Veterans History Project
1714 items
- Notes:
- Che was born in Hanoi, Vietnam in 1940. After graduating from high school, he joined the army so that he could serve his country. He was sent to officer training school and graduated as a lieutenant. He served in the army from 1962 – 1966. After the Tet Offensive in 1968, Che decided to rejoin the army. He was sent to many towns and villages surrounding Saigon, and later fought in the battle of An Xuan Loc as a battalion commander. After the war ended, Che spent five years in a prison camp for his military involvement. He moved with his family to the United States in 1992 and settled in Detroit, Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 2010-07-03T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- James Wykstra was born in 1947 in the town of Cutlerville, Michigan. After graduating from high school, Wykstra felt it was his duty to serve in the military. In August 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Following completion of basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago, Wykstra returned to Cutlerville and regularly attended the reserve meetings until going on active duty in the summer, 1967. Assigned the to destroyer escort U.S.S. Davidson, Wykstra patrolled along the Vietnamese coast and sailed to numerous locales in the Southwest Pacific, including Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and the Philippines.
- Date Created:
- 2011-01-13T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Melvin Van Dis was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and served in the Army during World War II. Van Dis was drafted into the Army in 1943, and was sent to Europe as a replacement for killed or injured troops. He was attached to the 1st Division, which had lost a number of men during their previous campaigns. He landed in Normandy on D-Day as part of the second wave to hit the beaches. He was injured in Normandy in a friendly fire incident. He recovered and was sent back to his unit, serving with them across France and into Aachen, only to succumb to trench foot in the Hurtgen Forest. He finished his tour of duty working for the American Legion back in the United States.
- Date Created:
- 2009-07-06T00:00:00Z
- 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 January 10, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 19, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe is pleased to hear from Agnes and learn that the flowers he sent to her were well received.
- Date Created:
- 1944-01-10T00:00:00Z
- 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 April 29, 1945. The envelope is sent from 6916 Reinf. Co. (Prov.), 6903 Reinf. Bn. (Prov.), A.P.O.-551, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 2, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes on a beautiful day in England, wishing they were together again and dreaming of their wedding day and future happiness. He also writes describing the natural beauty of their potential honeymoon at the lake and his hopes for his future "Best Man."
- Date Created:
- 1945-04-29T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Edward Ramon was born in 1942 in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated high school in May of 1960. Ramon received a scholarship to play football at Texarkana Junior College, but decided to join the Army in 1961. He completed his Advanced Individual Training at Fort Ord, California, and his Finance Training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, before he trained as a medic at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Ramon was involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis response in the early '60s and trained as a helicopter pilot after reenlistment. He was deployed to Vietnam in January, 1966, with the 1st Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne and the 82nd Airborne Divisions. While he primarily flew gunships, he also participated in various rescue missions in Vietnam.
- Date Created:
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Fry was born in 1970 and enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating high school in 1988. He spent his time training in Kentucky and enjoyed boot camp. Robert earned many medals and ribbons during his time serving in Germany and in the Middle East. Robert led a fire team during Desert Storm, working on border patrol and search and destroy missions. After serving in the Army, Robert earned his associates in Security and is currently employed in armed security.
- Date Created:
- 2004-02-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Freddie Gilbert is a Vietnam War veteran born in1949 in Vermont and was raised in Prairieville, Maryland. In 1969 he was drafted for the Vietnam War and was attached to D Company in 2nd and 506th of the 101st Airborne. His unit was heavily engaged in the fighting around Firebase Ripcord in 1970. After the war he enlisted in the Army and served as a trainer and made that his career until he retired from service on June 1st 1989. Afterwards he took a job in the civilian security sector with the Pinkerton Guard Business and is still serving with them.
- Date Created:
- 2013-10-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Art Jacobs joined the Naval Air Corps in the 1930s. He was one of only 32 men that graduated with wings out of the original 435 men. He stayed in the Navy for a long time and eventually taught other young men advanced air fighting tactics. While he was called out to fight in World War twice, in both times his orders eventually were cancelled before he was actually shipped out. Art Had a rough childhood because his father died when he was only six and then he and his siblings had to help support their mother. Art enjoyed being in the Navy and believes that every male should serve at one point in their life. After life in the Navy, Art also became part of the Masons, the Red Cross, and the Eastern Star.
- Date Created:
- 2005-11-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Basil Morris was born in Allegan, Michigan and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Basil joined the Air Corp following the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and went through the requisite training to fly B-24s. He was eventually sent to Europe, flying missions from a base in Italy. On his third mission, his plane was shot down over Austria, and he was captured by local villagers and made a POW. He was sent to a POW camp in Germany, and released when the camp was over-run by the Russians.
- Date Created:
- 2009-10-15T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)