Veterans History Project
1714 items
- Notes:
- Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated November 10, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 5, 1943. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes to express his gratitude upon receiving two of her letters and to share the news that he is no longer stationed in Sicily.
- Date Created:
- 1943-11-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 22, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 26, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes after seeing the film "Seven Sweethearts," which is set in Holland, Michigan and shares how he wishes they were able to see it together.
- Date Created:
- 1944-02-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Russell Buys enlisted in the Michigan National Guard shortly after graduating from high school in 1940. A few months later, his unit was activated and sent to Louisiana to train. He initially served as a cook with the 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Division. He sailed with them to Australia, and was then shipped to New Guinea, where he and his battalion marched over the Owen Stanley Mountains toward Buna. Toward the end of the Buna campaign, he decided that he wanted to do more than cook, and became a rifleman and got himself wounded in the shoulder. He recovered and stayed with the unit through further fighting in New Guinea and the Philippines before rotating home in 1945.
- Date Created:
- 2010-05-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Richard Beimers was born in 1920 in Lowell, Michigan and spent his early life in the Grand Rapids, Michigan. After injuring his eye as a young person, Richard received a surgery that caused him to lose sight in his right eye. He was eventually drafted into the service and sent to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan where he learned that he would serve as a non-combatant service man. After receiving basic training, he was sent to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin where he served as an MP Escort Guard, guarding illegal German aliens. He was then transferred to Station Hospital at Fort McCoy where he served as a guard in the contagious and woman's wards. Richard was eventually sent to Hereford, England where he served in a hospital for one year. The hospital where he worked received two trains of patients every week but he only remembers losing seven patients during his entire service. He was eventually sent back to the United States and discharged in Indiana on November 17, 1945.
- Date Created:
- 2004-11-18T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Peter McMillan is a WW II veteran who served in the United States Air Force from approximately 1945 to 1947? in Guam with a six-week stint in Hawaii. Although a majority of his time in the service occurred after WWII had ended, McMillan's story still provides a unique perspective on post-WW II conflict in the Pacific Theater. This account details how tension and confusion continued well into the post-WWII years. He talks briefly about the role of the United Service Organization and his correspondence home. Finally, McMillan discusses life after war - the role of the G.I. Bill and his generation's commitment to WW II - and what impact the anti-war protests of the 1960s had on his generation.
- Date Created:
- 2006-06-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jeanette Rearick is World War II wife whose husband served in the U.S. Army. She re-accounts his pre-enlistment, training and enlistment, and service experience. She retells briefly what John Rearick, her husband's service experience, was like in the Pacific. What is memorable about him is his experience fighting the Japanese in the jungles on Guam. After his service experience, John went to law school and traveled with his wife a little bit. She concludes by mentioning how her husband's war experience made them closer.
- Date Created:
- 2009-05-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gib Thomas, born in South Dakota in September of 1920, served in the U.S. Marines from July of 1943-1946 in the Pacific during World War II. While in college in the early 1940s at South Dakota University, Gib was a member of the ROTC. After reporting for active duty, Gib was made the Property and Police Sergeant of the 29th Marine Regiment, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion. He also served on Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Guam and China during and after the war.
- Date Created:
- 2012-04-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Cathy Seifert was born in Grand Rapids, MI in 1952. After graduating from Hope College, she entered the civil service in 1976, and then went to the Naval War College for officer training in 1978. She then served as a naval officer in various capacities until retiring in 1999. She served in Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Portugal, Norfolk, and finally at the Pentagon, serving with the Defense Intelligence Agency. She describes her different assignments in detail, and also says a good deal about life in the Navy and issues confronted by women officers during the period in which she served.
- Date Created:
- 2008-05-13T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Julius Van Oss was drafted into the US Army in 1943 and initially assigned to the Army Air Corps. In training, he qualified for the ASTP program, which sent men to college to prepare them to become engineers, but the program was cancelled after he had been in it for seven months, and he was returned to the Air Corps. After failing to qualify as a radio operator, he was assigned to the infantry and was slated to go to Europe. The Germans surrendered before he could leave, however, and he wound up being sent to the Philippines as a replacement for the 6th Division. He fought briefly prior to the Japanese surrender, after which he was assigned to work with communications for his regiment, first in the Philippines and then in Korea before he returned home in 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2011-10-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Lloyd Blough was born in Michigan on August 25, 1915 and drafted into the Army in 1941 when he was 26 years old. He went through training at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan and was transferred to Virginia two weeks after Pearl Harbor was attacked. In Virginia, Lloyd went through advanced training to become an airplane mechanic, working with P-39s. Once he was finished training, Lloyd was sent to Africa where he worked on different planes in Algeria and Tunisia. He spent a total of two years overseas and also worked in France, Italy, and Ireland before he was sent back to the United States to finish the other two years of his service.
- Date Created:
- 2005-03-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Wilbur Bouwkamp served in the US Army between 1941 and 1945. After basic training, he was assigned to the 10 Armored Division, where he served on a recovery vehicle, a tank adapted to tow damaged tanks back to friendly lines where they could be repaired. He was wounded in action in Europe but returned to his unit, and received orders to ship home shortly before V-E Day.
- Date Created:
- 2007-08-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gregory Phillips was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on August 22, 1948. After graduating from college in 1969 he was drafted into the Army. He received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and his advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In December 1969 he deployed to Vietnam. He was first assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Lai Khe and he served with them for two months (first in 2nd Battalion/28th Infantry Regiment then 2nd Battalion (mechanized)/2nd Infantry Regiment). Gregory transferred to the 101st Airborne Division at Phu Bai, and joined 2nd platoon of Delta Company, 1st Battalion/506th Infantry Regiment on March 1, 1970. On the morning of May 7th he and the rest of 2nd platoon fought at the battle of Firebase Maureen where he was wounded six times and was later awarded the Silver Star for his actions there. He was medically evacuated to the United States and served at Fort Hood, Texas, for the last ten months of his enlistment (he was most likely discharged in June 1971).
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-06T00:00:00Z
- 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 December 7, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 19, 1943. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes letting her know that he has been thinking of her all day and wishing he was with her to celebrate her birthday back home in Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 1943-12-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Nick Anderson was born in Minnesota in 1989 and moved to Grand Haven, Michigan three years later. He had given thought to joining the military before 9/11 and, during his senior year of high school, decided that he wanted to be a Marine. Nick swore into the military in Lansing, Michigan and then went to San Diego, California for Basic Training. He was then sent to Camp Pendleton, California for Infantry Training. His first deployment was on an MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) until he returned to America for Mountain Warfare Training. Nick was then deployed to Afghanistan and landed at Camp Leatherneck. His unit served in Sangin where there was a constant threat of IED's. He remembers his experiences on patrols and the routines of finding abandoned compounds.
