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.
John Reeves was a B-24 pilot in World War II where he flew 45 missions in the Pacific. He provides a detailed account of training and of missions over New Guinea, the Philippines, Okinawa and the Netherlands East Indies.
Date Created:
2004-06-26T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Jack Norton was born in Ottawa County, Michigan, in 1920. He graduated from high school in 1937 and enlisted in the Navy in 1938. He trained as a machinist's mate and sailed first on a transport ship in the Pacific, then on the destroyer USS Barker from 1940 to 1943, engaging mostly in convoy escorts and antisubmarine patrols in the Pacific (including visits to China before Pearl Harbor) and Atlantic (sinking two U-Boats). He then transferred to the destroyer escort USS Henry R. Kenyon, and again served in the Atlantic and Pacific, witnessing a kamakaze attack at Okinawa and ending the war in the Philippines.
Date Created:
2008-12-15T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Gerald Garner was born in West Branch, Michigan, on May 25, 1927. During the Great Depression, his family's jewelry shop was diversified as his father agreed to share the space with an energy company so he could pay the rent. Garner signed onto a radar technician program with the Navy in the closing months of the war and attedned Boot Camp at Great Lakes Naval Station. He was in Alameda, California, when the war ended and was quickly offered an early-out of the service due to the flood of dischargees returning home. He then went on to attend optometry school in Chicago on the GI Bill.
Date Created:
2017-11-14T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Fred Fleischmann, born November 17th 1950 in Grand Rapids Michigan, served in U. S. Air Force from October 1972-August 1976 after the Vietnam War as an educational consultant. After completing his basic at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Fred began working at the education department at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC. Here he assisted men with pursuing secondary education and college courses. He also served on security details at major events, including two presidential inaugurations.
Date Created:
2005-05-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Robert Barrett was born in Ohio in 1925. In 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He went to Gunnery School in Gulfport, Mississippi and received training with pistols, rifles, and larger ship guns like the 20mm cannon. He was assigned to the SS Alcibiadie, a Merchant Marine vessel, as one of forty five Americans on the gunnery detail. They operated in the Gulf of Mexico transporting fuel and in the Pacific Ocean around Australia and New Guinea refueling ship. In August 1944 the ship was acquired by the U.S. Navy and became the USS Andrew Doria. They continued with refueling operations then took part in the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. Refueling operations continued until the end of the war. In early 1946 they returned to the U.S. and the USS Andrew Doria was decommissioned in Mobile, Alabama in late February. Robert was discharged in March 1946.
Date Created:
2015-09-01T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
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
Wayne Monroe served in the US Navy between 1944 and 1946. Her served as a crewman on USS Kaskaskia, a large oiler, and saw action at Okinawa, where he witnessed kamikaze attacks. After the war, he sailed to Japan, China and Arabia before returning home to be discharged.
Date Created:
2007-10-23T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
This interview adds new material to the original interview, specifically focusing on his efforts to help rescue the crew of the downed B-24 crew in the waters off of Borneo.
Date Created:
2009-02-14T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Fred Bernhardt enlisted in the Marines at the age of 17 in early 1944. He served in the Pacific Theater of WWII as an artillery observer for naval bombardments. He also served as a guard of the atomic bomb which was dropped on Nagasaki, and was part of the post-war occupation force as an MP in the Nagasaki area.
Date Created:
2007-11-13T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Mike Day was a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who is currently serving in the National Guard. His recent term of deployment lasted about 11 ½ months. In this account, Day discusses his pre-enlistment year, his enlistment and training in the U.S. His term of active duty in Iraq has taken him to various camps and cities in Iraq as part of a transportation company. Among his duties included serving as a convoy truck operator transporting military equipment to their destinations.
Date Created:
2009-05-19T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Richard Devries joined the Army Reserve after high school and worked on a mortar crew to plot coordinates. Richard trained in Missouri during the Vietnam War but was never called to duty. Richard enjoyed his time in the service and made lots of friends. After serving, Richard got a job at Steelcase and now believes that all areas of the service are very important to support our free country.
Date Created:
2007-06-04T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
George Hyslop grew up in Big Rapids, Michigan and was drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War. He did basic training as a wiring specialist and worked in this capacity while he was in Korea. He returned to the United States at the conclusion of the war and worked in a factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Date Created:
2004-12-06T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Samuel Latigo was born in 1927 in San Antonio, Texas. Raised by his grandmother, he worked as a teen before enlisting in the Navy at the age of seventeen. Following training in San Diego, the Navy assigned him to the troop transport U.S.S. Edgecombe. The Edgecombe carried troops to New Guinea and the Philippines and participated in the invasion of Okinawa and the landing of occupation troops in Japan following the end of the war. Following the end of the war, the Edgecombe returned to the United States and the Navy discharged Latigo.
