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- Notes:
- Stephen Nyenhuis was born in 1949 in Princeton, Minnesota. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and was eventually drafted into the Army in 1969. Stephen was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for eight weeks of basic training and was then sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for AIT training. He then transferred to Fort Polk, Louisiana where he learned to be a truck driver. After his training at Fort Polk, he received his orders for Vietnam. While in Vietnam, Stephen worked in convoys transporting supplies and near the end of his service he fixed flat tires. Because of his duties he never saw combat.
- Date Created:
- 2012-04-21T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Cornelius Potts is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. While still in training, he was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division's band. His unit was based near Seattle for some time, but eventually went to the Philippines and served on Luzon. Potts experienced combat, but primarily served with the band, entertaining dignitaries including Gen. MacArthur and President Quezon
- Date Created:
- 2008-09-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Leonard Straayer was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on March 30, 1918. He was drafted in 1941, shortly after graduating from high school. Leonard was assigned to a service company in the 126th infantry and drove trucks. He was first sent to South Australia and then to New Guinea. In New Guinea he helped haul the E company up the Owen Stanley Range and loaded k rations on to planes to be air dropped. Then he was moved up to a mechanics company and went to places such as Milne Bay, Morotai and Saidor. Leo was then sent to the Philippines, but only spent 25 days there and was sent home because he had enough points. He spent the rest of his time helping out with German POWs at Fort Custer, Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 2008-09-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- James Heyn was born in St. Joseph, MI and lived a quiet, independent life. He was largely a pacifist before he was drafted in 1965, but reluctantly accepted his duty to his country. James was in the first group of soldiers to attend basic training in Ft. Campbell, KY. He then attended Aviation school in Ft. Rucker, AL, and upon graduating was assigned to the newly reformed 92nd Assault Helicopter Company. James was then deployed to Vietnam, where he operated with the 10th Aviation Battalion in Dong Ba Thin. He operated all over II Corps before the Tet Offensive, including a few operations in Cambodia and building the base at Bau Lach from scratch. James survived a sabotage attempt during the Tet Offensive, and flew the II Corps commander to survey the damages after the first night. He even stopped in Khe Sanh during the bloody siege. Continued to support units all over Vietnam until he gave up his helicopter so he could return home.
- Date Created:
- 2015-12-08T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Franjo and Etela Ivkovic are a Yugoslavian couple that fled Yugoslavia during the Yugoslavian War. Franjo was born in Yugoslavia on March 19, 1964, and Etela was born there as well on May 24, 1967. The two of them left for Hungary temporarily when the War drafting was intensifying. A later attempt to enter Sweden was rejected. They managed to leave Yugoslavia on a train to Vienna, Austria where they stayed in a UN refugee camp. For the next five years they struggled to work in Austria. Eventually they saved enough money to come to the US with a sponsorship and they are now full US citizens
- Date Created:
- 2015-05-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Alford Walker, of Pontiac, Michigan, was drafted into the Army in 1967. Before being drafted, he remembers business greatly slowing down and much protesting and civil unrest. Al went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for basic training, and then to New Jersey, Washington, and then Alaska before going overseas. While in Vietnam, Al went on many reconnaissance missions at night and also worked with the underground tunnel network built by the Vietnamese. After his time in the service, Al worked for the Pontiac Police Force.
- Date Created:
- 2008-03-20T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Clyde Westra was born in Grand Haven, MI in 1948. He dropped out of high school to join the Marine Corps at the age of 17. Clyde was initially trained and worked in Vietnam as a Combat Engineer, but was shipped to Danang and trained to be a radio operator. He served in Vietnam for 26 months, including at Khe Sanh and in the A Shau Valley. For his service in Vietnam, he recieved a Purple Heart, and Bronze Star. After Clyde came home, he was diagnosed with PTSD and other illnesses as a result of exposure to Agent Orange.
- Date Created:
- 2009-06-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Craig Van Hout was born in 1949 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. After graduating from high school, he went to college for three semesters before dropping out, and received his draft notice soon afterward in January 1969. After finishing his basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Van Hout went through advanced training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Once he finished at Fort Polk, Van Hout deployed to Vietnam and joined B Company, 2nd of the 506th, 101st Airborne Division in January, 1970. While serving with the 101st Airborne, His unit took part in the campaign around Firebase Ripcord from April through July, 1970, and was wounded during the evacuation of the base. He eventually returned to his company, which saw relatively little combat during his final months in the field. He spent the last few months of his enlistment at Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as a clerk.
- Date Created:
- 2011-08-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Keith was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1926. He grew up in Grand Rapids and in August 1944 he enlisted in the Army Air Force, almost a month before his eighteenth birthday. He reported for duty on March 1, 1945 and was processed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He was sent to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi for basic training and then a technical school where he learned how to be an aircraft mechanic. His time there ended in September 1945 and he was sent to Langley Field, Virginia for two months. In November 1945 he was sent over to Germany where he was stationed at Landsberg Air Base near Munich doing engine changes on a variety of aircraft, but the major focus was on the C-47 transport plane. His time in Germany ended in September 1946. He returned to the United States and was discharged in October 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2015-04-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Otto Skoppek was born near Treuberg, East Prussia, on December 15, 1916. Sometime in the early 1940s, he enlisted in the German Army and was assigned to Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps. He served as a paratrooper and went behind British and French lines to disrupt their forces so the Germans could advance. Based on this information, he was most likely in the Ramcke Parachute Brigade. He saw fighting across North Africa in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, and was stationed in Tunis for a time. He did six combat jumps, and fought at El Alamein, Tobruk, and Sollum. In 1943, due to dire supply shortages, he and the other German forces surrendered to American forces. Due to being under Rommel's command, they were treated with great respect and civility. Otto was brought to America and spent the rest of the war at a prisoner-of-war camp in Texas near the Mexican border picking cotton, then briefly at a canning factory in Wyoming. He returned to Germany (most likely in 1946 or 1947), and lived in West Germany until 1957 when he and his wife and child moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- Date Created:
- 2017-02-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
