stay. Sometimes they were shipped out of their hospital to Paris and then back to the US. During the time he was there, he had some time to look around. He would find the southern part of France, wine country, very interesting. He would also make a trip to Holland for two weeks. He would go back to his old home town. The town was pretty much the same as when he went back. He would also go back to visit in 1995 and then things were very different. There were 19,000 Canadians there and it was very interesting. He spent 20 months in La Rochelle. He would have quite a bit of contact with the local population. Quite a few of them worked for them at the hospital. A couple of them viewed him differently than others because he was originally Dutch. In general, the French attitude toward the American servicemen was not very good. He was always told to stay away from certain places. The communist and socialists in France were not very friendly. They especially had a problem with the American soldier who came in with their money and only cared about girls. He says that there were certain people who really gave the Army a bad name. They got intoxicated and acted like fools. The French really liked to talk politics. All they talked about was how they were so good and the Americans were so bad. He was also there when France struggled to keep hold of Indo-China. (32:30) He always stayed away from trouble, like rallies and marches. � When they had to go to the markets, they really appreciated the business. Post Duty (34:30)       When he got back to the United States, he arrived on a Friday and since it was after 4, they were not able to be discharged. And since everyone had Saturday off, he had to wait until Monday until he was discharged. He almost reenlisted into the Army. He really wanted more schooling. He had no American schooling to speak of and only a little schooling in the Netherlands. The only schooling he had in the Army was how to use a rifle and some schooling from the chef. In the end he decided not to stay in because he had a family at the time. He got married when he came to live in the US. He was married by the time he got drafted. When he got out of the Army, he worked in his previous job at a large company with a lot of benefits. They were very good to him, and it paid off to stay with them because of the benefits they gave him. His time in the military was very educational for him. He would also grow a certain appreciation for the country and the government. � 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 VandermeerH Title A name given to the resource Vandermeer, Henry (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vandermeer, Henry Description An account of the resource Henry Vandermeer was born in the Netherlands in 1931 and lived there during the Nazi occupation. His family emigrated to the United States in 1952, and he served in the US Army. He was sent to La Rochelle, France, where he worked in an army hospital. 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 Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-02-22 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ee93326950a822191da08842792e4554.mp4 2eb49acd3ba48cbcd671e8ea8fd468ca https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dbbb73e278fa2c2a7a3c95c9e0ed9bc9.pdf f9573035b285c94bf3a7966b6a2dd9cf PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Jim VanderMoere Length of interview (1:01:52) (:10) Background/Drafted • (:10) He was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and went to high school there. • (:26) He turned eighteen in January of 1943. The drafted went on steadily throughout this time. Some of the men in his class were drafted before they graduated, but the principal managed to have their drafts delayed until after graduation. • (:52) He graduated from Central High school and was drafted on 6/11/1943, and was at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station on 6/22/1943. • (1:23) His family was fortunate during the Great Depression. His father was an office worker, and although he had to change jobs frequently he usually had a job. He worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance once. • (1:55) He heard about the Pearl Harbor attacks that afternoon. The radio broadcast was interrupted for the report. He had not heard of Pearl Harbor until that time. From then on the news followed reports of the war more closely. • (2:20) He did not really follow the war prior to the Pearl Harbor attacks. The war was a frequent source of discussion while he in high school. A friend of his decided to drop out and enlist in the Navy. He later wished he had known, and he probably would have joined him. • (3:03) His teachers had them perform exercises while still in school to ready them for military training. He was drafted by the Kent County draft board. • (3:54) He took a train with two friends to Detroit, Michigan. He was rejected because his blood sample was too old, and his other friend was rejected because of his poor eyesight. The third man was the only accepted, and he was only seventeen. • (5:22) He decided to join the Navy when he was drafted. They were given the option for the Marines, the Navy, or the Army. The option was not given when any branch had staff shortages. • (5:57) He had liked the outdoors, and had been in the Boy Scouts and the sea Scouts. (6:22) Training • (6:22) All the administration was done from Detroit. Ten or eleven men from his high school were in boot camp with him. He had to catch up with them because he had been delayed from the paperwork. He took a Greyhound bus. • (7:16) He had Basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois. It was very physical and they had frequent drills. They had companies of about seventy-five men. Since it was July, Basic was very hot. �• (8:23) They did not call the “drill sergeants” sergeant. Most of them were recently graduated CPO’s who were a little older than they were. Most of them were fair. • (9:03) Most of the draftees were younger men. Some older men had enlisted as well. Some of the older men dropped out, or were eased out because they couldn’t keep up with the training physically. • (9:50) Near the end of boot camp he was given a choice on how to advance. He had taken frequent aptitude tests while he was in the Navy. He had wanted to be a gunner, or a machinist, or possibly a radioman. He was disqualified from being on an aircraft carrier because of his aptitude tests. He did not agree with it at the time, but didn’t do anything about it. He chose to go to diesel school. • (11:24) He went to diesel school at Navy Pier, which was very close. He had about five hundred men in his company this time. It was a good school, and he learned how to service small diesel engines. The instructor told them they would probably be on a small landing craft, and emphasized the importance of such craft. He was later given the option of being a submariner, and decided to take it because it had better pay and better food. • (13:03) About fifty men were eligible to be submariners. This was where he met his friend Don Bennett. At the time, he did not think of the dangers of being a submariner and saw it as an adventure. • (13:46) Next he was put into Spritz’s Navy. Spritz was a tough and mean man. He was tested frequently while in Spritz’s Navy. He had psychiatric tests frequently. One of the testers asked him if he was related to Johnny Vandermeer, a baseball player who had had a good season that year. He is not related to Johnny Vandermeer. He also had constant physicals. • (15:12) Many of the men did not pass the physicals. Others could not keep up with the classes. Diesel school was much different from boot camp. They went out on an old S-boat which had been built in 1918 or 1919 for practice. It was old and rusty. • (16:17) The first time he was on board a sub it was an old rusty sub. They gradually worked up to better quality, and larger submarines. They only dived about twenty or thirty feet in the older subs, and had to be very delicate with them. • (17:08) He knew submarines very well by the time he was on active duty. One of the options was for men to learn how to use the electric subs. Another option was to work at various