Date Created:
2010-03-27T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Fred Litty is a Korean War veteran that also was a civilian living in Germany during World War II. He was born a U.S. citizen in Yonkers, New York in 1930, but at the age of five his family moved back to Germany and lived in a Berlin suburb. He describes his experiences before and during the war, discussing the Hitler Youth program, his father's military service on the Eastern Front, surviving bombing raids, multiple moves, and finally the atrocities committed by the Red Army in 1945. As a US citizen, he was allowed to move to the American sector of West Berlin, and he and his family returned to New York. In October 1951 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was deployed to fight in the Korean War. He was assigned to a mortar platoon of the 27th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division. He served on the front line for six weeks until he was reassigned to a position in the rear in record keeping, and returned home and was discharged in 1953.
Date Created:
2014-03-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Mike Stolk was born in 1920, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was drafted in 1942, and trained at Fort Sill as an artillerist. His main job was to site guns and check their ranges. His unit went to England in 1942 and served in France, Belgium, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He discusses his experiences in the Hurtgen Forest, and occupation duty in Germany and Czechoslovakia.
Date Created:
2007-11-12T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Harry Kooyman was born in the Netherlands in 1944 and his family moved to the United States when he was four years old. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and after high school he enlisted in the Navy in 1962. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and naval aviation electronics training in Memphis, Tennessee and Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia. He was assigned to a patrol squadron at Naval Air Station Barber Point, Hawaii from June 1963 to March/April 1965 where he flew patrols from Midway to the Aleutian Islands in search of Soviet aircraft. In April 1965 he was assigned to the USS Bennington (CVS-20) and served with VS-38 an antisubmarine patrol squadron. He flew observation missions over the Mekong Delta and along the Vietnamese coast until he was discharged from the Navy in August 1965.
Date Created:
2012-11-12T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Nicolaus Solecki was born in October 1990 in Flint, Michigan. He joined the Marine Corps after graduating from Flushing High School in 2009. After his basic training, Nic was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, from Okinawa, his unit (1st Battalion, 7th Marine Division) was sent to the coast of North Korea, as well as the Philippines. In early 2012, Nic's unit was sent to the Sangin Province of Afghanistan. His mission was to assist in the training of the Afghan National Army, and this task was made increasingly difficult by lack of operational effectiveness that the Afghan soldiers often displayed. Nic would return to the United States in October 2012 and enroll at Grand Valley State University.
Date Created:
2016-02-12T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Interview of J. J. Harrington by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Harrington served in the AVG as Line Chief in the 1st Squadron "Adam and Eve." After experiencing some confusion with his recruitment for AVG and discharge from the U.S. Army Air Forces, he traveled to Rangoon, Burma where he was met by Col. Chennault. He was stationed in Rangoon and Toungoo, Burma and Kunming, China. In this tape, Harrington explains the backstory as to why the AVG and General Chennault didn't receive sufficient supplies and support from the United States War Department. He also discusses his respect and admiration for Squadron Leader, Bob Neale.
Date Created:
1991-06-10T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Interview of Robert "Burma Bob" Locke by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Locke was recruited to join the American Volunteer Group (AVG) from the Navy, where he was a Propeller Speciallist. He served his full term with the unit and was honorably discharged in 1942 when the AVG disbanded. In this tape, Locke discusses the historic incident that took place at Salween Bridge, the last month before the AVG disbanded, and the arrival of General Bissell.
Date Created:
1991-02-07T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Laura Hansmann was born in Iowa in 1947. She is the wife of Vietnam veteran Paul Hannsman. Laura discusses the her homefront experiences during the war, the war's effect on her family, child birth while her husband was deployed, as well as the changes she saw as she traveled to various training locations with Paul. She says to expect veterans to be different when they return home and to be supportive by talking to them. She talks about PTSD and the way her husband opened up over time, advising peopel to careful and empathetic when helping a veteran suffering from PTSD.
Date Created:
2018-11-01T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Jerry Bruinekool was born in Michigan on December 15, 1938. Jerry enlisted in the Navy in January of 1956 because he felt that his life needed some direction. While in the Navy, Jerry traveled to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, France, Italy, Portugal, and Greece. He enjoyed going to all the different foreign ports and seeing how other people lived.
Date Created:
2008-06-04T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Ronald Biermacher served in the US Navy during the Korean conflict. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia aboard the USS Mississippi, where he was a barber. After the conflict was over, he returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan where he continued cutting hair until he retired.
Date Created:
2005-05-14T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Ray Gill is a World War II veteran who served with the U.S. Army from 1941 to May 1946. In this account, Gill discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. He also discusses his active duty and how difficult the fighting was in France, Luxembourg, and Germany. He talks about soldiers living conditions, and the occupation of Germany. Gill also toured with a dance band throughout Europe.
Date Created:
2004-06-26T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Shirley Burkovich was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She played softball with the neighborhood boys and her brother throughout her childhood. She first heard about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League one day when she was reading the newspaper. Her brother took her down to where they were holding tryouts; she tried out and afterwards was told to report to Cape Giradeau, Missouri for spring training. She played with the Springfield Sallies during the 1950 softball season and then was traded to the Rockford Peaches where she played out the 1951 season there. During her time in the league, her fondest memory is hitting the game-ending single to center field in 12-inning game. While with the league she played utility infield and utility outfield.
