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- Notes:
- Bill Gillesse was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1926. He remembered hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor over the car radio during a family road trip to the state capital. Gillesse was drafted in December of 1944 and sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and then Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas, for Basic Training. After training for war in Europe, he was redirected to Camp Howze, Texas, for mental conditioning and adjustment training necessary to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. Gillesse was then assigned to A Company of the 158th Regimental Combat Team. When the Japanese surrendered and the war was over, Gillesse remained in the Philippines before joining the occupational forces in Japan in April of 1946 with the 1279th Engineer Battalion back in Yokohama. In November of 1946, Gillesse was shipped back to the United States and was discharged at Fort Lewis, Washington, before traveling back to Grand Rapids where he went to work for Consumers Energy Company.
- Date Created:
- 2017-03-21T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- William Ewing enlisted in the Air Force Reserves before the beginning of WW II and remained in the Reserves until 1984. During WW II he flew the A-20 Avenger out of New Guinea and later the Philippines before returning home after completing his tour. In this interview Ewing discusses basic training and flight training, combat experiences and procedures in the A-20, and being shot down and rescued. Mr. Ewing also discusses hearing about the end of the war and his feelings about the bombing of Japan, and what he did after the war.
- Date Created:
- 2007-07-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Don Kramer was born in Gary, Indiana on April 3, 1943. Don got his GED when he was 17, got married, and also joined the Navy. Don worked in the Caribbean, Europe, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Don was involved in many fire fights while in Vietnam and was often under heavy attack. After being badly wounded in a mortar attack in 1972, Don was discharged from the Navy 6 months short of retirement and spent 2 years in military hospitals receiving physical therapy. He retired from his job in 2005 and now spends most of his time at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
- Date Created:
- 2006-12-04T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Bob Marshall is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Merchant Marines from November, 1944 to mid-1947. In this account, Marshall discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment, and training in the U.S., and combat experience on the high seas in the Pacific. Marshall also ends up mentioning his participation in the shuttling of humanitarian supplies & medicines to European ports after WWII and much later his role as a radio teacher during the Korean War in Japan.
- Date Created:
- 2008-05-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Francis Poll grew up in Michigan and was drafted into the Army in August 1941. He trained as an infantryman in Texas, and his unit was sent to Northern Ireland for additional training, and went to North Africa in early 1943. He participated in fighting in Tunisia and Italy, including the battles at Salerno and Cassino, before being transferred home in 1944, where he served in a training command for the rest of the war.
- Date Created:
- 2008-02-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Robert Van Hammen enlisted in the Michigan National Guard in 1940, and served in the intelligence section of the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division until 1945. He trained with his unit in Louisiana, and then was shipped first to the East Coast and then back across the country to go to Australia and on to New Guinea. He saw extensive combat in a series of battles in New Guinea and the Philippines, and his account includes detailed descriptions of the physical aspects of war in a jungle, as well as of several of the battles in which he served. His interview is featured in the documentary Nightmare in new Guinea produced aby Grand Valley State University.
- Date Created:
- 2005-11-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Kenneth Farris was born in Pernell, Oklahoma in 1923. He grew up there and after graduating from high school in 1942 he worked as a civilian worker at an airfield in Texas. In January 1943 he received his draft letter and he was inducted into the Army Air Force at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was sent to Miami, Florida for basic training, and from there was sent to Salt Lake City, Utah. Due to his father dying in April 1943 he was separated from the men that he trained with and wound up at Scottsbluff Army Airfield, Nebraska training on ordnance with the B-17. After ten months he was transferred to transportation and was assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group. He served with them at Hammer Field, California and deployed with them in January 1944. He was stationed at Torretto-Cerignola Airfield, Italy from February 1944 to August 1945. His duty was to transport crews around the airfield from their quarters to the flightline. He was sent home in August 1945 and was ultimately discharged from Camp Chaffee, Arkansas shortly after VJ Day.
- Date Created:
- 2005-10-21T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- William Huyser was born in1924 in Pella, Iowa. He grew up there and graduated from high school in summer 1941. He was deferred from the draft because he worked on his parents' farm, but gave up his deferment in 1945. On April 14, 1945 he received his draft notice and he began basic training at Camp Hood, Texas in early May, 1945. After basic training he was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas and was then sent to Japan as part of the occupation force in October 1945. He was stationed in Utsunomiya and Yokohama and returned to the United States in November 1946. He was then sent back to Illinois and was discharged from the Army there in December 1946.
- Date Created:
- 2015-04-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Martin Bolt served in the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division, during WW II. This interview covers his training and army life in both the US and in Australia. He tells of his unit's campaigns through New Guinea, Morotai, and the Philippines. Bolt's main job was to run communication wires from unit headquarters to the front, often close to the front lines or along jungle paths suited for ambushes. He offers detailed observations regarding a variety of aspects of jungle conditions and warfare. This interview was used in the documentary, "Nightmare in New Guinea."
- Date Created:
- 2007-07-20T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
- Notes:
- Tony Cox was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 31st, 1949. He received basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky and AIT at Ft. Polk, Lousiana. He also went to NCO school in Ft. Benning Georgia. He was assigned to Delta Company, 1st of the 506. He became squad leader after being in the field a while. In the battle around Firebase Ripcord in July, 1970, his company got into trouble in an area southeast of Hill 805. It was a very hot LZ and there were many casualties and many wounded. Mr. Cox went back to the bush after being treated for a gunshot wound, transferred to the 3rd platoon as a squad leader for the rest of his tour.
- Date Created:
- 2011-10-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Valley State University. University Libraries
- Collection:
- Veterans History Project (U.S.)