- Date Created:
- 2013-01-18T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Raymond Fischer was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924 and after attending junior college and working in Greenville, Michigan, Fischer joined the military. Following training in Oklahoma, Fischer shipped overseas and as part of the 79th Infantry Division, participated in the Normandy campaign, fighting through swamps and hedgerows, in the advance across France and fighting along the German frontier in the fall of 1944. While on patrol at that time, he was taken prisoner, and he spent the rest of the war in a prison camp until Russian soldiers arrived. He and some other men left the camp on bicycles and made their way back to the American lines, and he was sent home from there.
- Date Created:
- 2010-07-13T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Scott Pellerito served in the US Air Force between 1995 and 1999. Scott was trained at Goodfellow Air Force Base to become an imagery interpreter. Upon his graduation, Scott was placed in the 13th Intelligent Squadron where he worked on images relating to the Bosnian Conflict. In approx. 1996 Scott began his work in Florida. Here he assisted in Operation Desert Fox in 1998. After his discharge he began IT work in Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Oscar Carlson was born in 1920, or 1921 and raised in Northport, Michigan. On December 8, 1941 he enlisted in the Army in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was processed at Fort Custer, Michigan and was sent to Camp Joseph. T. Robinson, Arkansas for basic training. While at Camp Robinson he was assigned to the 43rd Infantry Division. He trained in the United States for the majority of 1942 in Arkansas and Mississippi before deploying to the Pacific Theatre in October 1942. He was stationed at New Zealand before taking part in the occupation of the Russell Islands in February 1943, the liberation of Vangunu, Rendova, and New Georgia through the summer of 1943, securing Aitape, New Guinea in July and August 1944, and and the liberation of Luzon, Philippines in January-August 1945. After the war ended he returned to the United States and landed at San Francisco. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and was discharged there in October 1945.
- Date Created:
- 2015-05-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Donald Lee Clark, of Tacoma Washington, served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, from 1962 to 1966. He was a member of the Marine Reserves before being sent to Marine basic training. He worked as a truck driver for the marines both stateside and while serving in Vietnam. Clark worked as part of a guard on the Chu Lai airbase in Vietnam while it was being built. Before Vietnam, he was sent to Cuban waters in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs incident.
- Date Created:
- 2007-02-04T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Wesley Daniels enlisted in the Marine Corps and served during the Vietnam War. He Served in Helicopter Squadron 647 and worked as a clerk.
- Date Created:
- 2012-02-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- This interview replaces the missing portion from his original interview in 2004, and primarily covers the period between the end of his first tour in Vietnam in late 1966 to the end of his second tour in 1968. During this period, Gillem was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a rifle company commander. He and his brigade were sent to Detroit in the summer of 1967 in response to the race riots there, and soon afterward received orders for Vietnam. They arrived late in the year and were initially based at Cu Chi, but went up to the area north of Hue just before the Tet Offensive started in 1968, and participated in the American counterattacks and recapture of Hue, and in followup campaigns in the I Corps sector. Gillem was reassigned to division headquarters after about four months in Vietnam, and spent the rest of his tour with the division's operations (G-3) section.
- Date Created:
- 2011-05-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Carol Haven lived in Grand Rapids during World War II. Her husband, Peter, served in the United States Army and was sent to China, Europe and served in the states during Korea. He was a member of the 15th Infantry in China and was there from 1936-1938. In 1940 the two were married and a week later he was recalled to active duty because of the escalating conflict in Europe. During World War II, Peter worked for the Military Police in the US and in Europe. He was recalled again during Korea, and served in the US.
- Date Created:
- 2008-02-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ben Kleiman was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1918. He tried to enlist in the Army after Pearl Harbor, but was rejected due to poor eyesight. He was eventually drafted in 1943 and put on limited duty. He worked as a clerk at Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania, keeping track of soldiers who had gone AWOL, and was eventually reassigned to Camp Richardson, Alaska, outside of Anchorage, where he worked as a personnel clerk until discharged in 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2010-06-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gregory Laws served in the US Army as a Combat Engineer. He served in the Army for 25 years, spending two tours of that time in Germany. As a Combat Engineer, Gregory learned how to build and demolish bridges, and was eventually promoted to the rank of Sergeant (E-5). Gregory now teaches an ROTC program in Muskegon.
- Date Created:
- 2009-01-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Leonard Moore was born in North Carolina in 1949. He volunteered for the draft in 1969 and went to basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and then to Fort Gordon, Georgia, for infantry training. He was then sent to Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay, and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. He flew up to Camp Evans and was assigned to a rifle company in the 187th Regiment, but was with them only briefly before accepting assignment to the rapid deployment force, known as the "minicav" that the brigade was organizing. He served as a helicopter gunner with this unit for several months, and when the unit was reorganized and lost its helicopters, he transferred to the brigade's aviation unit and served as a door gunner, mostly on the brigade commander's helicopter, through the Ripcord campaign in 1970, and stayed on for several months before returning home and being discharged.
- Date Created:
- 2012-10-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Douglas Puffer was born in 1948 in Iowa City, Iowa. He grew up on a farm in Iowa, and after high school he attended a drafting and design school in Oklahoma where he met his wife and graduated from that in December 1968, and received his draft notice a few months later. He trained at Fort Polk, Louisiana, with specialized training for armored personnel carriers. When he deployed to Vietnam in October, 1969, he found himself in an airborne unit, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was sent to Camp Evans and he and his unit saw action on and around Firebase Shepard and Firebase Ripcord, and he spent the end of his enlistment in the rear before returning home and being discharged in November 1970.
- Date Created:
- 2013-10-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Sue Kidd was born in 1933 in Choctaw, Arkansas. She got her interest in baseball from her father and two brothers who she played with regularly as a child. Growing up, Kidd played other sports too like football and basketball but eventually decided on a career in baseball following a meeting with her high school guidance counselor. In the spring of 1949, Kidd, at age 15, was scouted and tried out for a pitcher position in Little Rock, Arkansas. Beginning her professional career in 1950 Kidd played until 1954 when the All American Girls Professional Baseball League ended. At the start of 1950, Kidd played for the Muskegon Lassies, Peoria Redwings, and South Bend Blue Sox. In 1951, she played for the South Bend Blue Sox but then was on loan for a brief time with the Battle Creek Belles. From 1952 to 1954 she stayed with the South Bend Blue Sox. In that time, she pitched and won two double headers in 1953 and won two championships. She played pitcher, first base, and right field during her time with South Bend. When the league shut down in 1954 she went on to play basketball with the South Bend Rockettes until 1959 when she went on to pursue a career in teaching which did for twenty-six years. She wraps up the interview by discussing how baseball impacted her.