Date Created:
2009-09-26T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
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
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
Matthew Brong was in1983, received some ROTC training at Michigan State University for a while, but dropped out because he was not getting good grades. He joined the Army in 2005 and was sent to Iraq in August of 2006 with the 82 Airborne Division. May 26, 2007 Matthew was injured when the truck he was traveling in ran over a road bomb. He experienced back injuries and memory loss. He was discharged and it took him quite a while to recover from his injuries. Matthew later re-enlisted in the Army, but can no longer endure intense physical activity.
Date Created:
2008-06-02T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Donald Goins was born in 1921 in Sigma, Michigan, and grew up in Zanesville, Ohio. His family farmed and ran a produce trucking business that made regular trips to the Southern United States to market. Although Goins is African- American, he did not fall victim to the racially charged environment where he did business. He was drafted into the United States Army and entered the service in 1943. Goins completed basic training at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, and then stationed on a series of air bases in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas, and eventually worked as a mechanic repairing B-29 bombers. He recalls having to be careful while traveling through the south due to fear of lynching, but also being offered the opportunity to train as an officer.
Date Created:
2009-11-19T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Catherine Kooyers was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and comes from a family of veterans. After she got married, she was working at a local fair when she first encountered Vietnam veterans. From her experiences, Catherine quickly realized that work needed to be done in veteran organizations and that work needed to be done in the field of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Catherine was part of a PTSD committee that formed and fought for the VA (Veterans Affairs) to provide services to veterans that they had not previously received.
Date Created:
2012-08-02T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
William A. Sikkel joined the Michigan National Guard before World War II and served in the army on active duty between 1940 and 1945 in the 126th Regiment, 32nd "Red Arrow" Division. He attended Officer Candidate School before the division shipped out to the Pacific and served in Australia and New Guinea as a platoon and company commander and as a staff officer. He remained in the National Guard after the war, and also served as mayor of Holland, Michigan.
Date Created:
2007-06-14T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Mary Lou Caden (née Studnicka) was born in Oak Lawn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She grew up in the Oak Lawn area and started playing softball with the neighborhood kids and transitioned to playing for local teams. She played as a short-stop in her amateur career and eventually was contacted by Mitch Skupien in 1950 to play for the Grand Rapids Chicks. She played for the Grand Rapids Chicks from 1951 to 1953 when she was traded to Fort Wayne and due to a pay cut decided to quit baseball and return to her job for National City Bank. During her time with them she played positions such as pitcher and second base.
Date Created:
2009-09-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Richard Groggel was born on July 22, 1924 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In March 1943 he was drafted into the Army. He received basic training and anti-aircraft training at Camp Hulen, Texas before being reassigned to the infantry. He received infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia before receiving officer training at Fort Davis, North Carolina. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and trained soldiers in California before being assigned to an infantry unit. They deployed out of Fort Meade, Maryland in fall 1944 bound for the European Theatre. They moved from England to France and took up positions on the German frontier. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 Richard and his platoon were captured by Germans. He was moved to prisoner of war camps across Germany and Poland, he marched 350 miles across Poland and witnessed the failed Task Force Baum raid on Hammelburg prisoner of war camp. He was liberated from Stalag VII-A on April 29, 1945, and after recovery at Camp Lucky Strike, France he returned to the United States. He was discharged in August 1945 shortly after Japan's surrender.
Date Created:
2015-08-28T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Gerald Hopkins was born in Blanchester, Ohio in 1927. He was drafted on June 19, 1945 and was processed in Ohio and Indiana before going to Camp Walters, Texas for basic training to prepare for the invasion of Japan. When the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and Japan surrendered the invasion plans changed and he was assigned to occupation duty in Germany. He was deployed to Germany in December 1945 and arrived in Le Havre, France. He was stationed in Marburg, Germany for a month working as a special orders clerk (processing soldiers being sent home) before applying for the 3rd Special Services as a performer. He traveled around Germany with the GI song and dance troupe "Script and Score" performing in German cities all around West Germany. In November 1946 he took a ship back to the United States and was discharged in New Jersey in December 1946.
Date Created:
2015-07-16T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Buford North was born in Paragould, Arkansas, in 1922. His family later moved to Flint, Michigan where he attended high school. He enlisted in the Navy in June 1942. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana for further training and his assignment to a ship. From New Orleans he went to Orange, Texas to board the USS William D. Porter as an Electrician's Mate 3rd Class. The USS William D. Porter participated in escorting President Roosevelt to Allied conferences in Africa and the Middle East as well as campaigns in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, the Philippines, and finally at Okinawa supporting the invasion there. On June 10, 1945 the USS William D. Porter was struck by a Japanese kamikaze plane and sank off the coast of Okinawa. Buford, along with the rest of the crew, was successfully rescued and returned to the United States.
