Veterans History Project

Notes:: Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 9, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated August 14, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes from the Mediterranean island of Sicily and describes his job while on detached service with the Navy. He also describes his excitement in receiving fourteen of Agnes' letters and the many surprises written within them including her new job and her parents move to Michigan.
Date Created:: 1943-08-09T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Arthur Polmanteer is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army's 78th Division from January, 1944 to 1946. In this account, Polmanteer discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. His unit saw action in the Hurtgen Forest, in the Battle of the Bulge, at the Remagen Bridge and into Germany, where they participated in the liberation of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
Date Created:: 2009-11-03T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Ralph Hawley Safford entered the United States Army Air Corps shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was educated in mechanics and engine work and used this training to work on aircraft from the Army Air Corps. He repaired fighter aircraft in England, and was working during the D-Day attack.
Date Created:: 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated January 25, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 3, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes to notify Agnes of the previous letter he sent discussing his prior engagement and to share his happiness in receiving her photographs.
Date Created:: 1944-01-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Frank Bort was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1945 and grew up on his grandfather's farm around Canfield, Ohio. Shortly after graduating from John Carroll University, Bort received a draft notice and attended Basic Training in September 1968 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, advanced infantry at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and then NCO-School at Fort Benning, Georgia. In October 1969, Bort was deployed to Camp Evans in Huế Phu Bai, Vietnam where he served in the Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne. He recieved medical treatment on a hospital ship due to worries over hearing damage. Bort's unit participated in the establishment of Firebase Ripcord as well as the attacks on Hill 902 and Hill 1000 before recieving an early-out of the Army to attend graduate school.
Date Created:: 2018-11-03T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Robert Bostwick was born on April 7th, 1933 in Home Acres, Michigan. He was drafted in to the United States Army in 1953, while the Korean conflict was occurring. While in basic training, the conflict ended, and he was shipped to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, where he was a personnel management specialist until his discharge 2 years later.
Date Created:: 2004-12-10T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Nina Daly served in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) from 1943 to February of 1945 during World War II. Though the WAACs were permitted to leave the U.S. after 1943 Nina spent her service in Daytona Beach Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Nina spent her service working as a truck driver and in intelligence gathering.
Date Created:: 2012-05-24T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Marv Honderd was born in Byron Center, Michigan and enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 to avoid being drafted into the army. After starting out in radio school, he switched to pilot training and became a fighter pilot. He flew 70 missions over Korea in F-86 fighters in 1953, before he was sent back the US. Afterwards he continued flying more advanced F-86 jets in Dayton Ohio.
Date Created:: 2007-10-16T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: Dan Pfeiffer served in the US Army between 1952 and 1954. He served in an infantry unit in Korea during the last months of the Korean War in 1953. He provides detailed descriptions of combat patrols and fighting in the trench lines against the North Koreans and Chinese. Later on, he was assigned to be the chauffeur for a general.
Date Created:: 2007-12-14T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Notes:: James H. Childress enlisted in the Navy in October 1943. He trained in Spokane, Washington, Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois (for Quartermaster School), and and Little Creek, Virginia for amphibious training. He joined a Landing Ship, Medium crew in Houston, Texas and trained with them before sailing out into the South Pacific. He took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima and after that the invasion of Okinawa where he survived the sinking of his ship. He was sent home later that summer and was home during the dropping of the atomic bombs and Japan's subsequent surrender on August 15, 1945.
Date Created:: 2015-04-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Veterans History Project 1714 items