Oral Histories 1857 items

Wide-ranging oral histories from Grand Valley, Capital Area District Library, and Michigan State that capture the perspective of citizens and veterans across the state.

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1601. Unger, Harold Richard (Interview outline and video), 2015

Notes:: Dick Unger was born in Polo, Illinois in 1931. In 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force. Initially he was sent to Lackland Field in San Antonio, Texas, but the base was overcrowded, so he was sent off to Wichita Falls for basic training. Once training was complete he was assigned to Brookley Air Force base in Mobile Alabama where his clerk duties assisted the various personnel filing work. Eventually he was re-assigned in the summer of 1954 to Kelly field in Texas where he lived with his wife off base until her tragic death. Once his enlistment expired in October 1955 he graduated from CMU as a biology major and wound up teaching in Michigan.
Date Created:: 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1602. C. Y. "Henry" Lee interview (video and transcript, 6 of 6), 1991

Notes:: Interview of C.Y. "Henry" Lee by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Lee was a Chinese Air Force Communications Officer who worked for Col. Chennault as his personal radioman before the AVG officially formed. Lee eventually joined a group of Chinese flight cadets being instructed by Captain Adair in Kunming, and then traveled to the United States for additional flight training. In this tape, Lee discusses his time working with General Chennault and the AVG as a young man and why Chennault was so effective working with the Chinese people.
Date Created:: 1991-03-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries

1603. Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 5 of 6), 1991

Notes:: Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi describes his own feelings in the final days of the AVG and their difficulties in returning to the United States, in addition to his overall thoughts on the group's success and place in history.
Date Created:: 1991-02-06T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries

1604. Bettinghouse, Kevin (Interview outline and video), 2011

Notes:: Kevin Bettinghouse, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1960, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1978 to 1982 as a Ground Navigational Aid. After his basic training at Lackland Air Force base in Texas, Kevin spent eight months receiving technical training in Mississippi. During his Service, Kevin was stationed in Warner Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, the Aleutian Islands, and Ohio.
Date Created:: 2011-11-05T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1605. Ryan, Paul (Interview outline and video), 2011

Notes:: Paul Ryan was born in New York City and attended Notre Dame University on a naval ROTC scholarship. Upon graduating in 1975, he went on active duty for four years, serving on destroyers in the Pacific. After leaving the Navy, he joined the reserves in 1981, and did administrative work for them until he retired in 2005. Since then, he has been actively involved with the Employers Support for the Guard and Reserves, an organization dedicated to assisting men and women in the service deal with issues that they encountered when called to active duty.
Date Created:: 2011-01-18T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1606. Pontier, Wesley (Interview outline and video), 2015

Notes:: Wesley Pontier was born on October 4, 1921 in Clifton, New Jersey and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He joined the navy in 1942 and trained in Bainbridge Maryland. He had several jobs while in the Navy and his most accomplished position was that of a signalman. Wesley traveled to many different parts of the world including Canada, Wales, Cuba, Chile, Peru, and Venezuela. During his interview, he recalls seeing men and ships preparing for the invasion of Normandy. After being discharged in December of 1945, Wesley returned to work for Manhattan rubber where he had worked before joining the navy. During his time in the navy, Wesley traveled over 80,000 miles at sea.
Date Created:: 2015-08-03T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1607. Mol, Jacob (Interview outline and video), 2015

Notes:: Jacob Mol was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 15, 1986. In May 2006 he decided to enlist in the Marines and was sworn in on September 11, 2006. He began basic training in San Diego in February 2007 then received Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton, California. He was designated as a fixed-wing aircraft mechanic and trained on aircraft engines in Pensacola, Florida. He graduated second in his class and volunteered to work on EA-6B Prowlers. He received training with those aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington then joined Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 (VMAQ-3) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. He deployed to Iraq in August 2009 and was stationed at Al Asad Air Base until February 2010 then deployed to Afghanistan in fall or winter 2010 and was stationed at Bagram Air Base until May 2011. He completed his enlistment at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and was discharged in February 2012.
Date Created:: 2015-06-18T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1608. Rasmussen, John A (Interview outline and video), 2016

Notes:: John Rasmussen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 24, 1942. He attended Concordia Theological Seminary, enlisted in the Army on February 24, 1968, and graduated from seminary in June 1968. His first assignment was with an Army Reserve engineer battalion in Wallace, Idaho. On July 1, 1973, he volunteered for active duty. He spent a year at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then deployed to Thailand in February 1974. In Thailand, he provided spiritual coverage for the Central Identification Laboratory which worked on identifying the remains and bodies of soldiers lost during the Vietnam War. From Thailand, he went to Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington, and after that returned to the civilian ministry for four years. He returned to service at the Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri then served at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for about five years. He was deployed to Middle East during the Gulf War, where he checked on the morale of troops and guards at prisoner-of-war camps. He retired on September 1, 1995, with the rank of colonel.
Date Created:: 2016-10-28T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

1609. C. Y. "Henry" Lee interview (video and transcript, 5 of 6), 1991

Notes:: Interview of C.Y. "Henry" Lee by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Lee was a Chinese Air Force Communications Officer who worked for Col. Chennault as his personal radioman before the AVG officially formed. Lee eventually joined a group of Chinese flight cadets being instructed by Captain Adair in Kunming, and then traveled to the United States for additional flight training. In this tape, Lee discusses the events and conditions in China that lead to World War II, his personal recollections of General Chennault, and the significance of the AVG in Chinese history.
Date Created:: 1991-03-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries

1610. Bovee, Betty (Interview transcript and video), 2009

Notes:: Betty Bovee was born in Lansing, Michigan on April 29, 1923 and later moved to a small town where she grew up on a farm. She graduated from high school in 1941 and moved in with her aunt in Los Angeles, California. Betty spent the majority of her time working while in California, until she met her husband Chet. She quit her job once they were engaged and they got married in Phoenix, Arizona. Betty followed Chet around on different bases that he was stationed at for the remainder of his time in the service. They had three children while he was in the service and they moved back to Michigan once he was discharged.
Date Created:: 2009-11-17T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

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