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Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
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United States. Army
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- Notes:
- Richard Doyle was born in Vermont and drafted into the US Army as he finished college in 1969. He trained as an infantryman and served in two different battalions in the 1st Infantry Division before being reassigned to the 101st. He served with D Company, 1/506 Infantry, from March until October, 1970 and participated in the Ripcord campaign. After returning from Vietnam, he stayed in the Army and eventually became an MP. He participated in the planning of the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the establishment of the facility for Al Qaida prisoners at Guantanamo.
- Date Created:
- 2011-10-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Gary was born near Ithaca, Michigan and later attended Michigan State University. He graduated from college with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1965. Gary received his draft notice in January 1966 for the United States Army. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and later attended communications school at Fort Gordon. Gary was stationed in Germany for 18 months and served with the 6th Battalion, 10th Artillery, Headquarters Battery located in Bamberg.
- Date Created:
- 2013-05-29T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Chuck VanCleve was born in Linwood, California in 1950. He grew up in Linwood, California and enlisted in the Army on May 6, 1968. He qualified for officer training despite his young age, and received his commission on June 17, 1969, and went to Helicopter School at Fort Walters, Texas. He completed the entire course, but was forced to wash out on the final check ride due to colorblindness. From there he went to Jungle Training in Panama to prepare for a deployment to Vietnam. Upon completing that he was sent to Vietnam in late 1969. After travelling to Camp Eagle he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and travelled from there to Camp Evans where he was assigned to B Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 319th Field Artillery Regiment attached to D Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment as a forward observer for artillery. He served under Captain Rollinson and took part in patrols of the area around Firebase Jack and later around Firebase Ripcord. On July 1, 1970 he was reassigned to C Company of the 2nd of the 506th under the command of Captain Hewitt. On July 2nd Hill 902 came under attack by North Vietnamese forces and he was wounded in the initial rocket barrage. Despite being wounded he assumed the role of acting company commander (Captain Hewitt was killed immediately in the barrage) and directed mortar fire and flares to ward off the North Vietnamese onslaught. After the battle he was evacuated to Camp Evans where he was awarded the Purple Heart and later the Distinguished Service Cross and then eventually to Japan and finally to Fort Bliss, Texas to receive treatment for the wound on his hand, and served as an ROTC instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma until he left the Army in 1974.
- Date Created:
- 2014-10-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Walter Kryzanowski was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1949. After dropping out of high school he enlisted in the Army. Enlisting allowed him to choose where he'd like to work; he chose supply. He trained at Ft. Knox and Ft. Lee. He was in the top 10% of his class at Ft. Lee which allowed him to work in advanced stock control and accounting control. This was his job the whole time in Vietnam; he and a few other guys worked in three vans. His job was to process parts what they knew what they wanted, punch cards, and went to the computer room and ran them through. Mr. Kryzanowski extended his tour in Vietnam. He continued this job after Vietnam in England for three years.
- Date Created:
- 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Stanley Poloski was born in 1948 in Richmond, Virginia. He lived in Richmond, Virginia until his family moved to central Florida. He grew up in Florida and attended high school and community college there until he was drafted. In the summer of 1969 he reported for basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and from there took advanced individual training specializing in artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In November 1969 he was deployed to Vietnam and was assigned to B Battery 2nd Battalion 319th Field Artillery Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division based out of Camp Evans. He served with them at multiple firebases before they were sent to Firebase Ripcord in March 1970. He served at Ripcord through the Battle of Ripcord until the firebase was evacuated on July 23, 1970. After the battle his unit was dissolved and he was reassigned to the 82nd Airborne Division operating near Saigon. He stayed in Vietnam until he was sent home on Christmas Eve, 1970 arriving home on New Year's Eve, 1970.
- Date Created:
- 2014-10-08T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Sam Rawlinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1948 and grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After graduating from high school in 1967 he decided to join the Army. He did his basic training at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. He then went to Ft. Dix in New Jersey for AIT as a mechanic. Sam received orders to go to Vietnam by October of 1968. After Vietnam he worked at Ft. Hood in Texas for three years and after that he went to Germany for two years. He retired from the military in 1988 and retired from the work force in 2008.