- Date Created:
- 2009-09-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Berles was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was drafted in 1943 during his sophomore year at Aquinas College. Robert volunteered for a Navy program after receiving his draft notice that would allow him to finish his sophomore year before his time in the service, and also allow him to finish up college afterwards. Robert began officer training at Western Michigan University, where he attended classes all day long and physically trained. He served on a troop transport ship in the Pacific, and his ship was hit by a kamikaze off Luzon, the aftermath of which he describes in detail.
- Date Created:
- 2007-06-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Michael Yocum was born in Seattle and grew up in the Mount St. Helens area of Washington. He enlisted in the Air Force in the early 1960's and after serving at several bases around the world as an aircraft mechanic, he did a tour in Vietnam at Phan Rang Air Force Base from 1967 to 1968. He remained in the Air Force until 1980, serving on bases in the US and Europe.
- Date Created:
- 2010-08-19T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Charles Harlan grew up in Mancelona, Michigan, and enlisted in the Army as soon as he finished high school in 1966 in order to stay ahead of the draft and have some say in his assignment. After basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he went to Fort Eustis, Virginia, for training in marine diesel engines. Deploying to Vietnam in May, 1967, he went first to Pleiku in the Central Highlands, but was then assigned to the 1099th Transportation Company based at Cat Lai, east of Saigon, which operated landing craft along the rivers. At first, Harlan worked in the operations center at Cat Lai before become a coxswain aboard an LCM-8. While working as a coxswain, Harlan helped in the movement of supplies up and down the rivers around Saigon and the deployment of infantry from the 9th and 1st Infantry Divisions. Towards the end of Harlan's tour, eleven of the company's LCM-8s moved down to the Mekong Delta, just in time for the start of the enemy's 1968 Tet Offensive. During the offensive, Harlan's LCM-8 continued moving men and supplies, as well as provided support to besieged American units along the shore. Upon his return from Vietnam in 1968, he was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he worked first as a radio operator for a unit of the 24th Division, and then with a battalion of the 1st Infantry Division that was testing the airmobile capacity of the new Sheridan tank.
- Date Created:
- 2012-03-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Albert Havinga was a civilian residing in Groningen in the Netherlands during World War II. In this Interview Albert gives an account of the invasion, occupation, and liberation of his city from 1940-1945, as well as the recovery of the state after the occupation had ended. In addition, Albert describes many social and economic hardships that where encountered as a result of the Nazi invasion. He also briefly touches upon his immigration to the U.S. after the war had ended.
- Date Created:
- 2011-10-18T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Edgar Lamm was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 14, 1925. He grew up in Chicago and was drafted into the Army in February 1944. He received basic training at Fort Custer, Michigan and then Military Police training at Fort Custer and Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was sent to the European Theatre and arrived in Scotland on November 9, 1944. He was stationed in Hereford, England with the Military Police for the rest of 1944 and was sent to France in late January 1945 as an infantryman. He was assigned to E Company 2nd Battalion 260th Infantry Regiment 65th Infantry Division. He took part in the advance into Germany and was in Linz, Austria when the war ended on May 8, 1945. He was stationed in Austria until he was sent back to Le Havre, France waiting to be sent home. In the late spring of 1945 he was sent back to the United States and was discharged from Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in June 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2015-05-04T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Herman Keizer was born in Chicago on May 21, 1938. He was drafted into the Army in 1962 and served as a Chaplain's Assistant at Fort Belvoir, Virginia until 1964. He studied at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also attended the Calvin Theological Seminary in 1968. He was commissioned as a chaplain in the Army and was deployed to Vietnam. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division and operated out of Lai Khe. He went into Cambodia in the spring of 1970, and due to actions there received a Bronze Star for valor. He joined the 4th Infantry Division in An Khe where he developed an amnesty program for soldiers suffering from drug addictions. While at An Khe, he broke both of his arms in a helicopter crash. He recovered at Camp Zama, Japan, and at Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Chicago. He served as the hospital chaplain at Fort Carson, Colorado, from 1971 to 1972 where he wrote an essay on Selective Conscientious Objection and wrote the basis for the Army's drug and alcohol program. He also worked on a case dealing with sexual harassment in the Army. He served at the State Department and helped with evacuation of personnel during the September 11th Attacks. After he retired from the Army he has stayed active with support groups for veterans, and helped with the Truth Commission on Conscience in War, and has also written on Moral Injury in War.
- Date Created:
- 2015-01-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Butch Romans is a Vietnam War veteran who was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1945. He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan and in 1966 he volunteered for the draft. He received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, advanced infantry training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and paratrooper training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry Division where he first served with the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the Ia Drang Valley and later with Bravo Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Cavalry Regiment in the area around An Khe. During Operation Pershing in Bong Son he was wounded and was medically evacuated. After recovering he completed his service at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia and was ultimately discharged from the Army at Fort Lee, Virginia in 1969.
- Date Created:
- 2014-12-18T00:00:00Z
- 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 1, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 13, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes to Agnes on New Year's Day after thoroughly celebrating the night before and shares his hope that she would be visiting his parents that day.
- Date Created:
- 1944-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Joe Smith was born on April 17th , 1946 in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from high school, he attended Virginia Military Institute where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1968 and joined the Army. He was then sent to Fort Bragg to join the 82nd Airborne Division, with which he became a platoon leader and General's aid. He later requested a transfer to Vietnam, where he was first stationed at Camp Eagle and saw combat at Firebase Ripcord. In 1971, Smith was stationed at Fort Belvior where he served out the rest of his tour and instructed the student brigade at the engineering school. He retired from the military in 1973 before pursuing a law degree at the University of Virginia Law School.
- Date Created:
- 2019-07-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Dennis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 19, 1981. After graduating high school, he joined the Navy and trained to be a diesel mechanic. He was stationed on the USS Ashland for his first tour. He traveled to Europe and went to Spain, Italy, Greece and Croatia. After September 11th, he was sent to the Middle East where he later re-enlisted and was sent to Japan and stationed on the USS Chancellorsville as a part of the Pacific 7th Fleet. While there, he was able to go to South Korea, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.
- Date Created:
- 2013-02-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Loftis was born July 28, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He spent the majority of his childhood at his grandparents' farm in Marne, Michigan. Robert enlisted into the Navy in 1942 and was sent to Great Lakes, Illinois for boot camp where he spent nearly five weeks in training. After boot camp, he was sent to board the USS Phelps in Treasure Island near San Francisco, California. From California, he left for six months to fight the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean. Robert spent the majority of his time in the Pacific Ocean and was designated as a Signalman 3rd class that used Morse code to communicate with other ships. He was discharged in September of 1945.