Date Created:
2014-09-04T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Donald Johnson served in the Navy during WW II. He traveled mostly aboard a luxury ship that had been remodeled into a Navy ship. Johnson's crew traveled throughout the Pacific to Australia, Guam, and the Philippines. Johnson experienced combat three times while in the Pacific and also discussed his experience with Japanese Kamikazes.
Date Created:
2007-05-19T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Edward Johnson was born in Greenville, Michigan in 1919, and was drafted into the Army in 1941. After training to be a mechanic at Camp Boyd, Texas, Johnson joined Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. He went to England with this unit in 1942, and stayed with it through campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, the Hurtgen Forest, Battle of the Bulge and the invasion of Germany, ending up in Czechoslovakia when the war ended.
Date Created:
2012-02-28T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Stuart Padnos was born in Michigan in 1922. He attended the University of Michigan and enlisted in the Army Reserve after Pearl Harbor. He was called to service a few months later where he took part in the Army Specialized Training Program. Padnos began taking engineering classes, but was later called up for infantry training due to a shortage of recruits. Stewart was later assigned to the 78th Division and sent to fight in the Hurtgen Forest, where he was captured and sent to a German prison camp. He remained there until he was liberated by the Russians, and eventually found his way back to the US.
Date Created:
2008-06-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Eugene Smith was drafted to the United States Army in the 1940's. He was stationed in Calcutta, India for a total of 28 months. Although the American troops deployed to India at this time were intended to attack Axis supply lines coming from the country of Burma, Smith was not actively involved in this mission and served as a military policeman. His duties consisted of primarily base patrol with occasional prisoner safeguarding. The base which Smith was stationed was highly underdeveloped and demanded fast adaptation by new recruits who had been thrust into highly dangerous positions from a previous life of suburban factory work. The 44-day voyage to India presented Smith and the other young American men with unfamiliar situations including attacks by Japanese submarines, hurricanes, and extended sea travel. Smith was discharged on January 1st 1946 and returned to his home in Wisconsin to attend Marquette University funded by the GI Bill of 1944.
Date Created:
2006-05-31T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Noella Le Duc was born in Graniteville, Massachusetts in 1933. She grew up playing baseball with the boys, and when she was sixteen, a friend of her mother's introduced her to one of the AAGPBL players, Rita Briggs, who arranged a tryout for her in 1951. She played in the AAGPBL from 1951 through 1954, first with Peoria and later with Muskegon and Fort Wayne. She was primarily an outfielder, but also tried her hand at pitching and catching.
Date Created:
2010-08-05T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Jan Viveen, born in 1918 in a small village in North Brabant in the Netherlands. After completing high school in 1936, he was drafted into the Dutch Army in 1936. At the time of the German invasion in 1940, he was manning an antitank gun on the banks of the Erft River, and stayed there until his unit was ordered to surrender. He spent about four months in a POW camp before being allowed to return home. After that, he worked in a rail yard and aided downed Allied airmen. In the spring of 1945, he was sent to a labor camp in Germany, and remained there until the liberation.
Date Created:
2010-09-07T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Phil Owens was born in 1984 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted to the Marines and undertook boot camp in San Diego, California. After graduating in 2003 he was educated for supply operations and administration at Camp LeJune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. His role involved training, keeping track of inventory and serial numbers of gear, and budgeting. Additionally he trained to use specialized weapons in machine gunner school such as the MK19 grenade launcher and the M240. Owens returned to the 3rd Marines battalion in California before being sent on two tours of duty to Iraq. From 2004 to 2005 he was situated in Fallujah where the Second Battle of Fallujah was taking place. The second tour was located in Haditha Iraq. In 2008 he was honorably discharged from the Marines and continues to participate in a variety of groups for war veterans and working as a clinical athletic trainer.
Date Created:
2015-05-24T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Robert Vickers was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 25. 1944. He was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Eastern Kentucky University and received a commission as an officer in the combat engineers of the Army in 1965. He decided to become a chaplain and attended seminary for three years, then went to the Chaplain School in 1969. He stayed in the Army Reserve until January 1975 when he went on active duty. His first assignment was at Fort Carson, Colorado, with the 1st Battalion of the 77th Armor Regiment, for 15 months. He was stationed in Wiesbaden, West Germany, with the 76th Infantry Brigade from March 1976 until June 1979. He studied at the Advanced Course for Chaplains at Fort Wadsworth, New York, then went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in January 1980. He left Fort Devens in May 1983 to study at Vanderbilt University then serve at the Chaplain School. He was stationed at Fort McPherson, Georgia for four years, then did a tour in South Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division. Robert's last two assignments were at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he retired in 1996.
Date Created:
2016-10-26T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Woodrow J. Tromp is a WW II veteran who served in the U.S. Army with the 32nd (Red Arrow) Division Company I, 126th Infantry Regiment from 1940 to 1945. In this account he discuses his time with the National Guard before and after it was federalized as part of the U.S. Army. In addition, he discusses his training in the U.S. and Australia, combat experiences in New Guinea and the Philippines, along with problems caused by terrain and disease.
