Veterans History Project 1714 items

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1681. Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, September 17, 1943

Notes:
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated September 17, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated September 20, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and wonders how her family are settling into their new home in Grand Rapids, MI. He also writes of his experiences with the relentless flies in Italy while keeping a good sense of humor and expressing his adoration of Agnes.
Date Created:
1943-09-17T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1682. Christiansen, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2008

Notes:
Robert Christiansen was born on August 11, 1920 in Muskegon, Michigan. He joined the US Navy in 1944 and served in the Pacific on board the destroyers USS Ward and USS July. He served on convoy duty between New Guinea and the Philippines and in the Okinawa campaign.
Date Created:
2008-08-02T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1683. Lobbezoo, Albert (Interview outline and video), 2007

Notes:
Albert Lobbezoo grew up on a small farm in Michigan and was drafted in the Army in April of 1941. Albert worked as a switchboard operator for the 32nd Infantry Division headquarters in New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines between 1942 and 1945.
Date Created:
2007-10-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1684. Rondeau, Ken (Interview outline), 2011

Notes:
Ken Rondeau, born in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1962, served in the National Guard during the 1980s. During this time Ken served mostly as a sergeant training mortar crews.
Date Created:
2011-11-12T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1685. Sibley, Harold (Interview transcript and video), 2005

Notes:
Harold Sibley was born in Grand Lake, Michigan in 1921. After graduating from high school, he tried to enlist in the Navy Air Corps, but was rejected due to his eyesight. Later on, he was drafted into the Army and eventually volunteered for the First Special Force, the predecessor to the Green Berets. Harold was a mortar man for the special force and was sent to the Aleutian Islands, Anzio, Southern France, Rome, Nuremburg and many other places throughout Western Europe. He was in Norway processing German prisoners of war when the war ended.
Date Created:
2005-06-27T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1686. Elliott, Gloria Cordes (Interview outline and video), 2007

Notes:
Gloria Cordes Elliott was born in Staten Island, New York, in 1931. She grew up playing ball with her brothers, and first learned about the AAGPBL when they played an exhibition game on Staten Island in 1949. She tried out for the league before the game, and was invited to spring training the following year. She played as a pitcher for teams in Muskegon, Racine, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, and at one point pitched twenty-four straight complete games.
Date Created:
2007-08-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1687. Gronevelt, Glenn (Interview outline and video), 2015

Notes:
Glenn Gronevelt was born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1947. In early 1969 he enlisted in the Navy to be serve with the “Seabees” (Construction Battalions). He received introductory training at Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi then went to Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme, California for combat training. He was deployed to Vietnam in late May 1969 and arrived on June 1, 1969. He was assigned to Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 302 and did construction work in Cam Ranh Bay, at New Port warehouse in Saigon, in Cat Lo, and he helped with building projects part of the “Vietnamization” process. During his time in Vietnam he also remembers witnessing first hand the movement of troops and supplies into Cambodia. He left Vietnam on July 1, 1970 and after visiting his family for the 4th of July he reported to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and was discharged from the Navy.
Date Created:
2015-07-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1688. Smits, Wendall (Interview transcript and video), 2017

Notes:
Wendall Smits was born in South Holland, Illinois in 1936. After graduating high school, a friend convinced him to join the Coast Guard Reserve at the age of 17. He completed two weeks of boot camp in 1955 at Cape May, New Jersey and became an engineman for the Coast Guard aboard various ships. He then became a chief engineman and, later, a lieutenant with a unit in Chicago before transferring to a Coast Guard unit in Gary, Indiana. After moving to Cleveland, Ohio, he was promoted to the position of warrant officer, and then to a Lieutenant Junior Grade. Smits primarily worked for port security at the various bases bases he was stationed at and also trained recruits for his Coast Guard units as a training officer. He was later awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal for his work rewriting engineering programs and engineering training manuals for the entire 9th district in Gary, Indiana.
Date Created:
2017-07-06T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1689. Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 9, 1944

Notes:
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 9, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 12, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes on Easter Sunday after attending the church service that morning and looks forward to the day when they can go to church together once again. He also writes of the recent double feature films he saw in town and how Agnes is always with him in spirit.
Date Created:
1944-04-09T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1690. Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 7, 1944

Notes:
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 7, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 8, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes with great excitement after receiving her letter accepting his engagement proposal, dreaming of their future wedding and life together.
Date Created:
1944-05-07T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:
Veterans History Project (U.S.)