- Date Created:
- 2004-05-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Frank Maleckas, Jr. was born in 1916 in Niagara Falls, New York, and grew up in Michigan. He attended Western Michigan University, and was drafted in 1941. After basic training in the infantry, he switched to the Army Air Corps, serving as a navigator on B-24s. He was the sole survivor of two air crashes, one in training and one in the Solomon Islands. He flew missions from Guadalcanal until the second crash, which he survived by keeping himself afloat for two days, making his way to shore on Choiseul, and being aided by natives and a coastwatcher. After his rescue, he was assigned to training duty. Frank wrote a book on his experiences: One 11 Millionth of a War. Elk Rapids, Mich.: Bookability Inc, 2000.
- Date Created:
- 2008-03-20T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- James Burke, Sr. was born in Pennsylvania on April 29, 1918. James was the second oldest of a very large family of 11 children. He went to school through 5th grade and then began working to help his parents support the family. James enlisted in the Army in early 1942 and went through boot camp in Maryland. After boot camp James went through leadership school and became a staff sergeant. James went to France in 1944 and into Germany in 1945 and then served in Japan for another 3 years with his service not completely ending until 1948.
- Date Created:
- 2008-12-08T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Wellington "Bill" Homminga served in the 126th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division during World War II. After training in Australia for Jungle Warfare, his unit served in New Guinea in the Buna campaign, where his company spent 21 days isolated at a roadblock behind Japanese lines. After his unit was relieved, he came down with malaria, and continued to suffer from malaria and other tropical diseases until his discharge in 1944.
- Date Created:
- 2009-02-19T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Fay Johnson, born in Lowell Michigan in 1925, served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945 in the Pacific during World War II. After completing his basic training, Fay was sent to specialty school where he eventually was made a fire controller. After training, Fay was placed aboard the destroyer USS Terry and sailed to Saipan and then took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima. The ship encountered some damage during the invasion and needed to be sent back to San Francisco for repairs, and returned to duty off the coast of Japan before the end of the war.
- Date Created:
- 2005-11-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Edmond Kaminski served with the 760th Tank Battalion in Italy during World War II. His account includes discussions of armored training and combat in a series of battles in Italy, including Cassino.
- Date Created:
- 2005-05-04T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Paul Lindner was born in Indiana in the early 1920s and joined the US Navy on July 3, 1941. Paul went through basic training in Chicago and was then sent to Rhode Island to train as a mechanic working on torpedo boats. Paul later traveled through the Pacific to Panama, Australia, New Guinea, Milne Island, Boona, and Kiriwina Island. Paul was also sent to Europe where he patrolled off the coast off Plymouth, England, and Cherbourg, France. He was eventually transferred to the Pacific shortly before the war ended, and never served there. Photographs and an account of military service are appended to interview outline.
- Date Created:
- 2007-06-29T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Charles Olson was born in Muskegon, Michigan in September of 1921. In 1940, he decided to join the National Guard, and shortly afterward, his unit was federalized and sent to Louisiana to train. He had wanted to fly, so while in Louisiana, he applied to join the Army Air Corps, and was accepted into bombardier school. He was sent to England at the end of 1943 and flew 32 missions in a B-26 over Europe before returning home to train B-29 crews in 1945. He left the Army briefly, but soon rejoined the Michigan National Guard, and went back on active duty in 1948. He was sent to Japan, and participated in the Inchon landing and the invasion and retreat from North Korea in 1950. He remained in the Army into the 1960s, and served as an adviser in Vietnam in 1963. While working at the MACV Headquarters in Saigon, he wound up having to identify the bodies of the assassinated Vietnamese President Diem and his brother.
- Date Created:
- 2009-06-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- George Peterson enlisted in the Navy when he was just 17 years old and was then sent to Rhode Island for training in 1942. During training George and a friend volunteered for submarine service and were transferred shortly after. George spent nearly a year training for submarine service and was finally on his first war patrol in 1943. He spent two years making six war patrols throughout the Pacific, with port breaks at Panama, Hawaii, Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Midway. After the war George was part of the police force in Hawaii, where he helped to patrol the base. George had made it to the position of First Class Gunner's mate when he was discharged in 1952. Photographs are appended to interview outline.
- Date Created:
- 2007-10-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Sam Bush was born in 1925 near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. In 1943, at Dartmouth College, he undertook the Navy’s air corps V12 training program. Initially he spent time in Lynchburg, VA as well as Sheepshead Bay, NY working tarmac duty. In 1944 he was attending flight prep when the military screened him out with a physical exam. Instead he decided to join the Merchant Marines. He undertook basic training at Sheepshead Bay, radio school on Hoffman Island, and physics training. By July 1945 he completed his trainings and became a Junior Radio Officer aboard the Heber M. Creel Liberty Ship. Shortly after the bombing of Japan, they docked in Samar, the Philippines, where they unloaded cargo and transported locals as a troop ship. After enduring a typhoon he returned to the US in August 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2015-12-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Rick Hahn was born in Howell, Michigan, on November 9, 1949. He enlisted in the Army in February 1969, and received his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He went on to receive mortar training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Upon completion of training he was deployed to Vietnam in August 1969. He joined the mortar platoon in Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Infantry Division. For the rest of 1969 and the early part of 1970 he went on patrols around Camp Evans. In June 1970, he and his unit were stationed on Firebase Ripcord, and he participated in the Battle of Firebase Ripcord from July 1, 1970 – July 23, 1970 when the firebase was evacuated. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, until his enlistment ended in February 1971. He reenlisted in the Army in 1975 and served for another 18 years at a variety of bases with a variety of units (Fort Ord, California, with the 7th Infantry Division; three tours in South Korea; a tour in West Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division; and at Fort Riley, Kansas). He also served in the Gulf War with the 1st Infantry Division. Rick retired from the Army in 1993.
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Kyle Herring was born in Frederick, Maryland on October 11, 1987, but grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Michigan National Guard when he was 17 years old in spring 2005 and drilled during his senior year. In January 2006 he received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia then went to Fort Gordon, Georgia for signal training. He joined C Company of the 156th Signal Battalion at the Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming, Michigan. In early 2008 a medic slot opened and he volunteered for it. He received medic training at Parks Reserve Forces Training Area, California. In early 2009 they received deployment orders and spent most of 2009 training in Vermont; Camp Atterbury, Indiana; and Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was attached to 1st Squadron of the 172nd Cavalry Regiment of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. They deployed to Afghanistan in March 2010 and he was stationed at Forward Operating Base Vulcan (Ghazni) for three months working with local police in Waghaz and Qarabagh. He suffered a concussive injury in Ghazni. He was also stationed at FOB Lighting (Gardez) and at the police station in Charikar for six months. In December 2010 the deployment ended and he returned home. After three months he joined the 126th Cavalry Regiment and went on full-time, active duty as the medical readiness non-commissioned officer.