Date Created:
2008-01-24T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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 discusses his reaction to the news of Pearl Harbor and the following days being on alert. He also goes into detail on his first battle with the Japanese and how Chennault's training was put into practice.
Date Created:
1991-02-06T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Wallace Ewing was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 11, 1932. He recalled listening to news reports on the radio about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but remained unworried about the global events of the Second World War. After graduating high school in 1950, Ewing pursued the NROTC program at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He participated in three overseas cruises and training exercises, but was forced to abandon his training when he was told he could not be married and become a Midshipman. Ewing and his wife started a family in East Lansing, he finished his degree at Michigan State University, and he became a university English teacher and later Dean at a small college.
Date Created:
2017-05-22T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
George Meyers was born in Coloma, Michigan on August 6, 1926. George spent his early years on his parent's farm, but they had lost it during the Depression. Both of George's older brothers were already in the service and fighting when he received his draft papers in 1944. George went through basic training for the Army at Camp Hood in Texas and then went through extended training before being sent to Luzon. George served as a replacement in the 32nd Infantry Division and was later sent home after being injured by a grenade.
Date Created:
2007-07-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Albert Ohanesian was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924. He wanted to enlist in the Army immediately after Pearl Harbor, but was too young, and was drafted late in 1942. He tried to get into the Army Air Corps, and tested well enough while in basic training at Camp Grant, Illinois, to qualify, and was put into a program to give some college training for flight school candidates and sent to Butler University. He did well there, but his program was shut down and he wound up at Camp Polk, Louisiana, assigned to the 58th Armored Infantry Battalion in the 8th Armored Division. He sailed for England at the end of 1944, then shipped over to France in early 1945. His division passed through Belgium and joined the 9th Army in the Netherlands before crossing the Rhine and proceeding across Germany and into Czechoslovakia.
Date Created:
2010-08-31T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Fay Orvis was a soldier during World War II in the United States Navy. He worked as a minesweeper during his time in the service and spent time in Okinawa and Saipan. His account describes different duties performed on the minesweeper and onshore in California and on various islands, as well as incidents involving kamikaze attacks and mine explosions.
Date Created:
2008-04-03T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Frederick Rawsthorne was born in St. Helena, England, but migrated to the United States at an early age with his family. He returned to England with his family, then ventured back to the United States, with his family yet again. His family struggled to support itself during the Great Depression. Frederick found work, and then became a machinist's apprentice at Ford. During his apprenticeship, he joined the Marine Corps and was stationed in noncombat zones throughout the Pacific, eventually Japan. After WWII he became a full time machinist. He was laid off in 1949 and went to work at the post office in Trenton, MI. Eventually he rose to high status as postmaster of his town and master of his Masons' lodge.
Date Created:
2006-08-08T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
George Steele was drafted into the Navy in 1943. He had previously gone to a technical high school and was able to continue such aviation and mechanical training while in the Navy. George spent most of his service in Guam after the Japanese invasion. He was there for about two years while the Navy was giving technical support to the Marines. After his time in the service George became a draftsman at an architecture firm.
Date Created:
2007-10-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
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
Thomas York was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1927. His family moved first to Oklahoma, then to Michigan. York enlisted in the US Air Force at 16, and after graduating at 17, entered active duty on July 1st of 1945. York underwent basic training at the base in Biloxi, Mississippi. York re-enlisted after his 6 months of duty were finished in the US Army Air Force. York was sent to Caserta, Italy, where he served for a year as a medical clerk. While at Caserta, York met British military personnel and German prisoners of war.
Date Created:
2010-01-13T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Demo Christopoulos is a World War II veteran who served in the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 261st Infantry Regiment, 65th Division. He enlisted in the Army late in 1943, but did not go to Europe with his original training company because he was too young. He eventually sailed with the 65th Division, which joined the 3rd Army in time to participate in the spring offensive in 1945. His unit pushed through the Saar, crossed the Rhine, and then fought their way across the Danube, and ended the war in Austria. Christopoulos remained in Europe until the spring of 1946, with his last assignment involving screening SS prisoners held at Dachau.
Date Created:
2011-07-14T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
William Doucette first began his military career in the Civilian Military Training Corps at the age of 15. Leaving after two year to find work in Chicago, Doucette eventually came back to join the Aviation Cadet Program. After making it to his Basic Flight Training, Doucette was washed out after a "check flight"during which the instructor had passed out. This eventually led Doucette to go work at an Instrument Training School, until he volunteered for overseas duty. He served as a driver and mechanic in New Guinea and the Philippines.
Date Created:
2009-06-18T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Paul Lugtigheid was born in Grand Rapids, MI and served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He joined the Air Force at age 17, and became an autopilot and flight controls mechanic. He was based in California and spent some tours of duty in Spain. He also spent a tour of duty in Da Nang, Vietnam on a base working support for aircraft.
Date Created:
2009-05-31T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Steve Wendt served in the US Navy between 1968 and 1972. He did a tour in Vietnam as an engine mechanic working on river craft on the Mekong River. He went on numerous patrols and saw combat on a regular basis. His unit went into Cambodia on a number of occasions, and helped to escort Vietnamese refugees from Cambodia back into Vietnam.
Date Created:
2010-05-03T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Gust Anton was born in Chicago on December 17, 1928. He was drafted in December 1951 and reported for duty in January 1952. He went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for his basic training and mechanic training, then went to Fort Lewis, Washington, to wait for his deployment to Korea. He sailed to Korea aboard the USNS General Simon B. Buckner, and after a brief stop at Camp Drake, Japan, arrived in Korea at Inchon in early December 1952. Gust was assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion near the 38th Parallel, and due to prior photography experience was made a photographer in that unit. He not only documented equipment damage, but also photographed the dead and wounded. He witnessed the Battle of Outpost Vegas on March 26, 1953, and another major fight on May 28, 1953. Gust also photographed Seoul and the people living in the city during the war. After the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, he served as the company PX clerk (Army general store) until returning to the United States in December 1953. He was discharged at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on December 25, 1953.
Date Created:
2017-01-24T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Interview of Claude Bryant "Skip" Adair by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Skip Adair trained as a pilot and was recruited by Col. Claire Lee Chennault in 1938 to serve as an instructor for the Chinese Air Force. During the months leading to the formation of the AVG, he toured Army Air Corps bases recruiting pilots and ground personnel in secrecy for the AVG. As part of the AVG Headquarters Staff, Adair acted as the Operations and Supply Group Executive Officer. In this tape, Adair discusses the major accomplishments of the AVG during their historic year and the tremendous pride he has for being a part of the Flying Tigers.
Date Created:
1991-06-06T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Interview of Robert B. "Buster" Keeton by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Keeton served in the American Volunteer Group as a Flight Leader in the 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG in September 1941, and 2.5 confirmed victories in air combat against the Japanese. He remained with the AVG for one year, and returned to the United States in December 1942. In this tape, Keeton discusses what he was doing prior to joining the military and when he first learned of the opportunity to work with the American Volunteer Group in China.
Date Created:
1991-05-29T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Interview of Robert B. "Buster" Keeton by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Keeton served in the American Volunteer Group as a Flight Leader in the 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG in September 1941, and 2.5 confirmed victories in air combat against the Japanese. He remained with the AVG for one year, and returned to the United States in December 1942. In this tape, Keeton discusses a period of low morale within the AVG in addition to his involvement in the Chiang Mai raid.
Date Created:
1991-05-29T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Ms. Kridler was in the US Army in the 1980's. She served in the southern Bavarian region of Germany on a base that was shared by Americans and Germans. Ms. Kridler worked in telecommunications, but also received combat training and served on guard duty. After completing her enlistment, she served in the National Guard.
Date Created:
2009-05-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Bernie Link was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1925. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, his older brother enlisted in the Marine Corps and following his graduation in 1943, Link attempted to follow. Apart gaining an enlistment in the Marines, Link went through basic training in San Diego and advanced training at Camp Pendleton, California. Following his training, the Marines assigned Link to the 5th Marine Division. He took part in the assault on the Japanese held island of Iwo Jima and received a facial wound at the base of Mount Suribachi on the island.
Date Created:
2005-06-27T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Earl Mather served during World War II for the 1256th Combat Engineers Battalion. He served in Europe, France, Belgium, and Germany building bridges and repairing bombed bridges. He served during the Battle of the Bulge as a MP Officer and was involved in the freeing of Buchenwald concentration camp. His memories of the war are still vivid in his mind and his interview is remarkable. Earl and his wife still reside in Ohio where they originally built their home before the war. His file includes numerous photographs from the war and afterward.
Date Created:
2008-05-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Leslie Meyering was drafted into the US Army in 1952. After completing basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, he completed additional training on Anti-Aircraft guns. He was shipped to Korea, and was stationed with an artillery unit. The interview was cut short at 19:45, so additional information was lost.
Date Created:
2009-05-28T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Thomas Michael Ross was born in Holland, Michigan in 1954. He attended Zeeland High School, and served in the United States Navy between 1975 and 1979. One of his assignments was on a nuclear supply ship as sub tender aboard USS Fulton AS11.
Date Created:
2007-02-19T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
David Cheeseman, of Martin, Michigan served in the Navy for 22 years, rising in ranks throughout his enlistment to become a Chief Officer. He enlisted in 1964, during the beginning of the Vietnam conflict. David trained as an aviation anti-submarine warfare technician in Memphis and spent his first four years in the Navy stationed at the Commander Fleet Air of San Diego. After reenlisting in 1968 with the rank of a Third Class Petty Officer, David spent time in Japan before returning to San Diego as a First Class Petty Officer and completed a tour from 1971-1975 in which he served as a mechanics repair shop supervisor. After being deployed to Bermuda, Spain, and Iceland, David returned to Memphis to spend his last four years in the Navy as an AVA course supervisor. By this time, he had earned the rank of Senior Chief. David shares extensive insights on racial relations in the south, anti-warfare sentiments on the west coast throughout the 1960's, and the integration of women in the Navy in the 1970's.