shipyards. (17:37)Deployed/Service Crew • (17:37) The crews were made from a combination of new men and veterans. • (18:28) He was on a troop transport within two days of graduating. On the way, he saw a man he had gone to high school with, and a former neighbor. They were assigned to duty alphabetically, so he was separated from his friend Bennett. He stayed overnight on Treasure Island. • (19:40) He was sent out on a Liberty ship. He slept in one of the many holes. He thought the ship was very crowded, and too full at the time. The ship also had tugboats, and other supplies on board. They had an on-deck shower. �• (20:38) They were on the ship for twenty-eight days. They went to Milne Bay, New Guinea. They saw one plane during the trip, but it turned out to be an American plane. This was during 1944. • (22:03) The area was jungle, and the men enjoyed some of the local food. Some of the men got sick after eating coconuts. They had to take tablets for malaria, which made them yellow after awhile. They were in this area for about ten or twelve days, and unloaded goods keep busy. • (22:45) They were put on a landing craft, and then put on the H.M.A.S. Westralia without much notice. The Westralia was an early cruise liner, and it had just come back from the landing at Hollandia, New Guinea. They were sent to Sydney, Australia. The Westralia was a large ship, and the bunks were four or five beds deep. • (23:33) He continued to wait for submarine duty, and was not notified of any future developments. They stayed in Sydney, Australia for one night. Then they were sent out by rail, on the only railroad at the time. Each railway had their own gauges, so they had to change cars frequently. They threw bread to the aborigines on the way. • (24:40) They arrived in Perth, Australia and then went to Fremantle by truck. Next they were assigned to the U.S.S. Orion a sub tender. He was assigned a bunk, and was put on menial labor to start out. • (25:47) A “tender” is a ship which carries on board everything a submarine needs; a foundry, a wood-working section, everything. The relief crew would repair the subs after each patrol. The subs were repaired for two weeks. He was in Australia about eight months, and Australia was a good duty. • (27:49) They had gas and food rationing in Australia, and the taxis used charcoal. After awhile, he and some other men began to itch for a more active duty. The Sunfish (which Bennett was on) was a “thin-skin” submarine and went about three hundred feet beneath surfaces. He wanted to go on a “thick skin” submarines, which could go about five hundred feet beneath the surface. The Blenny was a thick skin submarine. He was later assigned to the Blenny. He and Bennett could have been assigned to the Flyer, which exploded after hitting a mine. (30:37) Submarine Duty • (30:37) On February 5th, 1945 he was assigned to the Blenny. The crews were rotated frequently, and many of the men completed their duty in Australia. They went to the Lombok Straits, which were used to enter Indonesia. The straits were deept, and impossible to mine. It was also about one thousand miles away. • (32:19) The subs patrolled alone, and they went near French Indochina, as it was called then. • (32:47) On their first patrol they had problems with the torpedoes—they smoked. A Japanese destroyer dropped fifteen depth charges on them. He was in the aft torpedo room and served as part of the reload crew at the time. Part of the sink came off, and the lights went out during the depth charge. They also had lightning inside the sub from the electrical equipment in the control room. �• • • • • • • • • • • • (34:42) After the first depth charge he asked the cook, if the depth charge had been particularly bad. The cook told him “you dummy, if it was any worse, you wouldn’t be standing there!” It had been a very close call, apparently. (35:11) They sank a number of Japanese ships on the patrol. They sank a 10,000 pound tanker, a 7,500 ton freighter, two 4,000 ton freighters, and they damaged two 10,000 ton tankers. It was a night attack out of Cam Ranh Bay. The tankers were filled gasoline, and had escorts. They had planned the attacks with radar, and compensated for enemy evasion. (31:45) They fired four torpedoes at the first target, and broke it in two with two or three hits. They fired another two at a secondary target, and two more at a third. The second two were damaged, but not sunk. Sinking an enemy ship was initially joyous occasion, but then it became a somber one. (37:28) On the second patrol, they sank a freighter, and a small sub-chaser in a bay while they were anchored. They used the electric motor to be quieter, and again attack at night. One of the men in the torpedo room fired a torpedo and then ran up to the deck in time to see the torpedo hit the target. Their skipper was a very brave man. (39:31) They used their equipment to the fullest. The torpedoes continued to be an issue, but it was mostly taken care of by 1945. Jim thinks the men who designed the torpedoes did not want to admit their failures with the torpedo, which was why it took so long for them to be fixed. (40:33) The worst attack was on their last patrol as the war was winding down. The Japanese had begun to be more careful with their depth charges because they had a shortage of resources. They also used anything for transport because of ship shortages. (41:31) They had left Fremantle on about the Fourth of July, 1945. They went into the Gulf of Siam, which was blockaded by subs. (42:08) On the last patrol, they sank sixty-three vessels within forty-five days, which was a Navy record in the area. They stopped with other American subs to reload on ammunition in order to continue their patrol. (42:50) They had an ice cream machine on the sub. At one point the gear broke, and was repaired by one of them men. After the war, they joked with some other men that they nearly ended the patrol when the ice cream machine broke. (43:39) A fire once broke out in the number four motor, and the rigging on the submarine broke. They debated ending the patrol, but decided to repair the sub instead. They dove to three hundred and seventy-two feet in order to repair it. It took more than a day. Afterwards they surfaced, and the skipper opened the hatch. The change in pressure was large enough that the sub jumped and he cut his head. They had few accidents on subs, mostly men falling. He has a saying that there are “no Purple Hearts in the submarine service, we went all out or all back.” (45:45) One of the men simply broke during a depth charge attack. He was soon transferred. This was an unusual occurrence, probably because they had been tested so rigorously. (46:40) During their last patrol they sank sailboats that were carrying supplies to the Japanese. They would take the crew onto the submarine, search the boat, and �then sink it if they found anything. After about twenty to thirty evacuations they had to drop off all the civilians. They usually dropped them off on a larger sailboat. Eventually they had a cockroach problem because of all the transfers on and off the sub. • (48:01) The skipper wanted to sink a tugboat and eventually they found a tugboat that they ran aground. One of the men on the tugboat had jumped off the ship and ran to a nearby island. He was nearly hit, but not hurt, by an artillery shell and badly scared. They burned the barges the tugboat had been hauling. The war ended the fifteenth of August. • (49:15) They made “trim dives” to clean the subs after patrol. They had two radars, one for aircraft and one for ships. The radarman said “all clear” once, thinking that all the radar blips were islands and they surfaced right under an enemy aircraft. The enemy plane promptly dropped a bomb at them, but missed. This happened eight days before the war ended. • (50:51) The Cod was part of the blockade on the Japanese. An enemy plane made a strafing run at them while they were surfaced, and some of the men jumped off the sub and onto the ship to avoid the gunfire. They were later tracked down by the sub. • (52:44) They had all expected the war to end soon, and followed the news. He remembered the news about the nuclear tests. • (53:25) They had heard about the bombing in Japan, and were