- Date Created:
- 2016-03-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated November 2, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated November 6, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes as he thinks of all the hugs he has missed while being overseas and how he plans to sweep her off of her feet as soon as he returns home to Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 1944-11-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Frank Anthony was born in Muskegon, Michigan on February 6th, 1947. He attended college at Ferris State University after graduating from high school in 1965. He joined the military in 1967 and attended basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky in May of the same year. He then did advanced infantry training (AIT) at Fort McClellan, Alabama. After completing AIT, he continued on to the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy and became a Warrant Officer. Frank also attended ranger/special forces training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was participating in long-range recon school when his request to go to flight school was accepted. He went to flight school in 1968, which lasted for 9 months. He arrived in Vietnam in the middle of 1969. In Vietnam, he was the Safety Officer for a short period of time before becoming the Executive Officer of the Aviation Company, all the while working as a helicopter pilot. He was a part of the 52nd artillery division located in Pleiku, Vietnam. He flew a variety of helicopters while stationed in Vietnam. Frank was involved in several different skirmishes during his time in Vietnam, including the incursion into Cambodia. Frank also participated in jungle environmental survival training in Subic Bay, Philippines while on R and R. He completed a tour and a half before he left Vietnam on December 23rd, 1970. While in the military, Frank received numerous awards, including the award of the Red Banana. After leaving the service, Frank worked in law enforcement for many years.
- Date Created:
- 2017-06-29T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Joseph Dubois was born in Avery Island, Louisiana in a family with 11 siblings. He worked at the local Mc. Ilhenny Tabasco Sauce plant in town. Joseph completed basic training in Little Rock Arkansas. He was placed in the 89th Infantry Division as a Platoon Guard, and continued participating in training combat maneuvers in California and North Carolina. In January of 1945 he arrived in France, travelling through Luxembourg, Austria, and Germany. After crossing the Rhine River, the 89th liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp. Eventually at the border to Czechoslovakia, he awaited with his Division for the Russians to arrive at the end of the War. Once the War had ended Joseph was stationed at Camp Lucky Strike, and then later Austria until leaving Europe for home.
- Date Created:
- 2015-04-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Paul Allen was born in 1926 in South Boston. His father served in World War I for the US Navy. Paul graduated high school at the age of 15 in 1942. Although he wanted to go to Harvard, Paul knew he would end up in the military and he wound up being stationed to the battleship New Jersey as a dispersing officer where he would be the youngest officer on the ship at age 19. After a few years on a few different ships, Paul would arrive to the Eastern theater during the Korean War as he was primarily based out of Yokusuka Japan in late 1950. He later served assignments at the Pentagon and aboard the carrier USS Essex (1954-56), and later had assignments in the Philippines and at the naval base in Da Nang during the Vietnam War.
- Date Created:
- 2014-06-23T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Bob Anderson was born in August 1948 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. While growing up, his father re-enlisted in the military, meaning Anderson and his family moved constantly, although Anderson's father stayed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland long enough for Anderson to attend school and graduate. After graduating, Anderson attended a junior college in Mississippi and went to Michigan State University for a year before the university kicked him out for low grades. Once he left Michigan State, Anderson received his draft notice and following completion of basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and AIT at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Anderson went back to Fort Benning to attend OCS. After completing OCS, Anderson deployed to Vietnam and joined the 1st Air Cavalry Division as a platoon leader. During his tour, Anderson served as a platoon leader, worked as part of base defense for a position and as a company executive officer. Once his tour in Vietnam ended, Anderson returned to the United States and went back to Michigan State.
- Date Created:
- 2011-02-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Lynn Hahn was born in Michigan in 1931. He attended college shortly after high school before being drafted into the Army. Lynn attended quarter master training in Virginia and trained in graves registration. Lynn was shipped to Korea in August of 1952 and stayed about 15 miles from the front working in a mortuary. Lynn spent much time identifying bodies and going on search and recovery missions after battles took place.
- Date Created:
- 2008-04-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Lloyd Heibel enlisted in the Navy in 1948 at the age of 17. He trained as a gunner and served on the USS Midway and USS Shenandoah, operating in the Atlantic and Mediterranean at the time of the Korean War.
- Date Created:
- 2010-06-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ken Maatman was an Officer in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. He supervised the installation and maintenance of communications lines in the China/Burma/India theater, particularly along the Burma Road in the last two years of the war. Letters and military documents appended to outline.
- Date Created:
- 2004-09-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- John Thiel was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1950 and served in the Navy/Marines and Army during the Vietnam War era. He worked for the Navy and Marines as a lab assistant in a number of different locations, including South Carolina and Camp Pendleton in California. After his stint in the Navy, he joined the Army and worked as a truck and forklift driver in Germany and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
- Date Created:
- 2008-06-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Sophie Kurys was born on May 14, 1925 in Flint, Michigan. Early on in childhood she played baseball with the neighborhood kids and then started out in city leagues playing organized baseball at thirteen until she turned seventeen when she tried out to play professionally. She played for the Racine Belles from 1943 to 1950; played for a Chicago league from 1950 to 1951, and then Battle Creek Belles in 1952 until 1955 and left for reasons unsaid. During her long career, she predominantly played second base but switched to various positions when she was with the Battle Creek Belles. For the Battle Creek Belles she played third base, shortstop, and outfield. Kurys set many records. Among the most notable highlights were setting the league record for stealing 201 bases in 1946 and hitting seven home runs in 1950.
- Date Created:
- 2009-09-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Harold Marks was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1931. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Detroit, then to the Saginaw, Michigan area. Upon graduation from the University of Michigan, Harold enlisted in the US Army, and was on Morse Code Intercept duty from 1953-1956. Harold was stationed in Anchorage, Nome and St. Lawrence Island, Alaska before his final station at the Army Security Agency headquarters in Arlington Hall Station, Virginia.
- Date Created:
- 2005-06-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Charles Ohanesian is a WW II veteran who served in the U.S. Army with the 2nd Armored Division from 1942 until being seriously wounded in 1944, arriving in North Africa after the German surrender there, and participating in the campaigns in Sicily and Normandy. In this account, Ohanesian discusses rebelling against his parents by forging their signatures to enlist early, training in the U.S, combat experiences in Sicily and Normandy, and his life after the war. Ohanesian also recounts aspects of war often not talked about on the Allied side, such as the confusion of the Normandy invasion, the execution of prisoners, and keeping of contraband.
