Interview of Marcia Larsen on her experience working as a civilian employee in the U.S. Army Special Services in Asia

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Description:

Marcia Baer Larsen, who studied art history and ceramics at the Rhode Island School of Design, talks about using her training while working at foreign postings for the federal government, including service in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. After graduating in 1964, Larsen says that she was hired by the Defense Department as a civilian Supervisory Recreation Specialist in the Special Services unit and was sent to Korea to run craft, recreation, and education programs for American troops at an R&R center and also led tours of ancient Korean kiln sites. Larsen says that she was in Korea until 1968 and after two years back in the States was sent to Thailand as administrator of all in-country recreation facilities, including golf courses and recreation centers. Larsen talks about closing centers in Vietnam and Thailand and turning the facilities and equipment over to local government and tells a story of taking an unauthorized flight with a CIA unit into Phenom Phen, Cambodia and initially being refused permission to leave. Larsen says that she left Special Services when she married and later became Director of the Southwest Craft Center. Larsen is interviewed by Ruth Stewart and Patricia Martin.

Date Issued:

2007-02-06T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Michigan State University. Libraries

Collection:

Women's Overseas Service League Oral History Project

Place:

Korea (South), Thailand, Korea (South), Thailand, and Vietnam

Subject Topic:

Service clubs, Soldiers, Recreation, Soldiers, Recreation, Recreation centers, Recreation centers, and Recreation centers

Subject Name:

Johns, Lois A., United States, Army Service Forces, Special Service Division, United States, and Army

Subject Genre:

Interviews and Interviews

Language:

English

Rights:

In Copyright

URL:

https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5n98z