ordered to cut the patrol short and to go home. • (54:00) On the Blenny’s first patrol (which he was not on) they had found an enemy troop transport and fired at it. They missed because the periscope had been on the wrong resolution. The Japanese recovered the torpedoes and used them. (55:31) Post-War • (55:31) Usually after a patrol they had two weeks as a break. On his last patrol they had only two or three days because the patrol was shorter. The subs in the area formed a group to depart. • (56:07) The Admiral gave a speech on board each sub. The subs left by way of Guam Harbor, and then split up. He saw many ships on the way, and got on a supply boat to see if a friend from his church was on board. Bill Bass was not onboard, and he got in trouble for leaving the sub. He had had to spend the night on the supply boat because of an engine malfunction. The subs and ships made practice runs in the bay. • (58:39) On the way home they stopped in Pearl Harbor for one day, and then he went to San Diego, Claifornia. He visited Hollywood and then took a troop train to Illinois and then passed his boot camp on the way home. He was discharged on March 6th, 1945. • (59:27) He has been in submarine conventions since the 1950’s. The skipper has since passed away. • (1:00:08) He did not like school much. He was overseas while on duty for twenty-two months. After the Navy, he had some “rough edges” and drank which his mother did not approve of. His father advised he go to college, to smooth his “rough edges” and he went to Davenport. He became an insurance agent and �married in 1948. He had five children, and delivered three of them at his home. He had three daughters and two sons. One of them is an air traffic controller in Chicago. � 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 VanderMoereJ Title A name given to the resource VanderMoere, Jim (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanderMoere, Jim Description An account of the resource Jim Vandermoere was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was drafted on June 11, 1943 and started training at Great Lakes, Illinois eleven days later. He decided to join the Navy, and decided to become a submariner because it offered better pay and better food. He served in a relief crew on the sub tender U.S.S. Orion for eight months while in Australia. He was assigned to the submarine U.S.S. Blenny on February 5, 1945. He served on patrols near Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He served overseas for twenty-two months. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Montagna, Douglas (Interviewer) Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum (Muskegon, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-10-16 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/a144c4f1d20e90eb8a523e8ae28eaf34.pdf 70a5996f0a5a88f49286794a463611dd PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam Robert Vandermolen Total Time – (18:22) Background • • • • He enlisted August 26, 1974 Nearly all of his family had served (00:32) He says that everyone is lucky to go to war and come back out (01:20) He gained a lot of respect from his father for serving (01:47) Active Duty – (01:51) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • When he came home, everyone hated the military men (02:01) o A rock band tried to pick a fight with him on his way home He did not get to know any of the Vietnamese people (02:30) It was extremely hot and humid (02:50) He served in a combat mission in Cambodia (03:21) o It was finally declassified in 2000 He worked with mortars, machine guns, explosives, etc during the war (04:20) o He was part of fire support  They would fire explosives to thin out the enemy (04:59) His division was known as the “walking dead” (05:17) The food was very bad during the war It was not very difficult to get acclimated to life when he came home There was extensive training (06:20) o Yet, no one is prepared to go into war (06:48) He flew to Vietnam He landed in Yokohama, Japan (07:19) o Was snowed in here – then traveled to Okinawa o From Okinawa, they traveled to U-Tapao, Thailand where they exchanged for operations in Cambodia (07:39) o Did evacuations from Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam (07:44) He was there near the end of the war Most of the soldiers serving did not think that they would ever go home He keeps in touch with some of the guys he served with (09:08) He spent some time in the Philippines and then went to Korea (10:37) Every country was extremely different to go to Many of the natives in the different countries tried to rob them (11:12) �• • • • • • He enjoyed Thailand the most o The people were nice (11:56) He trained with the Navy, but did not spend much time with any other branch (12:52) o The Marines were self-contained He believes the Marine Corps will open up young men’s eyes (14:00) o The marines changes a person for life  Positive changes He believes that war is like a disease (14:40) He began seeing the war more realistically when he returned (14:57) He was 18 years old when he went into the Marines (15:35) After the Service – (17:03) • • • • After the marines, he sold cars (17:10) He then began working on oilrigs (17:20) He worked on building bridges for some time as well (17:55) Also spent some time working with metal fabrication � 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 VandermolenR0995V Title A name given to the resource Vandermolen, Robert (Interview outline), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vandermolen, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Vandermolen enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1974 when he was 18 years old. He spent several weeks training before he was sent to Yokohama, Japan. From Japan, he traveled to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Korea. In Vietnam and Cambodia, he assisted with the evacuations of civilians when their governments fell. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mitleer, Katherine (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Marine Corps Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-05-08 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7ca2c2a980d9e027122bf2d0ea3e2624.mp4 d6e701b7e5fab668215350cec2487216 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2f5ec1da32eaf985fabc5dcd48f0a5d8.pdf 197655c9218c273117e05600c81d0066 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Harry Vanderstow World War II Total Time: 17:11 Pre-War (00:02) • • • • Born in 1926. His parents were farmers, and he had 2 brothers and 1 sister. He worked on the Farm and went to school before the war. He was drafted into the Army in 1944. Training (03:20) • • Left for training on September 1st, 1944. Basic training was not too difficult for him. Active Duty (04:20) • • • • • • • • • • Served in France, Germany and Austria. He was scared a lot of the time, and did not enjoy his experience in the Army very much. Spent his passes going to London and Paris. He was in the fight for the city of Mannheim. He stayed in touch with his family at home via letters. Spent much of his downtime sleeping. They would have one man on guard and the other two men slept when they were in the foxholes. They carried wool GI blankets, which he slept on. He was awakened in the night to be told that the war had ended. He went over to Europe on the Queen Mary and came back to the US on the Queen Elizabeth. He was initially supposed to come back to the US after the war had ended in Europe and train for an invasion of Japan. However, the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Japan and they surrendered before he could go. He worked as a desk clerk at a camp in Arkansas until he was discharged. Post-War (11:45) • He did an ok job of adjusting to life out of the Army. • He maintained some contact with the friends he made in the army. � 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 VanderstowH Title A name given to the resource Vanderstow, Harry (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vanderstow, Harry Description An account of the resource Harry Vanderstow was born in 1926 and served in World War II. Vanderstow was drafted into the Army in 1944. He served in France, Germany, and