- Date Created:
- 2007-06-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Perrin was born on September 11, 1923 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and drafted into the Army in 1943. He went to Camp McCoy in Wisconsin for basic training, which he thought was terrible. Robert then began training for the Military Police and was later stationed in Louisiana to help with flooding. Robert was transferred into the Army Air Force and then became part of the 42nd Rainbow Division. Near the end of his service Robert was instructing the Military Police how to repair radios in Colorado. Robert was discharged on November 26, 1945 and moved back to Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 2008-11-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Calvin Schutte was born in Michigan and served in the Army during the Korean War. He arrived in Korea in December, 1951 after having been drafted into the service. He attained the rank of Sergeant and Squad Leader, and served in several capacities including general infantry duty and guarding prisoners on Koji-do Island. He spent much of his service on Heartbreak Ridge serving with the 25th Infantry Division. He returned to the United States and worked as a farmer and for General Motors.
- Date Created:
- 2009-09-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Bob Wright was born in Massachusetts in 1922. Enlisted in the Air Force during World War II after dropping out of high school. He was trained to work with the electrical and mechanical aspects of military aircraft in Kansas City and at the Douglass plant in California. Overseas, his service began at Guadalcanal and involved "policing Henderson Field" and guard duty. He was transferred to the 68th Figher Squadron in Bougainville where he worked on P-39s. Eventually, he requested to work with a difference ordinance where he primarily worked on P-39s and P-38s. His subsequent service was in New Guinea and the Philippines.
- Date Created:
- 2009-09-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Marc Aronson was born in 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended a military academy in Virginia and graduated in 1968. In September 1968 he enlisted in the Army in Pittsburgh and soon after he began basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he also completed Army Driver's Training. After the eight weeks of basic training he attended artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma beginning in December 1968 where he received training on the 105mm howitzer and also attended Noncommissioned Officer School there making him a sergeant and also making him the crew chief for a gun. In September 1969 he was deployed to Vietnam where he served with the 1st Infantry Division operating out of Di An. After four months of service he was transferred to B Battery of the 319th Field Artillery of the 101st Airborne Division. During his time with the 101st he was transferred to Firebase Ripcord where he witnessed the battle and eventual fall of Ripcord. After his time with the 101st he was transferred to the 25th Infantry Division where he worked with 8 inch and 175mm self-propelled artillery tanks near the demilitarized zone, and returned home and was discharged in 1971.
- Date Created:
- 2014-07-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Nicholas Huizenga was born in Munster, Indiana in 1925. He graduated from high school in 1943 and was given a draft deferment so that he could work on his uncle's farm to provide food to the country and the troops during the Second World War. In 1945 his deferment expired and he was drafted into the Army in October 1945. He served for seven months at Camp Atterbury, Indiana processing returning soldiers, then four months at Fort Knox, Kentucky handling records there. He received his basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama and his final duty station was at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was discharged from the Army in late 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z
- 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 December 30, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 12, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a second message to Agnes that day and expresses how he wishes they could see each other again.
- Date Created:
- 1943-12-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Bill Schaefer was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1943. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and graduated from Western Michigan University in 1965. He enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to San Antonio, Texas for basic training. He was selected for top secret code work and was trained at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. With that training complete he was assigned to the 410th Bomb Wing stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan and got picked to serve aboard the airborne command post, flying missions out of Guam and directing B-52 bombing raids over North Vietnam. In May 1966 he was sent to Lindsey Air Station, West Germany and was assigned to Central European Operations, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency. During his time with them he worked to stop the desertion of soldiers, tracked uranium shipments in the Eastern Bloc, and oversaw the retrieval of codes from the U.S. embassy in Czechoslovakia (Prague Spring), Wheelus Air Force (Gaddafi seizure of Libya), and the U.S. embassy in Jordan (Jordanian Civil War). In the early 1980s he was assigned to the Pentagon to work with Tactical Air Control Party units and retired from that in 2003. He is now an active member of the Kent County Honor Guard aiding veterans and veterans' families.
- Date Created:
- 2014-08-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Marshall Doak was born in Sturgis, Michigan on March 3, 1921. He enlisted in the Navy on November 9, 1938 and went to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island for basic training. He served aboard the USS Salt Lake City then went to Hospital Corps School in San Diego, California in late 1939. He trained at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and served in the urological ward at Norfolk Naval Hospital. From Norfolk he returned to Great Lakes Naval Station to work in the dispensary then got assigned to the USS Wakefield. In November 1941 the Wakefield joined a convoy in Canada and helped secretly transport 5,500 British troops to Singapore before the United States entered the war. By the time they dropped off the troops, Pearl Harbor had been bombed and the U.S. was in the war. He served aboard the Wakefield until Thanksgiving 1942 when he was reassigned to the USS Arapaho. Aboard the Arapaho he served as the ship's doctor. Through the summer of 1943 the ship operated in the Pacific Theater and during the Battle of Tarawa he went ashore to treat Marine casualties. He also participated in the liberation of the in liberation of Eniwetok, Kwajalein, Makin, and the Northern Marianas Islands. He experienced a quasi-mutiny on the USS Arapaho before being transferred to the USS Enterprise on November 24, 1944. He returned to the United States and served at Brooklyn Naval Hospital and Hunter College before being discharged on October 8, 1945.
- Date Created:
- 2015-12-03T00:00:00Z
- 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 November 11, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 5, 1943. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes telling her of his love and affection for her and how he is patiently awaiting the new photographs she is planning to send to him.
- Date Created:
- 1943-11-11T00:00:00Z
- 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 December 31, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 12, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe expresses his appreciation of Agnes' most recent message and the letter he received from her mother. He also encourages Agnes to visit his family if possible and to explore learning how to cook in her free time.
- Date Created:
- 1943-12-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 23, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 26, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes on a lovely Sunday, wishing they could attend the morning church service together and sharing how he starts and ends every day looking at her picture while saying "Good morning, Darling" and "Pleasant dreams, Sweets."
- Date Created:
- 1944-04-23T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Emerson Barrone was a medic and ambulance driver in World War II. He was drafted in 1942 into the Army and spent time training in Missouri. He was then shipped of to England at the end of 1943. He landed on Utah Beach one day after D-Day. His job was to drive ambulances, and he was on the fringes of several major battles, including the Battle of the Bulge, but he never got into the fighting.