- Date Created:
- 2014-10-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Hogue was born on October 12th, 1950 in Salem, Ohio. After graduating from high school, Hogue moved to Michigan to work of the Goodyear Tire Company because there were no jobs in the Salem area. In 1969, Hogue received his draft notice and after completing basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Hogue deployed to Vietnam to serve with the Americal Division. He served as an infantryman in a rifle platoon and spent most of his tour in the jungle engaged in patrols and small unit actions. Following a yearlong tour in Vietnam, Hogue returned to the United States in August 1971 and received his discharge.
- Date Created:
- 2011-03-15T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Dan Huver was born in September 1943 in Lowell, Michigan. After briefly thinking about joining a law enforcement academy, Huver requested that the military move his name up on the draft list so that they would draft him and he would only serve for two years instead of the three years had he enlisted. After he received NCO and armored training, Huver was part of an airlift to Germany, where his entire division performed maneuvers of six months. Following Germany, Huver returned to United States and served at Fort Riley, Kansas as an advanced infantry instructor for soldiers going to Vietnam.
- Date Created:
- 2010-05-15T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Terry Knapp joined the army in 1967. He served in Vietnam with the 11th Calvary. His unit served during the Tet Offensive and suffered heavy casualties. He received a purple heart and was discharged at the end of 1968. After the war he returned to work at his family bakery in Lansing, Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 2006-12-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jerry McFarland was born on March 24, 1933 and enlisted in the Navy in 1950 after graduating from high school. Jerry trained at Great Lakes Naval Academy in Chicago, Illinois and was then stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. He worked there for about 4 years transporting Marines to Puerto Rico to train for the Korean War. Jerry was discharged after 4 years, but found himself bored with civilian life and then enlisted in the Army. While in the Army Jerry worked in Texas, Germany, France, Colorado Springs, and Vietnam, where he served with an engineer unit.
- Date Created:
- 2005-05-23T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jerry Moyer was born in Springfield, Missouri, in 1948, moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1958 where he graduated high school. Moyer enlisted in the Army in 1967 before he could recieve a draft notice and underwent signals training and learned to string telephone wires. He was then sent to Germany where he was stationed with a mechanized infantry battalion of the 4th Armored Division in Crailsheim. When he was promoted to sergeant in 1969, Moyer's specialization was changed to infantry and he was evetually deployed to Vietnam, joining C Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101 st Aiborne Division. His unit participated in the establishment of Firebase Ripcord and the defense of Hill 902 when Moyer was injured and sent to the rear.
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Frank Marshall was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1949. He lived there until he recived his draft notice late in 1968. After basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and advanced training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, he went to NCO school at Fort Benning, Georgia. He quit that program and was sent to Vietnam, where he was assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division. He participated in shutdown operations in the A Shau Valley late in 1969, then operated closer to the coast in early 1970, and then took part in the campaign around Firebase Ripcord, and was wounded three times. He returned home in August and was discharged. He later became one of the founding members of the Ripcord Association, and remains actively involved with that organization.
- Date Created:
- 2013-10-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Douglas McVay was born in Monticello, Iowa, on December 18, 1949. In August 1969, he enlisted in the Army. He received his basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, then received armored personnel carrier training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In late fall of that year, he was deployed to Vietnam where he joined A Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. For the rest of 1969 and into the spring of 1970 he patrolled around Camp Evans, then from April through July he and A Company patrolled around Firebase Ripcord. During the Battle of Firebase Ripcord (July 1 – July 23, 1970), his company fought around Ripcord, and got into a severe firefight on July 22nd in which Douglas was wounded. After being rescued on July 23rd, he was taken out of combat. He recovered in Japan and returned to the United States. He served at Fort Carson, Colorado, for the remainder of his enlistment and was discharged in May 1972.
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-21T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Grover DeVault was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on August 20, 1929. He originally served in the New Jersey National Guard with C Company of the 50th Armored Division before joining the regular Army as a chaplain after studying at Philadelphia Faith Theological Seminary. Grover served at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as the garrison chaplain and at the DeWitt Army Hospital for a year. He served with the U.S. Army Polar Research at Greenland and helped with the construction of Camp Century, and also went to remote outposts to conduct services. After Greenland, he served in West Germany with the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Fulda Gap. He was deployed to Vietnam and in Vietnam served with the 80th Support Group. While in Vietnam, he worked with the Army and mission groups to help the Montagnard tribes. He returned to the United States and served at Fort Detrick, Maryland, for one year then studied at Union Theological Seminary. He completed his service at Fort Hood, Texas.
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jim Oudman was born on July 28, 1943, in Palo Alto, California, but he grew up in Michigan. In the fall of 1964 he volunteered for the draft. He received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, then received advanced individual training at Fort Story, Virginia. While at Fort Story he learned how to drive trucks and handle supplies, and was assigned to the 565th Transportation Company. In October 1965 he deployed to Vietnam with the 565th and got there via the USS General JC Brekinridge. He landed at Cam Ranh Bay and helped establish a base there. For a year he went on convoys to nearby bases to deliver supplies with most convoys going from Cam Ranh Bay to Nha Trang. After a year in Vietnam he returned to the United States and with four months left in his enlistment he was discharged early.
- Date Created:
- 2016-02-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- John Lund was born in Cadillac, Michigan, in 1950. In the spring of 1969 he enlisted in the Army, and after graduating from high school reported for duty in July 1969. He received Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and then received Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He deployed to Vietnam in late 1969. At Camp Sally he was assigned to a Recon unit in the 2nd Battalion, of the 501st Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division. In December 1969 he went on his first recon mission. From January through March 1970 he went on patrols in the A Shau Valley, and was wounded on April 23, 1970. After recovering he rejoined his recon unit and conducted patrols around Firebase Ripcord until its total evacuation on July 23, 1970. After the fall of Firebase Ripcord he went on recon missions around Firebase Bastogne until being reassigned to Phu Bai. His tour ended in late 1970, and in January 1971 he reported to Fort Ord, California. He completed his enlistment at Fort Hunter Liggett, California.
- Date Created:
- 2016-08-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Mike Hale was born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1946. He attended Barbour Hall Academy and Marmion Military Academy until graduating in 1964. In August 1965 he enlisted in the Army for communications and attended training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and Fort Riley, Kansas. He was attached to Headquarters Company of the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion of the 9th Division at Fort Riley and was deployed to Vietnam in mid-October 1966 where he served at Bearcat and at Dong Thap in the Mekong Delta until he was sent home in April 1968. Upon returning home he served at Fort Sheridan, Illinois until May 1969.
- Date Created:
- 2013-12-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- William Schrader was born in Alpena, Michigan on October 19, 1929. He entered the Army on July 31, 1948, and served in Germany near the end of World War II. After WWII, Schrader went to Korea and served in the Korean War. After Korea, Schrader switched from Infantry to Airborne. After joining the Airborne, Schrader married and he and his wife went back to Germany. Schrader spent 113 days in Lebanon during the Lebanese Crisis, and afterwards, went back to the United States and joined the Special Forces, eventually becoming a Green Beret. In 1962, Schrader left and trained guerillas in both Laos and Iran before going to Vietnam in 1965. Schrader left Vietnam and served in the United States for several years before returning to Vietnam in 1969, where he again trained Vietnamese forces.
- Date Created:
- 2010-05-20T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ben Jerzyk born in 1945 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He was the oldest of eight other children and his father was a World War Two veteran. He attended college and trained as a physical therapist and was drafted into the Army in June 1967. He trained as a medic at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was deployed to Vietnam in mid-December of 1967 and was stationed at Cat Lai with the 133rd Medical Detachment Company. He spent eleven months in Vietnam during which time he lived through the Tet Offensive in early 1968. After returning home from Vietnam he completed his service at Fort Carson, Colorado in early 1969.
- Date Created:
- 2014-05-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Larry Rosencrans was born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1948. After high school he was drafted in 1967 and his basic training took place at Fort Knox, Kentucky. At Fort Polk, Louisiana he underwent his AIT training before being sent to Vietnam in 1969. Near Pleiku Vietnam at Camp Enari he underwent more training, and then he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. In the jungles Larry would participate in a number of missions until 1969 when he left Vietnam. From 1970-1972 his mechanical repair skills came in handy in Fort Hood, Texas where he worked as a heavy duty mechanic, then later as a motor pool clerk.
- Date Created:
- 2015-11-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- John Chenard was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, in 1948 and was drafted into the Army in 1967. Chenard attended both basic and advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, before being sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Airborne training as well as Ranger School near the Panama Canal. For his first deployment, he was selected to run small search-and-rescue operations in and out of Vietnam, recieving several bullet wounds during this action. Chenard's return to the United States was rocky, as crowds threw things and yelled at him. For his service, he earned a variety of metals, including 4 Purple Hearts, became a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and was a part of the decorated Army Drill Team. He also mentions crossing paths with several Cambodian refugees in the United States he had not seen since his service in Vietnam.
- Date Created:
- 2017-03-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- John Shipley was in the U. S. Army and National Guard from 1971 through 2006. He served as a Command Sergeant Major during Viet Nam, the Cold War, and in Panama. While John did not talk much of his 35 years in the service, he did say that he learned a lot about how the world works and about the behavior of nation-states.
- Date Created:
- 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Paul Hansmann was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 28, 1948. Hansmann was drafted in 1969 and underwent raining at Fort Bragg, Fort McClellan, Fort Benning, and Fort Polk. He was then selected for NCO school where he trained according to the war in Vietnam. He was then deployed to Camp Evans in Vietnam with the B Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He conducted Search and Destroy missions and was chosen to be on a battalion Killer Team in the mountains around Ripcord AO before the assault of the firebase. He was later stationed at Firebase Kathryn before recieving an early-out to go home and help his father in law farm in Iowa.
- Date Created:
- 2014-10-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Christal Stanton served in the U.S. Army from approximately 1974-1976 as a typist. She attended basic training in Alabama and served most of her time in the army as a typist on a base in Colorado.
- Date Created:
- 2012-05-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Vernon Swim was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1935. He entered the Army chaplaincy in 1962 and completed his basic chaplain's course at Fort Slocum, New York. His first assignment was in South Korea with the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, and he served there from 1964 to early 1965. Upon returning to the United States, he was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, as the artillery chaplain. After Fort Carson, he served at the 98th General Hospital in West Germany for three years with his wife who was an Army nurse. Vernon served a tour in Vietnam as the chaplain at Long Binh Jail, working with the American soldiers imprisoned there. After his tour in Vietnam he was sent to the American Institute of Family Relations to get his master's degree in marriage and family therapy, which allowed him to be a family and marriage counsellor at Fort Lee, Virginia, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He did a second tour in Germany at a retreat center in Berchtesgaden. He ultimately served in the Army chaplaincy for 24 years (most likely retiring in 1986).
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jim Vanden Hout is a Vietnam War veteran who was born on February 7, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he was twenty five he was drafted into the Army on January 22, 1968. He received training at Fort Dix, New Jersey and Fort Polk, Louisiana before being deployed to Vietnam in May 1968. He was sent to Chu Lai where he was assigned to Echo Company of the 4th Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division). He momentarily served with the mortar platoon before volunteering to join the recon platoon. He conducted numerous patrols in the area between Chu Lai and Da Nang and near the Laotian border. On January 23, 1969 he was wounded in combat and was ultimately evacuated to the United States. He finished his service at Fort Carson, Colorado and was discharged on January 22, 1970.
- Date Created:
- 2015-02-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Steve Pullen was born on Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico, where his father was serving at the time. His family eventually settled in Florida, where he finished high school and started college, but his status changed and he was drafted into the Army in 1968. He opted for officer training, and then trained to fly Cobra attack helicopters. Sent to Vietnam in 1970, he was assigned to lead an aerorifle platoon in the 2/17 Cavalry in the 101st Airborne Division. He did this between May and September, 1970, and participated in the Ripcord campaign. He then became a scout helicopter pilot for another six months, participating in the Lam Son 719 operation in Laos in 1971. He returned fora second tour in 1972, again as a scout helicopter pilot, and was there during the 1972 offensive, and served with F Troop of the 4th Cavalry until he was wounded. He spent another thirty years in the Army, including twenty in the Special Forces, and served in Grenada, Bosnia, Somalia and Iraq.
- Date Created:
- 2014-10-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Rauland Whiteis was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946 and graduated high school in 1966. Whiteis was drafted into the Army in 1969 and attended Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, as well as Advanced Individual Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was then deployed to Vietnam with the B Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as an infantryman. He participated in the combat at Firebase Ripcord and was only injured once in the back while in Vietnam. After being discharged from the Army in 1971, Rauland attended Southwest Texas State University, where he completed two degrees in psychology. He then accepted a position teaching at Fort Hood, where he taught high school classes for over 20 years before retiring.
- Date Created:
- 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Dr. Gary Lulenski was an ‘obligatory volunteer' and held the rank of captain for the entirety of his service because of his previous medical schooling. He was stationed in Chu Lai, Vietnam as a Medical Company Commander for the Americal Division. Completed a large-scale drug survey which showed interesting trends. His service was from 1970-1971.
- Date Created:
- 2009-11-19T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Marc Skinner was born in 1948 in Richmond, Indiana. He grew up in Richmond and graduated from high school there in 1966, and then went to Ball State University for a year and a half until he dropped out. He was eventually drafted into the Army, and opted for NCO training, which delayed kept him in the US for a full year before he was sent to Vietnam in the spring of 1970. He was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, based at Camp Evans. His company fought in the battles around Firebase Ripcord, April-July 1970. He later served in the battalion's headquarters company before returning to the US and getting discharged.
- Date Created:
- 2014-10-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Lawrence Merritt was born in Oak Park, Illinois, although when he enlisted, Merritt's family lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After attending Purdue University and completing the university's ROTC program, Merritt received a commission in the Army Corps of Engineers and went to Fort Belvoir, Virginia for his training. From Fort Belvoir, Merritt initially received an assignment to Fort Carson, Colorado but soon received assignment to MACV. Once he deployed to Vietnam, Merritt worked as an engineering advisor in a province populated largely by Montagnards. Merritt stayed in the same province his entire tour and returned to the United States once his tour was complete.
- Date Created:
- 2009-11-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ben Peters was born in 1941. He grew up on a farm in Holmes County, Florida and enlisted in the Navy in 1958. He served for four years on the carrier USS Bennington. After leaving the Navy, he enlisted in the Army in 1962. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division, then at the Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, then as a helicopter mechanic with the 101st Airborne Division. In mid-1966 he was sent to Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and served as a helicopter mechanic for the 166th Transportation Detachment at Bien Hoa Air Base. After six months he returned to the United States to go into Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. After completing Officer Candidate School he was sent to West Germany to serve with the 1st Battalion 36th Infantry Regiment 3rd Armored Division for two years. Returning to the U.S. in 1969, he trained to be an adviser to Vietnamese force, but when he redeployed to Vietnam in January 1970 he was sent to the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division as their public relations officer and worked with civilians in the area around Camp Evans. During the siege of Firebase Ripcord in July, he went to the base to take over the battalion's B Company, and was in charge of security as the base was evacuated on July 23. He continued to command B Company until he left Vietnam in December 1970. After the Vietnam War he served at Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Rucker, Alabama as a flight operations officer, in Athens, Greece as noncommissioned officer in charge of a nuclear weapons storage site, and then at Cairns Army Airfield, Alabama as a flight operations chief until he left the Army in 1975.
- Date Created:
- 2014-09-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Joe Brinn was born in 1950 in Virginia and eventually moved with his family to Michigan, where he grew up. He got married at age 16 and dropped out of high school, and a year later decided to join the military. He received basic training at Ft. Knox, and then Ft. Rucker to train as a Helicopter Crew Chief. He landed in Pleiku, Vietnam, in 1968 and was assigned to the 77th Air Cavalry which was attached to the 4th Infantry Division and worked as a crew chief. His unit did "hunt/kill" missions and he did maintenance on the aircraft as well. During his time in Vietnam, he flew many combat missions, notably over Dak To, but he was never wounded; although there were many close calls. Mr. Brinn was awarded a Bronze Star after for repelling down from a helicopter to recover a lost aircraft, which he found out crashed; and even though there were no survivors he secured the bodies. After Vietnam, he continued his military career, eventually becoming a warrant officer and helicopter pilot, and retired after twenty years.
- Date Created:
- 2010-06-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Bob Wallace was born in Plattsburgh, New York and studied at a Jr. College in the state as well as University of Michigan. Mr. Wallace spent two years in Nigeria through the Peace Corps before finishing his degree. He got drafted in April of 1968. He received basic training and AIT at Ft. Dix, and then went to OCS at Ft. Benning, Georgia and Ft. Polk, Louisiana. He also went to Jungle School in Panama. He was assigned to Charlie Company as 1st platoon leader, 2/506 Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Throughout his time in Vietnam, Mr. Wallace collected things such as branches from trees and it made the situation enjoyable. He did not experience many bad fire fights; they sometimes went 2-3 weeks without being shot at. Mr. Wallace's company went to Firebase Ripcord for a month and helped build its defenses. He had a rear job after 7-8 months in the field in which he communicated with every battalion and company regarding supplies.
- Date Created:
- 2011-10-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Ron Kloet was born on August 8th, 1936 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating from high school and briefly attending Davenport University, Kloet enlisted in the Air Force in 1955. After completing his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, Kloet transferred to nearby Kelly Air Force Base for "radio intercept traffic analyst" training. Once he completed the training at Kelly, Kloet deployed to Shiroi Air Force Base in Japan. Because advancement in his branch was difficult, once his two-year deployment was complete, Kloet chose to get out of the Air Force and enrolled at Michigan State University to study for a Russian degree. After completing his Bachelor's Degree, Kloet briefly thought about continuing for a Master's Degree but instead decided to take a job working for the CIA. However, the job was not what Kloet had expected, so he eventually re-enlisted in the Army and after leaving the CIA and receiving additional training at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, Kloet deployed to Germany. Kloet moved around several units in Germany, eventually ending up as the de facto leader of a detachment in a town outside of Frankfurt. However, that was not the work Kloet expected to do, so he put in a transfer request to Vietnam and after training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, deployed to Vietnam. Once in Vietnam, Kloet stayed in Saigon working as part of the intelligence services, creating reports about enemy infiltration rates and troop strengths. After his tour, Kloet returned to Fort Bragg in March 1968, missing the Tet Offensive before deploying for a second tour as an intelligence advisor at a province capital. (see parts 2 and 3 for rest of career)
- Date Created:
- 2011-02-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Michael Alioto was born in 1947 in Detroit, Michigan. Despite having a college deferment, he received a draft notice in 1969, and rather than argue the issue, he decided to go into the Army anyway. Despite his high test scores, he was trained as an infantryman, and was deployed to Vietnam in April, 1970. Assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, he spent most of his year in Vietnam on patrol in the northern part of South Vietnam, usually in or near the A Shau Valley. His platoon took heavy casualties in a number of firefights, and participated in the Ripcord campaign in the summer of 1970, reopening Firebase Gladiator to support Ripcord while it was under siege. When he tour of Vietnam was up, he was sent to Germany briefly, and then completed his enlistment in the United States.
- Date Created:
- 2013-03-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Noel Miller was born in Lima, Ohio in 1949. He grew up in Ohio, and after high school he wasn't sure what to do and decided to enlist in the Army in April 1968. He completed basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and helicopter aviation training at Fort Walters, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama where he graduated from in May 1969. He was deployed to Vietnam in June 1969 and was assigned to A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Camp Eagle outside of Hue. From June 1969 to January 1970 he served at Camp Eagle and flew scouting patrols in the A Shau Valley until he and the rest of his unit was transferred to Quang Tri and My Lac located near the DMZ where he would serve the last five months of his deployment.
- Date Created:
- 2013-12-19T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jim McCloughan is a Vietnam War veteran who was born in South Haven, MI in 1946 and was drafted after college in 1968. He served with the 3/21st Infantry in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, 23rd (Americal) Division as a combat medic. He fought in several major battles, including Tam Ky, and received two purple hearts during his tour.
- Date Created:
- 2013-10-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Jeffrey Wilcox was born in New York and moved to Gary, Indiana as a youth. After high school, he attended West Point, and graduated in 1968. He was then assigned to an Army unit that was stationed in Berlin. He stayed there for a year, and was then shipped off to Vietnam. He joined the 101st Airborne Division, and operated for some time in the Ripcord Fire Support base. There, he frequently encountered the enemy, getting a minor wound in the process. After Vietnam, he spent a year and a half in the Transport Corps in Washington DC. After his time in the service, he worked for various different veterans support and advocacy groups on the west coast.
- Date Created:
- 2008-07-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Joe Connelly was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1949, and was drafted into the Army in 1969. After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and infantry training at Fort Ord, California, he was sent to Vietnam in January, 1970, and assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, based at Camp Evans. His unit did routine patrols near the coast until the monsoon lifted, and in May they started operating in the mountains, and his company took heavy losses at LZ Maureen. After taking replacements, they returned to the field and participated in fighting near Firebase Ripcord in July, and helped to re-establish Firebase Kathryn. Connelly was wounded in action and sent first to Japan and then back to the US to recover, and completed his enlistment as a truck driver.
- Date Created:
- 2012-10-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Donald Kiefer was born on December 20, 1948 in Delta, Colorado. He was drafted while at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and reported for induction in February 1970. He received basic training and infantry training at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was deployed out of Fort Lewis and arrived in Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 1, 1970. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Evans and arrived there in mid-July 1970. He joined Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. On July 18 he went into the field and joined 2nd Platoon. He operated around Firebase Ripcord during the siege of the firebase from July 18 - July 23 and was evacuated to Camp Evans after Firebase Ripcord fell. He spent seventy days in various hospitals recovering from a wound to his arm and rejoined Alpha Company in October 1970. In February 1971 he was assigned to guard duty at Camp Evans and stayed there until mid-June 1971. Donald returned to the United States and served at Fort Riley, Kansas until he was discharged in early October 1971.
- Date Created:
- 2015-10-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- James was drafted into the United States Army in 1970 and spent fourteen months in Vietnam as a medic. He was able to stay on his base and never went into the field. He returned home in November 1971.
- Date Created:
- 2013-03-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Eric Schwaller is a very unique veteran; he served in three branches of the armed forces between 1972 and 1998. He started as a tank crewman in Germany. He joined the Navy traveled undersea in a nuclear missile-bearing nuclear submarine and returned to the army and was a member of the 101st Airborne. He then enlisted in the Air Reserve, and then transferred to the Air National Guard. He now lives in the Coit Street VA facility in Grand Rapids.
- Date Created:
- 2007-01-23T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Phil Tolson was born in Akron, Ohio in 1949. He was drafted in March, or April, 1969 and received his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for Advanced Infantry Training then went to Fort Benning, Georgia for Noncommissioned Officer School and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He helped train new infantrymen at Fort Polk until March 1970 when he was deployed to Vietnam. Upon arrival in Vietnam he was assigned to lead a squad in Bravo Company 2nd Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. They went on patrols around Camp Evans and Firebase Ripcord before going onto Ripcord in late June/early July 1970. Bravo Company was stuck on Firebase Ripcord through the battle from July 1 to July 23 when the base was evacuated. During the evacuation Phil was wounded and recovered at Camp Evans for a month before rejoining his unit. He conducted patrols with Bravo Company until he left Vietnam in January 1971 and was discharged at Fort Lewis, Washington.
- Date Created:
- 2005-10-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Terry was born on December 30, 1947 in Niles, Michigan. He graduated from high school in 1966 and went to Lake Michigan College where he earned his associates degree in business administration. Because of the threat of being drafted, Terry chose to enlist for two years in the United States Army. After basic training and advanced infantry training, Terry volunteered to go to NCO School and then became an infantry instructor at Fort Jackson. Terry was sent to Vietnam in 1970 and served with the 101st Airborne 1/506th, Delta Company. He was present for the battle for Ripcord and was wounded by mortar shrapnel. He was discharged in August 1970.
- Date Created:
- 2013-07-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Mike Higgins was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on October 20, 1951 and was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. He went through basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and then went to leadership school for 2 weeks. After training he was sent to Vietnam on jet and was completely shocked when he got off the plane by the very hot and humid weather. Mike worked as a cook in Vietnam and also on guard duty. He did not experience much combat, and reports of racial tensions at his base were so bad that some of the soldiers were disarmed most of the time. He was never injured and never took time off on leave or for R & R, so he was able to leave Vietnam a few months early.
- Date Created:
- 2005-05-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Randy Mann was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in July 1949. Although he received his draft notice following his high school graduation, Mann did not enter the service until eighteen months later. After completing basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Mann went through advanced training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. While at Fort Polk, Mann had the option to go to NCO school, which was located at Fort Benning, Georgia and Mann took the option. Then, while at Fort Benning, Mann had the option of attending Ranger school, which he took as well. Once deployed to Vietnam, Mann received an assignment to a Ranger unit although after one mission, he decided it was not for him and transferred to a regular infantry unit that operated around the village of Tam Ky. After operating with the unit around Tam Ky and at a firebase called Camp Duck and being wounded several times, Mann's commanders pulled him back and placed him in-charge of the re-supply and mail room, which involved flying daily on helicopters to the DMZ to deliver mail and supplies, a job Mann kept until his tour ended.
- Date Created:
- 2011-05-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Danny Lake is from Caledonia, Michigan. He served as a U.S. Army sergeant in the Vietnam War. Many of his missions were on helicopters, and he was a door gunner. After finishing his first tour in Vietnam, Mr. Lake reenlisted. He also had a mission in Cambodia. Mr. Lake was awarded three Purple Hearts.
- Date Created:
- 2009-05-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Thomas Murphy is a Vietnam War veteran who volunteered for the draft after he graduated from Rockford High School in 1967. He served in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, Company D and was awarded three Purple Heart Awards, a Combat Infantry Badge, a Cross of Gallantry with Palm. In this interview, Thomas shares many stories about his experience with booby traps, dangerous living conditions and being a ‘tunnel rat.'
- Date Created:
- 2009-05-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Charles Lieb was born on October 27, 1946, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In July 1964 he began his time at West Point and graduated from the academy as a 2nd lieutenant in June 1968. He attended the Airborne School, Infantry Officer Basic Course, and Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. From January to mid-June 1969 he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 2nd Battalion of the 504th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. In May 1969 he received his deployment orders for Vietnam and he arrived in Vietnam in August 1969. He joined Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division as the platoon leader of 2nd platoon. He patrolled with them until March 1970 when he became the battalion S3 (operations officer). He operated with South Vietnamese forces during the establishment of Firebase Ripcord, and was stationed on Ripcord from April until he was wounded at Ripcord on July 21st near the end of the battle for the firebase. After recovering he served at Fort Carson, Colorado, and for the rest of his career he took the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, attended the University of Denver, and served at San Jose State University as a Reserve Officers' Training Corps instructor. He retired from the Army in 1979.
- Date Created:
- 2016-10-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)