Austria as a regular in the Infantry. He also worked at a desk job at a camp in Arkansas after the war was over Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Olson, Elisabeth (Interviewer) Vaughn, Stephanie (Interviewer) Saranac High School (Saranac, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-08-12 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/9edbf696029cf8c5ff3a3e463f130dcc.mp4 31fbdf109d2430559b57739580860394 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4950ac632c3e6f4650519f35ca1914a0.pdf 65ddfe95e9beed639ae2f99d30956578 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Name of War: Vietnam War Interviewee’s Name: William VanderWoude Length of Interview: 10 minutes Pre-Enlistment (00:11)  Childhood (00:12) o VanderWoude was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 11, 1948. (00:23)  Education (00:28) o Attended parochial school through high school. (00:32) Enlistment/Basic Training (00:41)  Why he joined up (00:42) o Was drafted under number 168 in November, 1971 into the U.S. Army at the age of 23 while holding a full-time job in teaching high school kids. (00:47)  Where he went (01:20) o Describes in some detail what training was like while at Fort Knox, Kentucky for 8 to 10 weeks. (02:00) Active Duty (02:17)  Background (02:24) o After basic training, because he had graduated college with mathematics major he had three options. These included reenlisting for another year, going to officer’s candidate school, or handling nuclear missiles. Was then sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he served his time during the course of the Vietnam War. (02:51) o Describes the feelings among nuclear testers such as himself who served there about not being sent to Vietnam. (03:09)  Fort Sill, OK (03:15) �o Describes what base life was like with all the responsibilities and rules he had. (03:49) o Further describes what he did to pass the time and what the food was like while stationed on base. (04:30) o Made reference to the close relationships he formed while in the military and who he kept in contact with. (05:04) o Served in the armed forces from November, 1971 to August, 1973 when he went back home to teach high school kids. Initially, he mentions signing a teaching contract o get out the Army early to go back to teaching. (05:38) After the Service (05:53)  Readjusting to Home (06:06) o Briefly mentions how tough it was to cope with the attitudes of civilians towards army men once they returned to their normal lives. (06:29) o Following the Vietnam War, VanderWoude mentions going back to teaching high school kids. (06:56)  Reflection (07:15) o Describes in some detail what his military experience taught him; his best memories, and what he took away from the experiences as a whole. (08:40) � 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 VanderWoudeW Title A name given to the resource VanderWoude, William (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanderWoude, William Description An account of the resource William VanderWoude is a Vietnam Era veteran, who served in the U.S. Army from November, 1971 to August, 1973. In this account, VanderWoude discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. VanderWoude briefly describes what his active duty experience was like as a nuclear missiles' tester in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. VanderWoude concludes by sharing his thoughts about his time in the service. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Greengard, Meredith (Interviewer) Martinez, Elissa (Interviewer) Forest Hills Eastern High School (Ada, Mich.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401 Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-06-03 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/213cab337dfd7548314b04b428e8149c.mp4 ea4b8285f1fbc5d41d31ea418be89e4a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a60ff699e3607439e7143d643c411fc4.pdf 7ed3d1d524500276beab1215548d871d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project William Van Dop World War II 50 minutes 54 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life -Born in Muskegon Heights, Michigan on July 20, 1926 -Parents were immigrants from the Netherlands -Came to the United States in 1919 -He was one of seven children -After completing the eighth grade he moved to Spring Lake, Michigan -Older brother had a farm and needed some help working it -Father died when he was three years old -Mother remarried in 1933 -Stepfather owned a truck farm -He and the rest of the family worked on the farm and brought crops to market -Fairly young during the worst of the Great Depression -Remembers feeling bitter about having to work on the farm -The upside to that though was the family had enough to eat -Always had fruits and vegetables -Also raised chickens and had one dairy cow -Able to stay in school -Went to ninth grade and tenth grade in Spring Lake -Went through the eleventh grade and twelfth grade in Grand Haven, Michigan -Graduated in June 1944 -Hitchhiked to school -No buses at the time -If he didn't catch a ride he had to walk to school -Five or six miles (00:03:47) Start of the War -Didn't pay too much attention to when the Second World War began in 1939 -Sister-in-law predicted that the war would be over before he would have to serve -Remembers riding in a friend's car in Grand Haven when he heard the news about Pearl Harbor -Didn't know where, or what, Pearl Harbor was -Rationing went into effect shortly after the United States entered the war -Worked at a gas station and remembers people using gas ration stamps -Felt the system worked well enough -One brother joined the 32nd Infantry Division -Another brother served in the Army Air Force -The brother that was in the 32nd Infantry Division got a medical discharge -Had to drive his brother's car from Louisiana back to Michigan -Only 15 years old -As the war went on he assumed he would eventually get involved -Tried to enlist in the Army Air Force between his junior and senior years of high school -Wanted to become a pilot -Turned away due to poor eyesight -Could have enlisted in the Navy at 17 years old, but the Navy didn't appeal to him �(00:07:29) Getting Drafted -Registered for the draft in July 1944 when he turned 18 -Thought he would have to report for service as soon as he was registered -Called up for active duty in November 1944 -Went to Fort Sheridan, Illinois for processing -Spent three days there (00:08:19) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Joseph T. Robinson near Little Rock, Arkansas for basic training -Did a lot of physical training -Got up early, then fell into formation, and marched to the mess hall for breakfast -The first three or four weeks were focused on getting recruits into good shape -Went to the rifle range -First week of rifle training consisted of “dry runs” (loading a rifle, but not firing it) -Learned how to shoot with the M1 Garand rifle and the M1 Carbine -Learned how to use other infantry weapons -Went to the grenade range and learned how to use hand grenades -Shown movies on how to protect themselves in the field -Dug foxholes -Learned that foxholes were the most basic, and sometimes best defense in the field -Went on the infiltration course -Crawled under barbed wire while a machine gun fired live rounds over their heads -Teaching soldiers how to approach an enemy position while taking fire -Finished basic training with a two week bivouac -Marched to various places then set up camp -Sometimes had to set up camp during the day, sometimes at night -Always made sure to find a level place in case it rained -High emphasis on discipline and following orders -Began to anticipate what an order would be, then the drill sergeants changed their routine -Learned that when you were ordered to do something it was best to just do it -Not difficult for him -Enjoyed it because it provided him with structure -Made him mature -Working on a farm physically prepared him for military service -A lot of the men couldn't march long distances -He found the long marches easy after walking to school as a boy -Basic training lasted 15 weeks -Ended sometime in spring 1945 (00:14:16) Fort Ord, California & Deployment -Given ten or 11 days “delay