- Date Created:
- 2007-05-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Linda Crumback was one of the first women to go through the Air Force ROTC School. She would serve her country for 22 years, initially monitoring missile launches, and later working with computers and computer software. She served on bases in Florida, Colorado, Alaska and California, and worked with officers from other branches, especially while serving as an instructor at the Naval Post Graduate School.
- Date Created:
- 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ken David was born in Girard, Ohio in January of 1950. He graduated from high school in 1968 and was drafted a year later. He took basic training at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, and Infantry AIT at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and was sent to Vietnam in the fall of 1969. He was assigned to the 2nd platoon, D/1/506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. His company patrolled first in the lowlands near the coast south of the DMZ for a month, then spent about six weeks in the A Shau Valley at the end of the year. They then worked in the hill country to the north and west of the A Shau, and in early May the company's perimeter was hit by sappers, who overran the positions of David's platoon. He kept on fighting through the night, and was eventually joined by one of his friends. He was badly wounded in the fight and sent back to the US, and spent the rest of his hitch as a clerk at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in his last battle.
- Date Created:
- 2011-10-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gregory Gilmore volunteered for the draft and served from 1962 to 1968. He was deployed to Miami, Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis as a part of the Quartermaster Corps. He was based in the United States during his time in the service.
- Date Created:
- 2005-06-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Tom Grosser served in the US Army between 1971 and 1973. He served in Vietnam and saw some combat, but is still suffering the effects of PTSD and is reluctant to talk about it.
- Date Created:
- 2007-03-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Hayhurst was born in Wisconsin in 1943. After completing college, he enlisted in the Army in 1966 and trained in military intelligence. He was initially posted to Germany, but requested a transfer to Vietnam in 1967. He was assigned to a military intelligence unit based in Hue. His unit was small and headquartered in the city rather than on a military base, so when the Tet Offensive began in 1968, his unit were besieged in their house and eventually captured by the North Vietnamese and smuggled out of Hue. While being marched overland toward Laos, he and one other prisoner escaped their captors and made it back to American lines. After extensive debriefing, he accepted reassignment to the United States for the last year of his enlistment, and was discharged in 1969.
- Date Created:
- 2009-09-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Schowers was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1927. Robert joined the Merchant Marines when he was 16 and passed the test to become a radio operator. He trained at Hoffman Island and received his 2nd class telegraph license, 1st class telephone license, and a Ham radio license. Robert was assigned to a T2 tanker and made 2 trips to Europe during the war. He then got on another tanker and fueled ships at Subic Bay. On his 3rd ship, the Seatrain Texas, he went to Oran, Marseilles, and Naples to pick up locomotives. When he returned he joined the Army for 2 years during the Korean War. He was stationed in Santa Fe, New Mexico and wrote technical manuals.
- Date Created:
- 2008-05-21T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ron Story was born in Lowell, Michigan and graduated from high school in 1950. Ron was drafted into the Army in 1952 and feels that he was very fortunate that he was sent to Europe rather than Korea. Ron was stationed in La Rochelle, France on the Atlantic Coast. He noted that they were concerned about possible Soviet attack. He traveled extensively in Europe, returned to the US in 1954, and served for six years in the reserves. Photographs appended to interview outline.
- Date Created:
- 2007-05-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Mary Froning O'Meara was born in Minster, Ohio, in 1934. She played on softball teams run by the local Catholic Youth Organization while in school, and was recruited into the AAGPBL in 1951. She played outfield for the South Bend Blue Sox from 1951 until the league folded in 1954. After baseball, she worked as an airline stewardess for several years, and then married and raised a family, and continued to play and coach baseball and softball.
- Date Created:
- 2010-08-08T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Doris Cook was born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1939. She grew up in a large family and played baseball and other sports. When a women's professional baseball team moved to Muskegon in 1946, her older sister tried out and joined the team. Doris then joined the league after finishing high school in 1949, and played first for the Springfield Sallies, a barnstorming team, and then for the Kalamazoo Lassies and the South Bend Blue Sox, and played through the 1953 season. She initially expected to be an outfielder, but when she had some problems running, she was converted to a pitcher, and was a pitcher throughout her professional career.
- Date Created:
- 2010-08-04T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- John Oracz was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1925. He was drafted into the Navy in 1943 and went to basic training at Farragut Naval Station, Idaho and then went to the University of Chicago for radio training. In late 1943 he was sent to Shoemaker Navy Base, California to wait for his next orders, and in early 1944 he finally received orders to join the Pacific Theatre. After doing a few weeks of supply work on various liberated Pacific islands he finally boarded the USS Hoel, a destroyer, in early 1944 in the Solomon Islands. Aboard the Hoel he saw action during the Invasion of Peleliu and at Leyte Gulf, where his ship was sunk. He was rescued after three days in the water, and served on several other ships without seeing further action until he returned home in 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2014-08-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 14, 1945. The envelope is sent from Det. of Patients, 4152 U.S. Hospital Plant, A.P.O.-63, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 16, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while recovering in the hospital in England and after receiving the first forwarded letters from her in over three months. He continues to write that he will be leaving the hospital in the near future and placed on "Non-Combatant" duty, in addition to updating Agnes on his latest news.
- Date Created:
- 1945-02-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Phil Brockschmidt knew that he wanted to join the armed service after Pearl Harbor was attacked and joined the Navy when he was only 15 years old. He took many long trips traveling in a convoy to Russia to deliver oil. Phil was eventually transferred into the Navy Air Corps and was disappointed with the transfer. In the Navy Air Corps Phil traveled to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Africa, Miami, Cuba, and Puerto Rico working as an ordinance man.
- Date Created:
- 2004-10-18T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Dale Hemphill was born in Michigan in 1942 and later moved to Indiana with his mother when he was 10 years old. In 1960 he enlisted in the Navy for 3 years of active duty and 3 years in the Reserves. Dale went through boot camp in San Diego, California and was then stationed in California and later Alaska. After his time in the service he began working on a project called Flags Across America n 1979. He also started a non-profit organization called Spirit of America and he often travels around the country working on his project and organization.
- Date Created:
- 2009-11-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Paul Penno was a World War II veteran who served in the Army as a medical aid from 1942 to December 1945. In this account, Penno discusses his pre-enlistment and his enlistment and training years in the U.S. He further discusses his part as a medical aid in France and occupational officer in Czechoslovakia.
- Date Created:
- 2007-12-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Helen Filarski Steffes was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1924. She grew up playing baseball with boys in the neighborhood. She met some of the players from the All American league who encouraged her to try out, and went on to play third base for Rockford, Peoria, Kenosha and South Bend between 1944 and 1950.
- Date Created:
- 2010-07-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Rodney Van Dyck was born in Muskegon, Michigan on March 23, 1956. He enlisted in the Army on June 29, 1974 and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne. Rodney was stationed at Fort Bragg, Fort Dix, and Fort Benning. He went through jump school and was trained as a voice radio operator. Rodney jumped into Texas, Alaska and South Carolina. When he was in Alaska he had cold weather training. Rodney then fell and broke both of his ankles so he had to be discharged.
- Date Created:
- 2008-06-30T00:00:00Z
- 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 July 3, 1944. The envelope is sent from Det. of Patients, 4187 U.S. Hospital Plant, A.P.O.-152, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated July 10, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes while recovering in the hospital, sharing how he passes the time reading and admiring her photograph at his bedside.
- Date Created:
- 1944-07-03T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Harry "Bud" Baxter graduated high school near the beginning of WW II. He went to college at the University of Michigan for a year, but feeling that he would soon be drafted, he enlisted in the Army. During WW II he traveled with other men where they built bridges and repaired roads so that the United States Army could move around through the area. Harry continued to remain in the reserves when his time was up and eventually served for a short time in the Korean War.
- Date Created:
- 2007-06-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Michael Burton was born in Detroit and enlisted in 1966 after finishing one year at Grand Valley State College. He spent 8 months in Hawaii as part of the 127th Marine Infantry Regiment, and for a short while was part of their bases tennis team. He was then sent to Vietnam via Okinawa. He spent time in Dong Ha and Kontum, but eventually found his way to his new location near the DMZ as part of the 3rd Marine Division, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine regiment. He was able to find a friend from college that was with the same unit, and spent his entire time in the field with him. He never saw the enemy, and the engagements he was involved in were from a distance. He talked about the C-rations they got during their time in Vietnam, and how the cigarettes they received were good for bartering. He also talked about the supplemental weapons the soldiers would carry, and what kind of equipment they would bring with them while on duty. He was in the field for two to three weeks before he was wounded by a mortar round. He had several injuries, as did his friend, and he was sent back to the US. Along the way he was treated at a battalion aid station, a hospital boat, and eventually at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. He spent the rest of his service at the Hospital, and was reunited with his friends from college. He had been a vocal opponent of the war once he was discharged, and has some opinions about the war in Iraq. He also talks about how soldiers who experience war need to seek professional help when they return to civilian life, and that mob mentality needs to be avoided by all soldiers. Personal narrative appended to interview outline.
- Date Created:
- 2007-10-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Harry Bolthouse is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1948 to 1949. Although unable to recall much of his service experience, due to his cerebral hemorrhages, he was able to share pieces of his pre-enlistment and enlistment. Among the things he does remember and discusses briefly are his days in basic training learning how to drive a tank while at Fort Meade, Maryland.
- Date Created:
- 2009-05-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Denton Kime was born on March 11, 1942 in Niles, Michigan. After graduating from high school in 1960, Kime attended Albion College, although he did not graduate because he failed to complete some of the graduation requirements. Once out of Albion, Kime received his draft notification and after joining the Marines, went to the Recruit Depot San Diego for training. After completing his basic and advanced training, Kime deployed to Vietnam and spent his entire tour in the area around the city of Da Nang.
- Date Created:
- 2010-01-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gerd Lindemann was born in Rodach Germany, trained as a tank officer and commanded a tank company in the Afrika Korps in 1942 and 1943. He fought at El Alamein and Kasserine, and was captured in May, 1943. He was sent to the United States as a POW, went home after the war, and eventually returned to the United States.
- Date Created:
- 2011-05-20T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jay Lindquist was born in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from high school there in 1952. He attended the Naval Academy and served on several ships before transferring to the Air Force in 1957. He trained as a fighter pilot served as a flight instructor, and then trained to work with rocket systems before volunteering for duty in Vietnam. He served there between 1965 and 1966 training Vietnamese pilots and flying observation aircraft out of Da Nang with the 110th Vietnamese Liaison Squadron, and won the Distinguished Flying Cross on one of his missions.. He returned home in 1966 and worked at the Air Defense Weapons Center in Florida until he resigned from the Air Force to pursue a business degree at the University of Michigan during which time he served with the Michigan Air National Guard until he resigned from there as a lieutenant colonel and took a job at Western Michigan University as a marketing professor.
- Date Created:
- 2014-02-13T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ron Lyon was born in Flint, MI on November 14, 1941. After a few years at community college, he realized that he wasn't getting anything out of college and decided to join the service. In September of 1962, he signed up for a missile defense site for New York City. After being investigated by the FBI and taking several advanced classes, Ron received top secret clearance and took care of all nuclear warheads and tools for his company. He served for 14 months in New York City and 18 months in Germany.
- Date Created:
- 2008-08-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Melchior Lux was born in 1935 in Filipowa, an ethnic German community in Yugoslavia, in 1935. When the German military invaded in 1941, Lux and the Germanic townspeople welcomed the incoming soldiers. His brother joined the German Army and, later, his father was forced into the service in early 1944. When the Germans evacuated in October of 1944, along with his brother and father, Serbian partisans took over, instating rations on supplies, but not food. Lux's mother was forced to undergo manual labor for the partisans and his sister was sent to Russia as a forced laborer. The partisans frequently tortured, beat, and abused their German prisoners and local townspeople. Lux remained imprisoned in the town until December of 1946 when his mother paid a guide to help them escape and flee to Hungary. In the Soviet Zone of Occupation, he acquired a passport and was eventually permitted into the American Zone, settling into Passau where his uncle lived. He worked as a welder until he earned his Journeyman's Card and filed paperwork for emigration to the United States, leaving Germany in 1956.
- Date Created:
- 2016-05-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated January 18, 1945. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated January 19, 1945. In the letter, Agnes is relieved to hear from Joe again and describes what he may have missed in her other letters such as her vacation at Helen's and the money she received from him.
- Date Created:
- 1945-01-18T00:00:00Z
- 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 July 5, 1944. The envelope is sent from Det. of Patients, 4187 U.S. Hospital Plant, A.P.O.-152, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated July 14, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes while recovering in the hospital and thinking of their future together. Joe also mentions that he has been re-reading her old letters as he awaits his mail being forwarded to the hospital.
- Date Created:
- 1944-07-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jay Huston was born in Erie Pennsylvania on August 25, 1925. He graduated in 1943 and then enlisted in the Navy to avoid being drafted into the Army. Jay went through basic training at Great Lakes in Chicago and went through advanced training there to be a hospital corpsman. He was then stationed in London and preparing a hospital for the incoming patients after the D Day invasion. After working in Europe, Jay also worked in hospitals in the Pacific, including on Okinawa, during the war with Japan.
- Date Created:
- 2009-02-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)