Oral Histories

351. Sefton, Elizabeth (Interview transcript and video), 2007

Notes:: Beth Sefton was an Army nurse during World War II. She volunteered for duty in 1942 and continued to serve until after VJ Day. She served in England, France, and the China Burma India Theatre working with surgeons and American, German, Russian and English casualties. She left the service as the Head Nurse and a 1st Lieutenant in the Army. Beth met her husband Bill while serving in the war and came home to marry him.
Date Created:: 2007-08-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

352. Warber, Ester (Interview transcript and video), 2004

Notes:: Ester Warber grew up in Michigan and worked in defense plants in the Detroit area during World War II, and then enlisted in the WAVES, trained as an aircraft mechanic and served on a base in Hawaii. After the war she held a variety of jobs and became a psychologist, and then served in the Peace Corps in the 1960s. She provides detailed descriptions of her training and duties in the military, and mentions meeting Henry Ford as well as Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson.
Date Created:: 2004-02-11T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

353. Robert Lord (Audio interview and transcript), 2018

Notes:: Bob Lord moved to a historic home in Saugatuck in 1978. In this interview he covers the history of his home, known as "The 1894 House." He details some of his favorite summer activities, and offers some hopes for the future of Saugatuck.
Date Created:: 2018-06-04T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)

354. J. J. Harrington interview (video and transcript, 2 of 14), 1991

Notes:: 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 describes his experience joining the AVG in the summer of 1941 when Captain Aldworth visited Hamilton Field for recruitment purposes. He explains his motivations for going to China, the complications in being discharged, and the benefits they would receive after finishing a one-year contract with the Chinese government.
Date Created:: 1991-06-10T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries

355. Tex Hill interview (video and transcript, 2 of 7), 1991

Notes:: Interview of David Lee "Tex" Hill by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Tex Hill served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as Squadron Leader to the 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." Prior to joining the AVG, he served in the US Navy as a torpedo and dive bomber pilot and SB2U-2 pilot. During his AVG service, he became a double ace and had more than twelve victories against the Japanese. In this tape, Hill discusses his desire to return to the Far East after being born in Korea and his father being a missionary there. He also discusses the process of getting into the AVG and the group's journey aboard Dutch ships on their way to Rangoon.
Date Created:: 1991-02-22T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries

356. Austin, Robert (Interview transcript and video), 2008

Notes:: Robert Austin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and grew up on a farm. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in June, 1941 and trained first for the Marine Air Corps and then for the Marine Paratroopers. He eventually was assigned to the 5th Marine Division and was in the first wave of the landing on Iwo Jima. He was wounded soon after the landing and spent the rest of the war in hospitals. He re-enlisted after the war and played on a Marine baseball team prior to being discharged.
Date Created:: 2008-12-04T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

357. Dingman, James (Interview outline and video), 2009

Notes:: James Dingman is a Korean War veteran who served in the ROTC and then the U.S. National Guard from 1949 to 1961. In this account, Dingman discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and training and active duty in the U.S. Dingman also discusses what growing up during WWII was like, and his police career as a whole.
Date Created:: 2009-06-02T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

358. Maxson, Kay (Interview outline and video), 2011

Notes:: Kay Maxson, born in Lowell Michigan in 1933, enlisted in the Naval Reserve in early 1951, and was called to active duty in January, 1952. Trained in fire and damage control, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. After he joined the ship at Norfolk, Virginia, it sailed to Guantanamo and to Panama, but the ship turned out to be too wide to get through the Canal, and had to go around the Horn instead to reach the Pacific, and was damaged in the processed. They stopped in Chile and Peru, then went to San Francisco to pick up its aircraft, and then went to Hawaii to train the pilots before going on to Korea. They crossed the Pacific and visited Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan, and patrolled off the North Korean coast before returning to port in 1953.
Date Created:: 2011-09-20T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

359. Phillips, William (Interview outline and video), 2009

Notes:: William Phillips was born in Flint, Michigan and graduated from high school in 1936. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in April of 1941 and was sent to Chanute Air Field in Illinois for airplane mechanic school. William also went through crew training and gunnery school, later becoming an instructor training men to work as gunners with B-24s. He later got his orders to work overseas and was sent to Puerto Princesa Bay where he began working with the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron.
Date Created:: 2009-09-19T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

360. Schultz, James (Interview outline and video), 2008

Notes:: James Schultz was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 2, 1964 and then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1975. He enlisted in the Army after a year of college and signed up to be an airborne medical specialist. James then went to boot camp and jump school. After that he had medical training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. James was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 82nd Airborne and worked for the HQ Company. His field training at Fort Bragg included a lot of jumps. James then received cold weather training in Wisconsin and jungle training in Panama.
Date Created:: 2008-06-28T00:00:00Z
Data Provider:: Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
Collection:: Veterans History Project (U.S.)

Oral Histories 1857 items

351. Sefton, Elizabeth (Interview transcript and video), 2007

352. Warber, Ester (Interview transcript and video), 2004

353. Robert Lord (Audio interview and transcript), 2018

354. J. J. Harrington interview (video and transcript, 2 of 14), 1991

355. Tex Hill interview (video and transcript, 2 of 7), 1991

356. Austin, Robert (Interview transcript and video), 2008

357. Dingman, James (Interview outline and video), 2009

358. Maxson, Kay (Interview outline and video), 2011

359. Phillips, William (Interview outline and video), 2009

360. Schultz, James (Interview outline and video), 2008