en route” -Meant he had a little over a week to get out to Fort Ord, California, so he could visit home -Took a train to Fort Ord, California -Spent a month at Fort Ord waiting for his next assignment -Went out each day for more training -In late May/early June 1945 he went to Oakland, California and boarded a troopship -Received advanced training at Fort Ord -More shooting -Combat training -Knew he would be sent over as an infantry replacement �-Issued heavy coats, so they thought they were being sent to Alaska -He was made part of the Advance Guard on the ship -Meant he went on first and did a security sweep of the ship -Got to go to the commissary and buy as much chocolate as he wanted -Ate his chocolate then threw it all up when they were only five miles out to sea -3,000 troops on the ship -Got a midday meal because he was part of the Advance Guard -It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -Trip was uneventful -Planes flew overhead with tow targets -Note: tow targets are targets towed by planes for antiaircraft practice -Chance for the 5 inch gun crews to have some practice -Sailed alone until they joined a convoy at the Mariana Islands -Missed Hawaii going across the Pacific Ocean and missed it when he came back to the United States (00:18:32) Arrival in the Philippines -Landed at Manila -Boarded trucks and taken to a replacement depot -Pulled guard duty at night on a rice paddy on the perimeter -Incredibly dark and he was nervous -Japanese had been defeated, but there were Filipino guerrillas in the area -Didn't know if they were friendly or not -Confined to the camp (00:20:30) Military Police (MP) Duty -Selected for Military Police duty -Disappointed that he wouldn't get to move on with his friends -Assigned to MP duty on August 1, 1945 -Posted to various gates at a camp located on Manila Bay -Patrolled the beach as well -Stayed on the compound -Guarding people on the base -Base was used as a transit center for freed civilian internees, soldiers going home, and nurses -Compound had a variety of barracks, a command center, and a mess hall -Civilian internees were kept separate from the military personnel -Unhealthy people -Only saw them for about two or three weeks before they had all been sent home -Incoming nurses stayed with them for a long time -Officers drove 70 miles just to meet the nurses -Not supposed to fraternize with the nurses, but the enlisted men still struck up conversation -The nurses did not stay on the base long because they were assigned to other bases -Didn't talk with the soldiers returning home -Different group of men and he could tell that they had been in the war for a long time -Most of them just wanted to focus on getting home -The nurses passing through the base came straight from the United States -Stationed at the base as an MP from August 1, 1945 – October 1946 -Became corporal of the guard then became sergeant of the guard -More assignments and more leadership responsibility -A Seabee unit left their compound, so it became a satellite compound for William's base -Used it for USO Shows -Meant the Military Police had to guard that too �-Remembers a 30 or 40 foot water tower they had to climb and use as a vantage point -Eventually got placed in the MP Command Center pulling telephone duty -Worked 4 PM to Midnight one day -Had the next day off -The day after that he worked from Midnight to 8 AM (00:28:28) Downtime in the Philippines -Had a lot of free time -Once he became a corporal he was allowed to check out a jeep from the motor pool -Used it to drive into Manila and into the nearby mountains -Took a tour of Corregidor (00:29:27) War Damage -The roads were in bad shape -Could tell that the Philippines were a war torn country -Living conditions were much better on the base than off the base -Civilians were living in primitive conditions (00:30:08) Filipino Civilians -Hired Filipino women to wash their laundry -They used stones and cold water to clean the clothes -Had to watch out for theft from the Filipino laborers used on the base -Had to search their bags when they went home at night -Allowed to take scrap food home -If they stole too much they lost their job -Filipinos he talked to were friendly -Filipinos didn't talk about what life was like during the Japanese occupation -Probably didn't want to relive those years -Most of the civilians he saw didn't have proper clothing and had definitely gone through a lot (00:32:25) Crime -No issues with gambling that he was aware of -There was probably prostitution going on around the base -Way for the Filipino women to support themselves (00:32:58) USO Shows -Saw USO Shows while in the Philippines -Entertainers would come to their compound and stay in the area for about two weeks -Perform at other nearby bases and camps -Doesn't recall seeing anyone famous, but got to meet the performers he did see -During basic training the singer, Lena Horne, performed for the men (00:34:25) Coming Home Pt. 1 -A lot of the senior enlisted men were being sent home -Men started to count their “points” -Points were awarded based on rank, length of service, and number of dependents -Once a soldier had enough points he was sent home -By the time he was ready to go home there wasn't much to do in the Philippines anyway -Men were encouraged to reenlist -Go home for 30 days then return to the Philippines for more service -Got two weeks advance notice before he knew he was going home (00:36:52) Filipino Independence Day -On July 4, 1946 the Philippines became an independent country -Remembers being in a crowd of Filipinos celebrating their new independence -They were excited about that �-Had been a Spanish colony, US territory, and under Japanese occupation (00:37:51) Coming Home Pt. 2 -Came back on a smaller ship -Ran into the tail end of hurricane -Rough voyage -Took 21 days to get back to the United States -Landed at Oakland, California -Brought into an enclosed area with beds, a mess hall, and a bowling alley -Got to have fresh milk and all the ice cream they wanted -Stayed in Oakland for one week -Sent to Camp Beale, California -When he arrived the base was already partially shut down -Waiting to be discharged -Discharged from there in the fall of 1946 (00:39:20) Life after the War -Returned to Michigan -Parents were getting ready to move to Florida, so he had nowhere to go -Brother was going to college at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan -Visited his brother and discovered that old high school friends were also attending -Had never entertained the idea of going to college -Brother and friends encouraged him to enroll -Enrolled at Ferris State University in November 1946 -Studied business management -Graduated in February or March 1950 -Worked for the IRS as a revenue agent in Muskegon, Michigan -Got married shortly after he graduated from college -Worked in Muskegon until 1973 then got transferred to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Met his wife on a blind date during college (00:43:00) Contact with Home during Service -Wrote to his mother -Occasionally wrote to his brothers and his step-brothers -Didn't get a lot of mail from home -Mother had to write to a lot of sons -She also didn't write English that well, so it was difficult for her to write letters (00:43:48) Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight -Son encouraged him to go on the Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight on May 16, 2015 -Felt it was an outstanding experience -Impressed by how organized and on time everything was -Greeted at Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport by a crowd of people -Completely taken aback that so many people would be greeting them so early in the morning -On May 15 he and the other veterans were treated to dinner at Thousand Oaks Country Club -Saw the national war memorials in Washington DC -Got to explore the World War II Memorial on his own with his son -Saw all of the monuments and memorials on the National Mall -Served dinner in a mess hall style in large WWII-era tents -Got back on the buses just as a rainstorm began -Only delay during the trip was due to the weather, not human error -Greeted at Gerald R. Ford International Airport by firetrucks giving them a salute with the hoses -Went to East Kentwood High School where thousands of people waited for them �-Thanked and honored for their service -Saw children as young as five years old and people as old as 80 years old -Grandchildren were there (00:50:15) Reflections on Service -Didn't enjoy all of his time in the Army, but is glad that he served -Impressed by how much people want to honor veterans for their service � 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_VanDopW1926V Title A name given to the resource VanDop, William (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-23 Description An account of the resource William Van Dop was born in Muskegon Heights, Michigan on July 20, 1926. He was drafted in late summer 1944 and reported for duty in November 1944. He received basic training at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas then received his advanced training in Fort Ord, California. He boarded a troopship in late May/early June 1945 and sailed to Manila in the Philippines. He was assigned to Military Police duty on August 1, 1945 and worked at a base on Manila Bay. William was stationed in the Philippines until October 1946. He sailed back to the United States and was discharged at Camp Beale, California in fall 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanDop, William Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/688540ee669b59031e5a329b2e0c5423.m4v d3e94411bc53105aa809998a6a934e7f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/02ca557c6609c6175c831a38f7d0c02f.pdf eeb3d8d3bb74a019091561a3a3b6306f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Willard Van Essen Korean War 1 hour 21 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in 1927 in Nobles County, Minnesota -Part of a family of 11 people -Father had a 640-acre farm -Lost it in the Great Depression, but was able to work to get it back -Had dairy cows, steer, pigs, and chickens -Had three silos -Very active farm -One of the best in the community at the time -Their primary crop was corn, but they also grew wheat, oats, and flax -Able to stay on the farm and keep their animals during the Depression -A man from Iowa bought the farm and allowed them to stay and work on it (00:03:00) World War II -He was 14 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor -Family was in church when an Elder announced that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor -Held a long prayer and everyone went home early -He was the youngest of four boys -They all talked about enlisting, but his father told them to wait and get drafted -Oldest two boys were drafted shortly after Pearl Harbor -One served in the Army in the European Theatre -He marched in General Patton’s funeral -Other brother was a Navy pilot stationed at Guam -Possibly shot down three or four Japanese fighter planes -Made Chief of Police on Guam due to health problems with flying -Brothers came home and worked on the farm (00:06:33) Calvin College -Wanted to go to college -Saw an advertisement to get his GED through the American School of Correspondence -Went to Minneapolis to take the test, but had trouble with algebra -Contacted Calvin College, because he wanted to study there since he was Christian Reformed -Had to prove he was serious because he hadn’t gone to high school -Had spent his teen years helping the farm transition from horses to tractors -Invited to visit Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan -A dean interviewed him and told Willard he would give him a chance -Took four courses as a trial period and proved he could handle college -Paid $65 a semester �-Didn’t have any problems adjusting to college -Wanted to be a teacher, so he had to take two foreign languages -Studied Spanish and took three years of Greek -Having Greek would allow to go into the ministry if he so chose -Wanted to be an elementary teacher -Ultimately graduated from Calvin College with a teaching degree (00:12:28) Teaching & Getting Drafted -Got a job at East Martin Christian School in Martin, Michigan -Taught there for a year -He received his draft notice -Had taught grades 6th – 8th and was also the principal (00:14:08) Army Reserve Pt. 1 -After his draft enlistment, he joined the Army Reserve, recommended by lieutenant -Paid for his studies at Michigan State University -Due to prior teaching experience, he was made the professor of one of his classes -Allowed the original professor to return to the University of Kansas -Worked out well for him -Also took courses through the University of Michigan -Offered a chance to become part of the staff at MSU, but declined -Completed his doctorate in communication and cultures (00:17:58) Basic Training -Got drafted in 1951 -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia, for his basic training -Went there by train -Had two sergeants overseeing the recruits and they were drunk the whole time -Got stuck in Memphis for three days -Group of recruits walked to a nearby diner to get food -Owner refused to serve the black recruit in the group -A recruit grabbed the owner and told him he would serve everyone -After three days, they finally proceeded to Augusta, Georgia -Received accelerated training because the Army needed soldiers for the Korean War -Did an infiltration course at day and at night -Crawling under barbed wire while live machinegun rounds were fired overhead -Went on a 30-mile hike -Physical training -Received rifle and bazooka training -Did a lot of marching and always marched with a rifle and various necessities -Watched all the instruction videos provided by the Army (00:23:37) Assignment to Records Department at Fort Gordon -Offered an officer’s commission several times, but he declined -Pulled aside the day before his unit went to Korea and told to report to a sergeant in records -Interviewed and told he could take over as the sergeant of records at Fort Gordon -Allowed it so that his wife could join him, so he took the job �-The next day, his company shipped out to Korea (00:26:08) Stationed at Fort Gordon -Started his duty as records sergeant greeting new recruits coming into Fort Gordon -Three weeks later, he received the dog tags of the men from his company killed in action -As soon as they got to Korea they were sent to the frontline -The men killed had fought and died at the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge -When his wife arrived at Fort Gordon, she got them a room in town -Willard went to eat dinner and stay with her -In the middle of the night, Military Police showed up at the room -Demanded proof that they were indeed a married couple -Fortunately, his wife had brought her marriage license with her -She had aspired to be a doctor, but her father forbade it due to traditionalism -Instead, she became a medical technician at Butterworth Hospital -She was able to get a job at Augusta University -Taught medical students there for three years until Willard’s discharge -She was firm and commanded the respect of her students -His job involved handling the records of incoming recruits -Had eight men working for him -Sorted recruits into training companies for basic training -Gave the recruits lectures about Fort Gordon, what to expect, and specialized training -Military Police Training, Radio Training, or Infantry Training -Sorted recruits into that training based on interest and prior experience -They didn’t have a choice, but their input was considered (00:35:18) Filling Deployment Orders -Filled deployment orders for the Korean War, stations in Alaska, and in France -Majority of the new recruits went to Korea -He had to make that call and never took it lightly -His lieutenant colonel gave him moral support for those tough decisions -Had a new graduating class every week -Because of the influx of recruits, he got ten more soldiers to help him -Several factors determined where a soldier would be deployed -Most of the men didn’t have a college education, so that was determinate -Were they married? Have families? Were they fit enough for combat? -Talked with company commanders about recommendations for their troops -Received a commendation for the record work he did at Fort Gordon -Stationed at Fort Gordon until he was discharged (00:39:09) Segregation & Race Relations -Hadn’t experienced or witnessed segregation until he came to the South -Ordered Army bus drivers to take black recruits -Felt they shouldn’t be discriminated against, especially since they were in the Army -Unfortunately, he had no power over civilian bus drivers in that regard -Wife saw discrimination at the hospital in Augusta -Some soldiers were afraid of segregation, and many Northerners didn’t understand it �-Had a couple black recruits from the North -Got recruits from the Midwest who had never seen a black person before -He never witnessed any racial tensions in the Army (00:42:53) Specialized Training at Fort Gordon -Had an excellent Radio School at Fort Gordon -After his service, a man approached him and asked Willard if he’d been at Fort Gordon -Thanked Willard for assigning him to Radio School -This man had been able to get a civilian job due to that experience -The Radio School at Fort Gordon was surrounded by barbed wire -Nobody could get in without security clearance -He was allowed to go in to interview soldiers -Asking if they felt Radio School was a good fit for them -Tried to reassign soldiers who wanted to be Military Police or Infantry -The instructors stayed with their own groups of trainees -There were four sections of the Radio School -Had pole linemen who were trained how to climb poles and work on radio lines (00:45:50) Relations with Other Soldiers -He didn’t want to make friends with any of the recruits -Couldn’t get attached to them if they were going into a warzone -Befriended some of the instructors -Organized volleyball teams (00:47:02) Contact with Civilians -Had no problems with the civilians in Augusta -Instructed not to wear uniform in downtown Augusta -Didn’t want to create a gap between civilians and military personnel (00:47:50) Army Reserve Pt. 2 & Life after Service Pt. 1 -Always felt indebted to the 1st lieutenant who recognized his good work and gave him advice -Advised him to join the Army Reserve and take advantage of all available benefits -For example, the GI Bill paid for his master’s degree and majority of doctorate -Stayed in the Army Reserve for eight years -Once a month, he would go to Battle Creek or Houghton, Michigan for a weekend of training -Once he got a teaching job, he didn’t have to go on active duty -Got a job at West Side Christian School in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Offered a job at Sylvan Christian School also in Grand Rapids -Worked there for 38 years -Did well with that job -Graduated 4,200 students -Taught classes at Grand Valley State University, Michigan State, and Calvin College -Preparing students for student teaching (00:50:57) Reflections on Service -Led a very secluded life until he joined the Army -Made him more independent and capable of making his own decisions �(00:51:50) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Got into a severe car accident with his wife near Louisville in 1999 -Taken by aero med to a nearby hospital where his wife died shortly thereafter -Sons came to the hospital -Family decided not to see her before she was cremated -Wanted to remember her alive, not as a corpse -Plans on being cremated and buried with her ashes -One son is in the Army and, as of the interview, is a captain being promoted to major -One son is a dentist, and a captain in the Army -Granddaughter is a Judge Advocate General (JAG; judicial division of the military) -A grandson served a tour in Afghanistan and graduated from West Point -Served as a company commander -His children and grandchildren chose the Army to help pay for their college education -Another grandson is studying at Michigan Tech to become a doctor � 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_VanEssenW2092V Title A name given to the resource VanEssen, Willard (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-12 Description An account of the resource Willard Van Essen was born in Nobles County, Minnesota, in 1927. He was drafted in 1951 and received his basic training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. At the end of basic training, he was selected to become the new sergeant in charge of the records department at Fort Gordon. During his time at Fort Gordon he processed incoming recruits, sorted recruits into training companies, sorted them into specialized training (radio, military police, or infantry) and ultimately decided where men were sent for their deployments. Many of the men had to be sent to fight in Korea. He was discharged from the Army in 1954, but served in the Army Reserve for an additional eight years going to drill at Battle Creek and Houghton, Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanEssen, Willard Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8e8973d20fab302cc17d9a2cd412a261.m4v 7501a2fae666bfab2564992d88f2687c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8c6a9c2f98e52827f2671f0c5f818022.pdf e2bcc94f4272ebc683c2d4316481f7a8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jack VanHoef World War II 33 minutes 38 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1925 -His father was a machinist in a factory -Able to keep his job throughout the Great Depression -He worked for Keller Tool Company which was a stable company -He (Jack) worked a few jobs growing up -As a caddy at a golf course -At a tannery mixing dyes -Unenjoyable job (00:01:20) Start of the War and Awareness of the War -He was listening to a football game when it was interrupted by the news broadcast -That‟s how he heard about Pearl Harbor being bombed -At that moment knew he‟d probably have to fight in the war -Before Pearl Harbor he had paid attention to the war in Europe -Some of his teachers talked about the developments in Europe -His older brother went into the Army as a major -He had been in the Reserve Officer Training Corps which allowed him to do that -His other brother entered the service shortly before he did (00:02:32) Enlisting in the Army -He enlisted in the Army in 1943 -He wasn‟t able to attend his high school graduation -At the time that was going on he was being sworn in, in Detroit (00:02:50) Basic Training -Sent to Biloxi, Mississippi for basic training -Going to basic training was the first step of getting into the Army Air Corps -He got to Biloxi by way of a troop train -They were provided with boxcars that had cots in them -It was a hot journey to Mississippi -The train ride took three days -Remembers that Biloxi was hot and mosquito infested -Basic training consisted of marching and physical training -Didn‟t receive any technical training at that time -The drill instructors asserted their authority immediately -Completing basic training was the first step in becoming a pilot (00:05:00) College Training -After basic training he was sent to North Carolina State College in Raleigh, North Carolina -This stage of training was called „college training‟ -Took place after two (or three) months at Biloxi -College training was focused on taking mathematics courses �-The training was a militarized version of college courses -Remembers marching in a parade in Raleigh -During college training they were given some free time -Go to the PX (military general store), or visit Raleigh -College training lasted three months -Originally, pilots were supposed to be college graduates -College training allowed for recruits to get at least some college courses (00:07:15) Classification and Radio School -From North Carolina he was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to receive his classification -The point at which you would be assigned to your specialization -His classification was to be a radio operator onboard an aircraft -He was sent to radio school in Scott Field, Illinois -During radio school he received training on how to interpret Morse code -Radio school also consisted of learning how to fix and build radios -The primary focus in radio school was getting trainees acquainted with the radio equipment -During downtime would visit East St. Louis -Radio school wasn‟t difficult for him -He spent three (or four) months in radio school -By now it was 1944 (00:09:39) Training in Yuma, Arizona -After radio school he was assigned to a bomber crew -He flew training missions with his crew in Yuma, Arizona -Spent three months in Arizona -The aircraft that he trained on was the B-24 Liberator bomber -His position on the B-24 was to be the radioman and a gunner -The gun that he manned was the top turret (gun on the top of the plane) -He distinctly remembers the other crewmen and got along with all of them -Became friends with the navigator and the bombardier -The bombardier was a fellow Michigander -There were ten crewmen per bomber -Before Yuma he had never flown before -His first flight went fine (00:12:55) Following the War -During his training he followed the progression of the war -He paid special attention to what his brothers were doing during the war -By time he got to San Francisco he knew that he and his crew were going to the Pacific Theatre (00:13:40) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -He wasn‟t given any leave home before being deployed -He spent Christmas 1944 in Hawaii -Flew from San Francisco to Hawaii in their B-24 -After Hawaii flew to Johnston Island of the Johnston Atoll -After the Johnston Atoll flew to Guam (00:14:38) Arrival in New Guinea -Landed at New Guinea and was assigned to their unit there -In New Guinea had some contact with the natives and would bargain with them -He and his crew were assigned to the 90th Bomber Group of the 5th Air Force �-They weren‟t assigned to a particular B-24 -You had to fly what was available -This meant you could fly a different aircraft for each mission -The 13th Air Force was also in New Guinea along with the 5th Air Force -Their base was in a coconut grove and consisted of tents -The mosquitoes weren‟t a problem due to mosquito netting -Had to take daily Atabrine tablets to prevent malaria (00:16:57) Flying Missions -About a week after arriving in New Guinea they began flying missions -Their first mission was to Formosa (Taiwan) -It was a ten hour mission -Whenever they flew missions they received flak -Flak is a shrapnel based antiaircraft weapon -Doesn‟t recall every losing any aircraft during their missions -Flew their missions at an altitude of 10,000 feet -Ironically enough that was also the maximum distance for flak guns -They were escorted by P-51 Mustang fighter planes -This meant that Japanese fighters stayed away from the bombers -Flew missions from February 1945 to the end of the war in August 1945 -Flew a total of twenty eight missions -One of their missions was bombing Kowloon Harbor -Dry dock used by the Japanese near Hong Kong -One of their missions involved covering an American invasion -Bombed oil fields in Borneo -Nerve wracking mission because the odds of surviving a crash were slim -Either had to survive the jungles, or head-hunter tribes -Flew missions out of the Philippines based on the island of Mindoro -They attacked targets in the Philippines in areas that were still Japanese held -One mission was to support the U.S. invasion of the Filipino island of Mindanao -Carried a wide variety of bombs during each mission -Carried 2000 pound bombs, 100 pound bombs, cluster bombs, etc. (00:21:57) Two near Death Incidents -During takeoff their engines lost power -This caused the bomber to go off the runway and sheer a wing off in the process -They all got lucky because usually if that happened the bomber would crash and explode -During takeoff they were carrying fuel, reserve fuel, and a full bomb payload -He remembers getting out of the bomber and running as fast as he could away from it -Thought that it would explode and he wanted to get away from it -Only one crewman was injured in the crash, and he only sustained a few broken ribs -During one mission had to land on the Filipino island of Luzon because of engine problems -The next day on the base he was walking to the mess hall and a storm rolled in -A lightning bolt hit mere feet away from where he was walking -He was almost killed twice due to freak accidents, but not by the Japanese -By the time he began flying missions the Japanese were on the defensive (00:24:14) Relationship with Civilians, Downtime, and Contact with Home -While he was in the Philippines they would have some Filipinos on the base �-He was able to visit Luzon and go into cities on leave -Remembers one time in the Philippines he went duck hunting with some officers -Later learned that the marshes they were in were infested with venomous snakes -Went swimming in the Pacific Ocean -Didn‟t have any access to radio -Kept in contact with home solely by way of mail -He was able to regularly receive mail from home -He received his Christmas presents for 1944 in early spring 1945 -Also received newspapers from home -Supplemented the military newspaper, “Stars and Stripes” (00:26:04) End of the War Pt. 1 -He and his crew were moved to the island of Ie Shima (Iejima) -This would be their final location for the war -Stationed on Ie Shima when peace was declared -There was no formal base for them, so they just pitched tents -Lived in a general area with other crews (00:27:00) Relationship with Officers -Enlisted men were allowed to associate with officers in the Army Air Corps -They would routinely play sports together -Remembers playing baseball with officers and even boxing with them (00:28:01) End of the War Pt. 2 -Learned about the atomic bombings immediately after they happened -Didn‟t understand the devastation and power of the weapons at the time -All the men were in favor of them being used to end the war -They were on Ie Shima when the Japanese peace envoy was sent to meet with the Americans -During their downtime at the end of the war they would go fishing with grenades -Walked around the coast and searched the coral and caves for anything interesting -Found a few dead Japanese soldiers, but that was about it -They stayed for a month at Ie Shima before being sent home (00:30:08) Coming Home and Life after the War -He was sent to Baer Field, Indiana and discharged from there -Took a train back to Grand Rapids, Michigan and then took a cab back to Grand Haven -Immediately following his discharge he took a moment to just relax -Went to college at Western Michigan University -Took some general courses -Stayed there for two and a half years before leaving -He was a bartender at a local hotel for a few years with a close friend -He wound up getting a career as an industrial engineer after returning to college -First found work at a local factory and worked there for a while -A friend opened his own factory and he (Jack) was made a plant manager (00:32:33) Reflections on Service -Doesn‟t feel that there is any great philosophical meaning to be taken away from it -Just glad that you and your comrades survived the war and remember those who didn‟t -Feels that all in all it was a great experience -Got to see parts of the world and the United States that otherwise he wouldn‟t have gotten to see -Saw that some places are truly beautiful, and saw that some places are truly miserable � 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_VanHoefJ1667V Title A name given to the resource VanHoef, Jack (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-09-11 Description An account of the resource Jack VanHoef was born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1925. In 1943 he enlisted in the Army with the intention of going into the Army Air Corps. He received basic training at Biloxi, Mississippi college training at North Carolina State College in Raleigh, North Carolina he was classified to be a radio operator onboard an aircraft and was sent to radio school at Scott Field, Illinois and upon completing that was assigned to a B-24 Liberator bomber crew in Yuma, Arizona. He and his crew were deployed to the Pacific Theatre and in early 1945 they reached New Guinea and he and his crew were assigned to a squadron in the 90th Bomber Group of the 5th Air Force. He began flying missions in February 1945 out of New Guinea and out of the Philippines and did so until the end of the war in August 1945. He flew missions against targets in China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines not only serving as his bomber's radioman, but also as a turret gunner. He was discharged in August 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanHoef, Jack Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Forces Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf