Veterans History Project
1714 items
- Notes:
- Thaddeus Zator grew up in Michigan and was drafted in the Army during World War II. He trained as a communications specialist, first at Camp Crowder, Missouri, and then in Arlington, Virginia, before being sent to England in 1943. He was based in London, and traveled around to repair communications equipment. After D-Day, he was sent to France, where he moved from unit to unit to work on equipment as needed, often flying in small planes to his assignments from a base near Verdun, France.
- Date Created:
- 2010-11-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Mary Louise "Wimp" Baumgartner was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1930. She played in the AAGPBL from 1949 to 1954 as a catcher for Peoria and South Bend. She went to college in the off season, and after the league folded she became a teacher and coach for girls' athletic teams, and was actively involved in the promotion of girls' sports in Indiana.
- Date Created:
- 2010-08-05T00:00:00Z
- 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 May 24, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 27, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed in North Africa and discusses the most recent movies he has seen including ''The Flying Tigers" and "The Major and the Minor." He also expresses gratitude for living through his current campaign overseas and his hope to return to Fort Devens in the United States.
- Date Created:
- 1943-05-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- George Sarros served in the Marine Corps from 1946-1951. He fought as a machine-gunner during the Korean War. He did experience combat with Koreans and the Chinese, but did not talk about much of his experience. He does recall being on the front line while he served in Korea. George said that many of his men were hurt and it was an unpleasant experience, so he blocked much of it out.
- Date Created:
- 2007-05-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jimmy Butt was born in Tippo, Mississippi, on October 13, 1921. He was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Auburn University and graduated in February 1943. He attended the Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was commissioned as an officer on June 23, 1943. He completed Survey School a month later. In September 1943, he went to Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, and joined the 863rd Field Artillery Battalion of the 63rd Infantry Division. On Christmas Day 1944, he sailed to the European Theatre and in January 1945 joined the rest of the 63rd near Saarbrucken. He participated in the fighting on the Siegfried Line and the eventual crossing of the Rhine River into Germany. He was with the division as it advanced through Germany and witnessed the liberation of multiple slave labor camps. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, he was part of the Army of Occupation and served in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. He left Germany in summer 1946 and was discharged at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in September 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2017-01-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gene Pasma was born on August 28, 1923 in Moline, Michigan. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was drafted in January 1943. He received basic training at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland as well as went to a technical school to learn how to be an armorer. He was stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts from mid-1943 to fall 1944 servicing small arms for men going overseas. He was pulled from that duty and received further training at Camp Plauche, Louisiana and Camp Howze, Texas and was sent to the European Theatre in January 1945 as a replacement infantryman. He joined the 69th Infantry Division in England and was assigned to 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 271st Infantry Regiment. They went over to Europe in late January 1945 and he saw action on the Siegfried Line, in the Rhineland, and across Germany until he was wounded on April 25, 1945. After recovering from his wounds he rejoined his unit in Germany and stayed with them until the end of August 1945. He left Europe in late August 1945 and was finally discharged from the Army at Camp Polk, Louisiana in Novembber 1945.
- Date Created:
- 2015-05-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Floyd "Bud" Hall enlisted in the United States Navy at age 16. After a short time in air-sea rescue, Floyd decided to join the paratroopers. He describes the paratrooper training process and the numerous practice jumps that were required. Floyd was eventually sent to Korea in 1952 and served as a tank commander until the end of the conflict in 1953.
- Date Created:
- 2015-05-15T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Joseph Boball was born in 1912 and worked in the Aviation Engineers from 1943 through 1946. Joseph was Staff Sergeant in Okinawa and Korea. In Okinawa Joseph spent most of his time building an air strip and other infrastructure. While working in Okinawa, Joseph was threatened by Japanese plains flying over and shooting many times. After his time in the service, Joseph worked with for an oil refinery and as attended a few veterans' reunions.
- Date Created:
- 2007-07-08T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Don Bennett was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1925. He attended Albion College for one semester, then enlisted in the Navy, and became a submariner. He served on five patrols, one in the Kurile Islands, three near the Yellow Sea, and a final one north of Tokyo. During this time they sunk forty-two enemy ships. He was discharged on December 18th, 1945. After the war, he finished school at Albion College.
- Date Created:
- 2008-10-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Arthur Hotchkiss, born in Muskegon, Michigan, served in the U.S. Navy from approx. 1961-1967. During his service, Arthur served in both the Cuban Missile Crisis as well as President Kennedy's flight to Europe. Arthur served as a radio operator on 3 ships while in the Navy, and went on cruises in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Mediterranean.
- Date Created:
- 2006-06-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)