Date Created:
2011-09-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Ron Hutson born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1950 and enlisted in the Marines in 1968. He trained as a truck driver and was assigned to a 105mm self-propelled artillery unit in the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam. His unit was based at the Rockpile, just south of the DMZ. He served there between April and November, 1969, when the division left Vietnam. After spending several months in Japan, his unit returned to the US, and he completed his enlistment at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Date Created:
2014-01-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Richard Teesdale served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Marine Corps. After his eight weeks of basic training in California and 20 weeks at Camp Lejeune, NC, he was assigned to a Combat Engineer unit. His service in Vietnam included several offensives in Quang Tri, Hue and Quang Thien. He was awarded several medals, including a Bronze Star with a Combat V and a Purple Heart, among others. Today, he still has difficulty adjusting to life after the Vietnam War. He has suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, as well as the long-term effects of Agent Orange.
Date Created:
2009-01-01T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Francisco Vega was born in San Antonio, Texas. He tried to enlist in the military immediately after Pearl Harbor, but was initially rejected because of his Mexican ancestry. He eventually did enlist in the Army Air Corps, and began a long process in which he used his talents and persuasive skills to find increasingly interesting assignments, eventually training as a teletype operator with a signals unit that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and was eventually part of Eisenhower's headquarters.
Date Created:
2008-03-07T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Arden Pridgeon was born on April 5, 1924, in Isabella County, Michigan. In April 1943 he was selected for the Army Specialized Training Program and in the summer he was drafted. He received an advanced form of basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and in December 1943 he went to University of Wisconsin for the Army Specialized Training Program. In March 1944 he completed his term there and the ASTP was shut down. Arden then received orders to join the 96th Infantry Division and was assigned to G Company, 381st Infantry Regiment. He trained in Oregon and California before deploying to the Pacific Theater on July 15, 1944. He participated in the invasion of Leyte, Philippines, on October 20, 1944, and the subsequent Battle of Leyte which ended on December 25, 1944. In April 1945 he participated in the invasion and the Battle of Okinawa. Upon being wounded on April 15 he was evacuated to Guam for treatment and Saipan for retraining. He returned to Okinawa on June 1, 1945, and continued to fight. In mid-July 1945 he and the rest of the unit moved to Mindoro to train for the invasion of Japan. With the war over, he opted to return to the United States and landed at San Francisco on January 4, 1946, and was discharged on January 11, 1946.
Date Created:
2016-07-05T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Sisters Joy Muehlenbeck and Jerry Elsinga describe adjusting to Saugatuck as young women after living in Chicago. Considerable discussion about the Pavillion and education in Saugatuck in the 60's and 70's.
Date Created:
2018-10-04T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Interview of Robert T. Smith by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. R. T. Smith joined the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in 1941, after resiging his commission as a U.S. Army Air Corps basic flight instructor. He served in the AVG as Flight Leader for the 3rd Squadron, "Hell's Angels." In the AVG he was credited with shooting down 8 Japanese planes and was awarded the Nine Star Medal and Order of Cloud Banner by the Chinese government. He returned to the US in 1942 and was drafted into the US Army, but was quickly re-commissioned as a US Air Corps Second Lieutenant. Over the course of the war, Smith returned to the Pacific Theater and flew 55 combat missions over Burma. He was awarded the Air Medal, Distinguisghed Flying Cross, and Silver Star. In this tape, Smith discusses his first two major battles and the reactions of the ground crew, in addition to their daily routines in the days that followed.
Date Created:
1991-04-23T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Benjamin Taylor was born in Allegan County, Michigan in 1921 and went to school through the eighth grade. After serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps for about a year, he joined the National Guard in June 1940; the National Guard was federalized in October 1940. He shipped out to Australia with the 32nd (Red Arrow) Division in the spring of 1942, and eventually went to New Guinea, where he was badly wounded near Buna.
Date Created:
2008-05-29T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Annie O’Dowd was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1929. She graduated from high school in 1947 and worked in a box factory before trying out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1949. She was initially placed in the Chicago Colleens, a travelling team (similar to a minor-league team), and played with them for a season. After the Colleens, she joined the Rockford Peaches and played with them for half of a season. The final team she played with was the Kalamazoo Lassies in the early 1950s before leaving the League.
Date Created:
2016-10-21T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Hoyt Christensen was born in 1926 in Greenville, Michigan. Prior to his service he left school after the seventh grade and worked on a farm and later at the age of fifteen managed a dairy farm until he was drafted at the age of eighteen in the summer of 1944. In November 1944 he attended basic training at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas. On April 13, 1945 he was sent to New Guinea and was assigned to the 31st Infantry Division. He aided with clearing out the remaining Japanese forces on the islands of Halmahera and Morotai. After that operation his unit was sent to aid in the liberation of the Philippines. His unit landed at Davao on the island of Mindanao where they encountered fierce Japanese resistance. He was stationed on Mindanao until the end of the war and afterwards he was reassigned to an ordinance unit and then on to the island of Leyte where he joined an engineering unit where he drove a fuel truck. On October 17, 1946 he was sent home and was discharged from the Army at Fort Sheridan, Illinois.
Date Created:
2014-06-10T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Charles Nedwin Ash is a Korean War Veteran who served in the United States Army from July 1952 to July 20, 1954 in Japan and Korea. In this interview, Ash discusses his time in the service and also what it was like to be an African American during that time. Ash briefly shares some stories of the prejudice he faced in Kentucky and being promoted to Sergeant. For his time in Korea, Ash received the Korean Service Ribbon with two bronze service stars, the UN Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Date Created:
2006-06-05T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Len Berkenpas was born in 1925 to a farmer in Byron Center, MI. Was drafted into the Navy in 1943 and worked as a cook at Naval Air Base Livermore near San Francisco, CA. He did not spend any time on a ship at sea.
Date Created:
2008-06-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Cornelius "Bob" Warners served in World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge and Normandy in the 3rd armored division service company that assisted the men in battle. He served time in battle that at one point extended 147 straight days of combat duty. He discusses training in Louisiana and in the Mohave Desert and his experiences in France, Belgium and Germany.
Date Created:
2004-06-22T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Walter Felver was born in Littleton, Colorado on September 4, 1927, but his family moved to Phillipsburg, New Jersey when he was five years old. He grew up during the Second World War and lost a brother to that conflict. After graduating from high school in June 1945 he signed up for the draft and in August he received his draft notice. He reported for duty on January 6, 1946, and after a short stay at Fort Hancock, New Jersey he was sent by train to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and armored (tank) training. When his two months of training were complete he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington where he stayed for a year and a half, going on maneuvers, keeping a record of where the small arms were and who had them, and acting as the Venereal Diseases Noncommissioned Officer. He was discharged in September 1947.
Date Created:
2014-10-31T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Interview of Chinese Ambassador Konsin Shah by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ambassador Shah served as a Chinese aviator during World War II and later as President Chiang Kai-shek's pilot and aide de camp. In this tape, Konsin Shah discusses his transition from serving in the Chinese Army to joining the Air Force and his recollection of his first flight.
Date Created:
1991-03-24T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Jarvis Brink is a Cold War veteran from Zeeland, Michigan where he attended Holland High School and graduated from there in 1953. In 1954 he joined the Army and served for two years. He received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas for eighteen months working as a machine gun mechanic on tanks in the motor pool for one of the armored tank divisions stationed there. During his time at Fort Hood he returned to Fort Knox and received more training on how to repair the .30 and .50 caliber mounted machine guns.
Date Created:
2013-05-25T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Jane Evans is the widow of two WW II Veterans. Her first husband, whom she met in school before the War, died in a plane accident during a training mission in Michigan. Her second husband, whom she also met in school, was an engineer during the war. They married after he came home from his service building bridges throughout Europe and staying a year after the war was over, allocating heating fuel to homes in Germany.
Date Created:
2007-05-29T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Jake DeWitt served during the Second World War as a Gunner's Mate on the USS Roper, a destroyer from WWI. The Roper patrolled the Virginia coast where it sunk its first German submarine, then travelled to the Straits of Gibraltar for convoy duty. She was eventually struck near Okinawa when a Japanese fighter plane crashed into the side of the ship injuring DeWitt. Dewitt was eventually discharged after recovering from his arm injury.
Date Created:
2010-02-16T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Paul Dunning served during the Korean War after being drafted into the Army. He served as a Field Wireman north of the 38th Parallel for eight months until the Armistice was signed, which he then served as a truck driver transporting Korean work crews.
Date Created:
2009-05-30T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Harris Van Singel was born in Byron Center, and has lived there his entire life. He went to school, and graduated from Byron Center School in 1940. He avoided the draft for four years because his two brothers had both enlisted, and because he was doing farm work. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944, and was trained as a remote control gunner on the B-29. He initially wanted to be a pilot, but they had too many applicants. He served in the Pacific theatre, and flew on 14 combat missions over Japan from a base on Saipan.
Date Created:
2008-01-29T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
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
Robert Boyer was born in Conway, Arkansas, in 1918. He moved around with his parents growing up before settling in Saginaw, Michigan. After graduating from high school in 1936 he attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a master's degree in history in 1941. He taught in Clyde, Ohio for a year before getting drafted in June 1942. He received basic training and medical training at Fort Totten, New York City, New York and was assigned to the 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. He was sent to the European Theatre on August 30, 1942 and would not see home for three years. During his time in the service he was stationed in England, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, mainland Italy, Marseilles, France and Heidelberg, Germany until the end of the war. He witnessed the invasion of North Africa, Sicily, and southern France, as well as the final Allied push into Germany. After the war ended he returned to the United States and was discharged from the Army in Evanston, Illinois in 1945.
Date Created:
2015-04-02T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries