Compare Constellations

Weiss, David L., 1942-. Oral history interview with David L. Weiss, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with David L. Weiss, [sound recording], 2004.

David L. Weiss, an Omro, Wisconsin native, discusses his service as a radio traffic analyst in the Army during the Vietnam War. He talks about being unable to enlist in the National Guard during the Berlin Crisis and instead enlisting in the Army Security Agency. Weiss comments on being able to sleep anywhere during basic training at Fort Leonard Wood (Missouri) and training as a traffic analyst at Fort Devens (Massachusetts). He describes his work analyzing radio code traffic patterns and states he was a "glorified clerk-typist." Assigned to Vietnam, he talks about being sent over as an "advisor" rather than a soldier, his psychological reaction to the assignment, the airplane trip via Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippines, and the buildup activity he witnessed. In 1963, Weiss recalls seeing planes take off to bomb the Ho Chi Minh trail in Cambodia. Stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base with the 3rd Radio Research Unit for his first three months, he describes seeing Saigon, living conditions on the base, and a typical duty day. Weiss mentions receiving copy of radio traffic from the French in Laos until they left the country. He discusses witnessing political disarray, being issued an old, unreliable weapon, accidentally firing a pistol outside the American Embassy, and wearing khaki uniforms. He speaks of James T. Davis, the first Army Security Agency soldier killed during the war. Transferred to Da Nang, Weiss details his airplane's taking a detour to deliver an engine to a Special Forces base in the highlands and helping to push the engine onto the runway under fire. He portrays meeting the journalist Richard Tregaskis. Weiss describes the base facilities in Da Nang, his duty there, and tactics the enemy later developed to throw off direction-finding. He recalls his surprise at seeing local Christmas decorations, his awareness of the Buddhist protests, regularly interacting with Vietnamese civilians at a bar, and the wild drinking habits of the men in his unit. Weiss explains the bartering between military branches in Da Nang for food and weapons, and he characterizes a respected, seventeen-year-old second lieutenant. Reassigned to Phu Bai in February of 1963, Weiss talks about security concerns, getting nervous about his safety as his time in country grew short, and reporting an attack that turned out to be someone's accidentally wandering into friendly night maneuvers. He touches on working with Marines of the Naval Security Group, seeing newcomers go through a phase of psychological reaction dubbed "the crazies," and having a cigar with General David M. Shoup. Weiss analyzes his impressions of the Vietnam War and the capabilities of the United States military. He touches on his homecoming and getting discharged the day before his unit was reactivated to go back to Vietnam.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 85 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 85 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 36 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/773284051 View

Hallingstad, Roger, 1932-. Oral history interview with Roger Hallingstad, [sound recording], 2006.

Title: Oral history interview with Roger Hallingstad, [sound recording], 2006.

Roger D. Hallingstad, a Sparta, Wisconsin native, discusses his Air Force service in Japan during the Korean War and in French Indochina at the end of the First Indochina War. Hallingstad touches on being in the 32nd Reconnaissance Division of the Wisconsin National Guard, helping his brother build experimental aircraft, and enlisting in the Air Force in 1950. While at basic training at Lackland Air Force Base (Texas), he talks about living in cold conditions in tents, receiving no uniforms, and having some tent-mates die of pneumonia. Hallingstad speaks of additional training at MacDill Air Force Base (Florida), aircraft and engine school at Sheppard Air Force Base (Texas), temporary duty working on engines at Chanute Field (Illinois), and volunteering for overseas duty in Japan. He discusses his three-week voyage aboard a troop ship. Hallingstad details his duties related to engine storage at a Far East Air Forces Materiel Command Air Force Base northwest of Tokyo. He mentions that he had been trained to work on R-3350 engines but was not allowed to transfer to do so. Hallingstad remembers seeing a plane crash that killed everyone aboard. In February of 1954, he talks about being told to pack up and report for a "special assignment," being put on an airplane without knowing his destination, arriving at Clark Air Force Base (Philippines), and being put on another plane, still without knowing his destination. Sent to Do Son Air Base near Haiphong (Indochina, now Vietnam), Hallingstad speaks of living conditions: adobe huts, mosquito netting, and open showers. He emphasizes that they were not told anything about combat conditions or the war. Hallingstad explains there was a strict curfew every night and anyone outside would be shot, which happened to a civilian woman one night. He recalls drinking with Foreign Legion paratroopers, journeying into Haiphong, and the tightening of security measures after some Americans were abducted. He portrays his limited exposure to Vietnamese civilians. Hallingstad details the conflict between French and American mechanics, explaining the French had lower quality standards, were disinterested, and would sometimes not show up for work. He speaks of working with C-47s, his limited awareness of the war, and catching a glimpse of "Earthquake McGoon" McGovern, a pilot who was later killed in action. Hallingstad tells of seeing a freezer full of meat flown in but being told that, due to a power failure, they couldn't eat it. He speaks being afraid after being issued a weapon during an alert, despite having to weapons training. After Dien Bien Phu fell on May 7th, he tells of his unit's getting pulled out, giving liquor to their replacements, and having some airplane problems on the flight to the Philippines. Hallingstad lists the promises about promotion, extra pay, and medals that the Army made while he was in Indochina, and which he never received. After returning to Japan, he talks about climbing Mount Fujiyama. Hallingstad reflects on the unpopularity of the conflicts in Vietnam and the unawareness he has encountered about the United States' early presence in Indochina. He relates getting assistance from Tammy Baldwin's office to apply for a "Medal of Indochina" from the French government, which he has yet to receive.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 28 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757935807 View

Kasparek, Jim, 1938-. Oral history interview with Jim Kasparek [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Jim Kasparek [sound recording], 2004.

Jim Kasparek, a Medford, Wisconsin resident, discusses his service as a radar operator in the Air Force during the Vietnam era of the Cold War.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 22 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/697844056 View

Micke, Bernard F., Dr. 1944-. Oral history interview with Dr. Bernard F. Micke, 2003 [sound recording].

Title: Oral history interview with Dr. Bernard F. Micke, 2003 [sound recording].

Micke, an Appleton, Wis. native, discusses his Vietnam War service as the administrative officer at the 9th Infantry Division hospital.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 19 p.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/59716627 View

Patronsky, Mark C., 1948-. Oral history interview with Mark C. Patronsky, [sound recording], 2003.

Title: Oral history interview with Mark C. Patronsky, [sound recording], 2003.

Mark Patronsky, a Columbus, Ohio native, discusses his experiences as a Cold War and Vietnam War-era veteran stationed in Germany.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 23 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/526728485 View

Howard, Thomas, 1948-. Oral history interview with Thomas Howard, [sound recording], 2006.

Title: Oral history interview with Thomas Howard, [sound recording], 2006.

Thomas Howard, a Westfield, Wisconsin native, discusses his career in the Navy and Navy Reserves, including service as a radioman during the Vietnam War. Howard tells of struggling to balance work and college at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, becoming eligible for the draft after dropping a class, and deciding to enlist in the Navy. He portrays some of the anti-war protests he saw on campus. At the induction center in Milwaukee, Howard states enlistees were arbitrarily split into groups bound for Great Lakes and San Diego, and he tells of sneaking to the San Diego side. After boot camp at San Diego, he tells of going through radio school, high speed Morse code school, and a few months of teaching typing at the Naval Training Center San Diego. Assigned to an LST home ported in Yokosuka (Japan), Howard discusses bringing supplies into Vietnam and returning with homeward-bound Marines. He details doing duty aboard LCVPs [Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel] near Binh Tuy, supporting various operations in the Mekong Delta. He comments on the reconverted landing crafts, communications duty, being accompanied by "the Thumper man," who handled an M79, and being vulnerable to hit-and-run attacks. Howard talks about checking river traffic for contraband: throwing rice overboard, frustration at being unable to communicate with the natives, and being shot at from the shore. Married a few weeks before starting duty on the LST, he recalls the anger of his captain at the news and having his time aboard a foreign-based vessel reduced from twenty-four to twelve months. Howard touches on evaluating Pinang (Malaysia) as a possible R&R location. He characterizes a civilian Chieu Hoi translator who, one day, jumped overboard and swam away. Howard mentions transporting Vietnamese prisoners and talks about picking Navy SEALS out of the river to give them hot meals. He states he tried not to make close friendships on the boats due to casualty rates. When his time was up in Vietnam, he tells of being sent to Saigon and spending the next two weeks sleeping on the floor of the airport at Tan Son Nhut Air Base because he didn't want to stand guard duty in the city. Howard talks about the plane ride home, getting showered and deloused at the airport, and being surprised at how much war protests had escalated. Assigned to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (California), he tells of working in Beachmaster Unit One, Alpha Team, to train amphibious squadrons deploying to the Western Pacific. After his discharge, Howard talks about getting his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, drinking with the student veterans club, and joining the Navy Reserves. He speaks of spending his two-week blocks of yearly active duty at Military Affiliated Radio Systems stations around the country, in Hawaii as a flag writer to Commander in Chief Pacific, and as a classified court reporter at courts-martial. Howard reflects on the monetary benefits of being in the Reserves, being promoted to chief, and being forced to retire. He details honing his skills as a "comshaw artist," someone who works around the rules to procure extra stuff. Howard comments on being uninterested in veterans' organizations and being hesitant to discuss his experiences in Vietnam. He discusses the psychological repercussions of his time in Vietnam: having recurring nightmares, becoming an alcoholic, and disliking crowds. In Vietnam, he tells of using concussion grenades to fish and trading the fish to villagers for pigs, which he was in charge of cooking. Howard portrays a Reader's Digest reporter who had to be medevaced out after seeing a ship captain killed.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 54 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 54 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 23 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757932941 View

Christopherson, Ken, 1943-. Oral history interview with Ken Christopherson [sound recording], 2008.

Title: Oral history interview with Ken Christopherson [sound recording], 2008.

Ken Christopherson, a Valders, Wisconsin native, discusses his service as a company clerk in the Army during the Vietnam War.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 55 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 55 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 31 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/705931326 View

Kurtz, James A., 1940-. Papers and photographs, 1965-2004, (bulk 1965-1967).

Title: Papers and photographs, 1965-2004, (bulk 1965-1967).

Papers and photographs of James A. Kurtz, an Appleton, Wisconsin native who served as an officer with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Division during the Vietnam War. Kurtz enrolled in the ROTC program while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve prior to serving in Vietnam. The collection consists of materials Kurtz sent home to his family during his time in the Army and include letters, postcards, programs, and other memorabilia. The majority of the collection is a series of letters written by Kurtz to his parents. The letters begin with his training at Fort Benning (Georgia) in 1965, and continue until his tour in Vietnam ended in 1967. In his letters Kurtz asks about the family, how his siblings were doing in school, updates on sporting scores, discussions on the weather, and attending church services. While at Fort Benning he describes his training, problems with instructing other soldiers, and a dislike of Army life. One letter (January 5, 1966) mentions disappointment when the troops he was commanding failed a gas attack exercise, and another letter (January 16, 1966) describes some of his troops being sick and two that tried to commit suicide. Several letters also discuss officers being sent to Vietnam and express concern over the possibility of being sent himself. The letters from Vietnam include descriptions of the country, descriptions of other officers and soldiers, being anxious for his tour to be over, and participation in the Bob Hope Christmas show. His first letter from Vietnam (June 21, 1966) describes the sights and smells of Vietnam, and also complaints about the heat. Another letter (October 21, 1966) mentions a friend being severely wounded and how he dislikes officers that "build their names on the corpses of subordinates." The collection also has three postcards Kurtz sent to his parents, and one letter he wrote to his brother. Other material sent home include a Thanksgiving Day menu and two church service programs, a receipt for tobacco purchases, and a newspaper article with a map of military activities that was sent with a letter dated February 11, 1967. Of interest is a propaganda leaflet, in Vietnamese, that was distributed with the intent of convincing the Viet Cong to surrender and turn in their weapons. It was sent by Kurtz in a letter (November 6, 1966). There is also a packet of material pertaining to the postwar relationship of Vietnam and the U.S. that Kurtz obtained when he traveled to Vietnam in 2001. The photographs include five black and white images of a Vietnamese village and four color images of Kurtz in Vietnam. Two of the color images have been made into slides and are also included in the collection. A program for the memorial service of captain John Frederick Kurth who was killed in Iraq in 2004 is also included with this collection.

ArchivalResource: Papers 0.4 linear ft. (1 archives box) and.Photographs 0.1 linear ft. (3 folders) and.Slides 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder) and.Paper prints 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/301735332 View

Lewis, Ronald, 1947-. Oral history interview with Ronald Lewis [sound recording], 2003.

Title: Oral history interview with Ronald Lewis [sound recording], 2003.

Ronald Lewis, a Middleton, Wisconsin native, discusses his Vietnam War service as a truck driver in the Army.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 53 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 53 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 27 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/697510731 View

Vincent, James F., 1945-. Oral history interview with James F. Vincent , [sound recording], 2005.

Title: Oral history interview with James F. Vincent , [sound recording], 2005.

James "Jim" Vincent, a Madison, Wisconsin native, discusses his service in the Army during the Vietnam War in the F Troop, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. Vincent describes graduating from Madison West High School in 1963 and attending the University of Wisconsin for two years before he was drafted in 1966. He discusses the political climate at UW-Madison: he witnessed one anti-draft protest, but antiwar activities were minimal because it was early in the war. Vincent reveals he was against the Vietnam War from the start. He briefly describes his basic training at Fort Polk (Louisiana). Vincent recalls a strategy to avoid deployment used by some of his friends: they would enroll in Officer Candidate School but turn down the commission, spending their two-year commitment in training instead of Vietnam. This strategy did not work for Vincent, however. He was placed in Noncommissioned Officer School where he had to administer the reception responsibilities to new inductees. Vincent comments that he bonded with the inductees because he felt "it was those guys and me against the Army." He speculates this is why he was turned down for OCS. Vincent touches upon the racial, regional, and socioeconomic make-up of his basic training class, mentioning draftees from Wisconsin weree mixed in with troops from the south side of Chicago (Illinois) and east Houston (Texas). Next, Vincent describes his Advanced Infantry Training on tanks in Fort Knox (Kentucky). In July 1967, Vincent left for Vietnam. He reveals that, by this time, he felt he should not be exempt when all his buddies had to serve in Vietnam. He outlines his voyage on a Braniff commercial jet from Hawaii to the Philippines to Cam Ranh Bay (Vietnam). He explains he was assigned to a scout unit in the 17th Cavalry Regiment, which was attached to a light infantry brigade in Chu Lai (Vietnam). He mentions he was received in Chu Lai "very standoffishly" by veteran troops, but after his first combat experience, they accepted him. Vincent describes his typical missions: he would guard the perimeter of the Chu Lai airbase or would spend three to six days on various observation posts on hills around Chu Lai. Vincent mentions that General Abrams and General Westmoreland stopped by his observation post once to assess vulnerabilities of a Marine base. Vincent expresses amazement that they acted like "just another soldier." Vincent describes the equipment used in his cavalry unit: they drove unarmored jeeps with M-16s, but halfway through his tour, they switched to armored personnel carriers (PCs). Vincent was a PC driver and later a PC commander. Towards the end of his tour in Vietnam, Vincent reports a new, inexperienced lieutenant came into his unit and got six of seven PCs stuck in a rice paddy while under enemy fire. Vincent was the only one who did not drive his track vehicle through the paddies; he implies his experience and ingenuity helped rescue the others. Vincent also talks about his interactions with the Vietnamese people, which were mostly mercantile in nature. He states he found the Vietnamese honorable and trustworthy "on a personal level," but admits he "never had any illusions of participating in anything that was beneficial for the Vietnamese people." He criticizes the Army for making no attempt to educate American soldiers in the Vietnamese language. Vincent provides his views of the Viet Cong as well; he reveals he was intrigued by finding books of poetry on the bodies of dead VC. Vincent describes recreation in Vietnam at length. He remarks he and some fellow soldiers invested in a nightclub just off the Chu Lai airbase and made money with a bar, stereo system, and musical acts. He points out that alcohol and marijuana use was high, and the number of soldiers who smoked marijuana rose from 1% to 95% by the time he left Vietnam. Vincent also outlines his three R&R (rest and relaxation) trips to Bangkok, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur. He explains R&R was traded within units "like a commodity" and used as collateral in poker games. This meant Vincent earned (or won) two extra R&Rs. He mentions he was incountry during the Tet Offensive and describes the changes to the landscape in Tam Ky which "had been devastated." Despite the war, Vincent feels Vietnam is a beautiful country. He criticizes career military people, veterans of the Korean War and World War II, who "had a sense of patriotism that the soldiers in Vietnam didn't share." He characterizes the attitude of most draftees as a sense that "laws forced you to be there...so it was just getting through it anyway you could." In 1968, Vincent was granted an early release from his Army contract to go back to college. He finished his service quickly at Fort Knox. He tells of returning to a supportive family in Madison (Wisconsin) and remarks upon the escalation of protests at the University of Wisconsin. Vincent did not hide his service and enjoyed engaging classmates in debate and explaining his views that the draft "was the last vestige of democracy in the military" because it kept the military honest and accountable to the people. Vincent tells how he supported and advised friends who were drafted in the late 1960s. He felt it was important to correspond with soldiers in Vietnam, and he often made tape recordings of friends at dinner parties and sent them to soldiers overseas. In Madison, Vincent joined Veterans for Peace and was an active member, but he left after a few years because he felt they were "too conservative" for his "slightly more anarchistic" views. Vincent is a member of the VFW post in Middleton (Wisconsin). He calls the Army a "stabilizing experience" and feels that realizing his own mortality was an important life lesson. He also opines that the all-volunteer military today (in 2005) is "less responsive to political decisions and more responsive to the decisions of the administration," which Vincent claims is "a formula for ultimate disaster."

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 71 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 71 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 32 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/428435451 View

McMahon, Paul T. Oral history interview with Paul T. McMahon, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Paul T. McMahon, [sound recording], 2004.

Paul T. McMahon talks about his service with the 525th Military Intelligence Group during the Vietnam War.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 80 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 80 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 35 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/705929289 View

Dahlquist, Russell R., 1948-2004. Oral history interview with Russell R. Dahlquist [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Russell R. Dahlquist [sound recording], 2004.

Russell R. Dahlquist, a Racine, Wisconsin native, discusses his Vietnam War service with the Air Force working with helicopters and intelligence.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 40 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 40 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 15 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60708450 View

Smith, Jeff, 1946-. Oral history interview with Jeff Smith, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Jeff Smith, [sound recording], 2004.

Jeff Smith, a Plainfield, New Jersey native, discusses his service during the Vietnam War with the Army's 9th Infantry Division.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 75 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 75 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 31 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/462933160 View

Scott, Steve, 1948-. Oral history interview with Steve Scott, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Steve Scott, [sound recording], 2004.

Steve Scott, a Madison, Wisconsin native, describes his Vietnam War service as an AmTrac driver in the Marine Corps.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 74 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 74 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 31 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/462933174 View

Hosking, David F., 1944-. Oral history interview with David F. Hosking [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with David F. Hosking [sound recording], 2004.

David F. Hosking, a Clay Hill, Wisconsin native, discusses his service in the Army during the Vietnam War and his career in the National Guard. While working for Oscar Mayer after high school, Hosking talks about his awareness of the war and being drafted. He discusses basic training at Fort Leonard Wood (Missouri), airframe repairman training at Fort Eustis (Virginia), having orders to Germany cancelled, and being assigned to go to Vietnam with the 604th Transportation Company. He touches on the reaction of his family, having ten days of leave, and duty guarding the laundry room on the troop ship during the ride over. Hosking describes his first impressions upon arrival in Qui Nhon, setting up camp in Pleiku, and tricks for making tents resistant to monsoons and shrapnel. He portrays his attitude upon arrival as "we'll just do what we gotta do" and how it changed to frustrated later in the war. Hosking touches on working with aircraft sheet metal and later being promoted to head of the sheet metal shop. He speaks of being encouraged by a friend to be a door gunner and volunteering with the 119th Assault Helicopter Company. Hosking explains he made an agreement with a different friend to extend their overseas service three months, although his friend ended up being wounded and sent home early. Hosking portrays a typical day in the sheet metal shop, the crude equipment, and the types of helicopters they patched up. He talks about duty as a door gunner, watching the troops jump into the drop zone, and dropping brass on the tin roof of a bar as a practical joke. He provides examples of the ingenuity of American troops in improvising with equipment. Hosking addresses being under fire as a door gunner and describes the conflicting emotional reactions he had during combat and close calls. He tells of his first time seeing a minigun, coming under sniper fire while on guard duty, and mortar attacks. Hosking recalls seeing two Montagnard tribesmen turn themselves in for helping mortar the base; the Montagnards explained their families had been held hostage, and the two identified Viet Cong members working construction inside the base. He tells a story of a friend's brother being killed and talks about seeing Bob Hope and Ann Margaret, who came to perform USO shows. Hosking describes his contact with Vietnamese civilians, including a mama-san, reflects on not trusting any of them to not be Viet Cong, and tells of recognizing them among the dead Viet Cong after attacks. He touches on the procedure for rescuing downed helicopter crews, recalls a funny story about the failure of some Hawaiian troops to cook a pig, and states the aircraft parts supply was inadequate. Hosking talks about food, the quality of his officers, and his awareness of what his missions were. He states the worst day was when he heard that China had entered the war. Hosking comments on R & R in Bangkok, transportation back to the States, and his homecoming to Wisconsin. He examines his opinions about protestors and about his own experiences. He tells of being tracked down by a friend from service, working for the Madison Vet Center, joining American Legion post 313 in Black Earth (Wisconsin), and retiring from the National Guard. Inspired by the activity of a Madison aviation unit, Hosking talks about joining the National Guard with the intention of flying for a few years and staying in for over twenty years because he enjoyed the camaraderie. He touches on his experiences in Iraq: brutal sandstorms, well-cared for equipment, and door gunner duty on Blackhawk helicopters. Addressing the two wars, he briefly compares the inability to identify the enemy and contrasts the casualty rates. Hosking explains his respect for other veterans and their families, and he highlights the special camaraderie between Vietnam War veterans.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 55 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 55 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 31 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757934751 View

Schott, Michael R., 1948-. Oral history interview with Michael R. Schott, [sound recording], 2005.

Title: Oral history interview with Michael R. Schott, [sound recording], 2005.

Michael "Mike" Schott, a Madison, Wisconsin native, discusses his service in the Vietnam War with the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division of the Army. Schott was born and raised in Madison, graduating from Central High School in 1966. He states he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in September 1966 but learned in October that, despite his student-status, he was classified 1A and would soon be drafted. Schott left college and worked for the City of Madison Parks Department until he was finally drafted in March 1968. He recalls four other Parks Department employees were drafted on the same day. Schott describes in detail his basic training at Fort Campbell (Kentucky) and his advanced individual training at Fort Polk (Louisiana). He touches upon regional differences and interactions between Black and white soldiers at Fort Campbell. Schott emphasizes that Louisiana was hotter and more humid than Vietnam. He lists the weapons he was trained to use and assemble, including: M-16, M-60, .45, and the Light Anti-Tank Weapon. He feels his basic training field exercises did not adequately prepare him for real combat in Vietnam. Next, Schott describes his deployment overseas. He comments on his and his family's reaction to his deployment, stating that the antiwar protests in Madison had not picked up yet and that he had expected to be sent to Vietnam all along. Schott describes taking a commercial jet from San Francisco to Tan Son Nhut. His first impression was that Vietnam was more modern than he had expected. He comments that "it wasn't what John Wayne saw. It looked too built up, too commercialized already in '68." Schott was assigned as a replacement to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry, 25th Division in Cu Chi (Vietnam). He recalls having "no idea what was going on" as a young soldier and feeling apprehensive when his buddies from basic training got their orders before him. He states veteran soldiers in his platoon treated him well and taught him survival tips he had not learned in basic training. For example, savvy soldiers rode on top of the track vehicles, not inside, so they could escape more easily if the vehicle hit a mine. Next, Schott describes a typical day in the field with his platoon. As a light weapons infantryman, his duties involved securing roads, minesweeping, and guarding the perimeter around Cu Chi and other villages. Schott describes in detail how the Army clear-cut all roadside vegetation and pulled down rubber trees with Rome Plows. Schott mentions he was assigned to live in a Vietnamese village, mingling with civilians by day and pulling guard duty at night. He states he was fortunate to have that experience because it made him appreciate the quality of life in the United States and exposed him to Vietnamese culture. While living in the village, Schott explains he also realized that the Vietnamese people "didn't want us here." He notes only old men, women and children lived in the villages because all the young men had joined either the North or the South Vietnamese armies. Schott compares the North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese fighters, stating he respected the NVA but felt the AVRN were not serious soldiers. He also criticizes the Army for giving better equipment and newer track vehicles to the AVRN than the U.S. Infantry. After seven months on the front, Schott was sent to the rear guard due to a perforated eardrum and chronic ear infections. He spent the remainder of his tour of duty driving ration trucks to the front lines, which was dangerous because he often drove alone through villages to get to the troops. Schott tells of a few close calls and ambushes and notes ironically that with rockets hitting the showers and hooches, he often felt safer on the front lines than on base. In addition, Schott remarks upon interactions with Vietnamese civilians. In the village near Cu Chi, he attended the funeral of a South Vietnamese civilian casualty. He also tells of befriending two brothers who wanted to immigrate to America. Schott states the Americans learned not to go out on patrol if the merchants, who usually followed their units, did not come out. Next, Schott addresses military life and recreation. He mentions taking R&R in Tokyo and Taipei and passing a colorful temple in Ton Son Nhut. He also touches upon food, stating he ate mostly C-rations and popcorn sent in care-packages from his mother. Schott discusses at length marijuana and alcohol use among the troops. He reveals beer was hard to get except on the black market. He tells of smoking marijuana with his platoon sergeant and other soldiers before going on perimeter duty in the village near Cu Chi; however, he states he did not feel impaired on duty. Schott also comments on friendships between officers and enlisted men, which the Army discouraged. He was friends with his platoon sergeant ("the best platoon sergeant we ever had"), who was demoted after he was caught with marijuana. Schott also recalls officers who were not as well-respected. He describes how a new "shake and bake" platoon sergeant was killed in front of him while on a patrol. Schott also speaks negatively about a company commander who made the troops spit-shine their boots and march in formation in a combat zone, implying that this was against Army policy and that the commander's plane was shot down by friendly fire, leading to the his resignation. Throughout the interview, Schott remembers several incidents of cruelty and poor judgment in combat: his platoon fired in the air to scare Vietnamese civilians who were driving ox-carts on a road after curfew; the Americans "ravished the land" by excessively burning grasses around Viet Cong base camps; and one night when soldiers in his platoon were high, they radioed in an air raid on a group of moving bodies who turned out to be civilians. In March 1970, Schott returned to the United States with "no reception." He reflects on the long-term effects of the Vietnam War, stating it made him "grow up in a hurry." After the war, Schott had many college friends who were veterans, but he states nobody discussed their combat experiences. Shortly after his homecoming, Schott joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War because he felt the Vietnamese did not want the Americans in their country. He shares his view that he "didn't understand" why the U.S. was involved in Vietnam, but that "somebody was making a boatload of money" from the war. Schott reveals that he joined the VFW post in Middleton (Wisconsin) in 1986 along with his brother-in-law who fought in Vietnam as a Marine. Schott states he was the youngest VFW member at the time and initially felt wary about joining, but today is an active member. Schott sums up his Vietnam experience by stating: "It was probably fifty-fifty, good and bad" for him personally, but that politically "we didn't accomplish a thing except lose fifty, sixty thousand people, because Communism is now in control."

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 68 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 68 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 30 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/642352907 View

Bauer, Daniel A., 1923-2009,. Oral history interview with Daniel A. Bauer [sound recording], 2007.

Title: Oral history interview with Daniel A. Bauer [sound recording], 2007.

Daniel A. Bauer, a St. Paul, Minnesota native, discusses his Army Air Corps service in India and at Tinian during World War II. Bauer touches on his activities after graduating from vocational school, trying to enlist in the Navy, being rejected due to a perforated eardrum, and enlisting in the Air Corps. He mentions basic training at Goodfellow Field (Texas), training to be a link instructor, and being shipped to India as a truck driver before he could finish training. Bauer describes his 104-day voyage aboard the SS Athos, including extended seasickness and a submarine attack. He describes the chaos and destruction he witnessed upon his arrival in Bombay caused by the sabotaging of an ammunitions ship. Sent across country on a troop train, Bauer comments on the poor sanitation and bad odors. Assigned to an air base at Kharagpur, he speaks about his uniforms, duty cooking and driving a gasoline truck, and refueling B-29s. He describes being treated in the hospital for jaundice and malaria, encountering a cobra while on KP duty, and disposing of sacred cows that wouldn't leave the base. Bauer talks about the food and the unavailability of liquor for enlisted men. He portrays a Japanese air raid on Christmas Eve: having an outdoor movie interrupted, driving a weapons carrier out of harm's way, and taking cover in a slit trench. He characterizes the Indian civilian he hired to clean his tent. Bauer talks about the closing of the base and setting up communications for a new base on Tinian. He describes the remaining Japanese presence on the island, having temporary duty building desks and Quonset huts, and duty as a teletype mechanic. Bauer tells of returning to Tinian for the 50-year anniversary of the end of World War II. He mentions using military communications to talk to a cousin stationed on Saipan, and he details visiting an uncle whose destroyer escort docked at Saipan. Bauer discusses seeing one of the atomic bombs being loaded onto the plane, the disbelief of the Japanese prisoners at the nearby prisoner of war camp after Japan surrendered, and flying back to the States on a B-29. He speaks of his homecoming and having recurring episodes of malaria.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 23 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757933362 View

Peckham, Steven F., 1948-. Oral history interview with Steven F. Peckham, [sound recording], 2007.

Title: Oral history interview with Steven F. Peckham, [sound recording], 2007.

Steve F. Peckham, a Madison, Wisconsin native, discusses his service in a mortar unit of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Peckham touches on enlisting in the Marine Corps as a high school senior, boot camp at San Diego, and specialty training with 81 mortars. He comments that they stressed teamwork at boot camp and physical training in infantry training regiment. After a leave at home, he talks about receiving orders for Vietnam and the effects of the war on his high school class. Peckham recalls the festive mood on the commercial flight to Okinawa and a rumor that they might be sent to Korea instead, due to the North Korean seizure of the USS Pueblo. After arriving at Danang a week after the 1968 Tet Offensive started, he recalls his first impressions of Vietnam, assignment to a mortar unit in the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, and going right to work near Phu Bai doing minesweeping. At Hue, Peckham comments on the constant enemy activity and missions in the city. He recalls running across a Vietnamese boy who had been wounded in the stomach and getting him medical treatment. Sent to Quang Tri, Peckham comments on being the new guy, getting stuck in the mud after jumping off a helicopter, his field equipment, and a funny incident during a mission when a new major tried and failed to jump over a creek. He talks about being sent to Hill 558 and Hill 881 to support troops at Khe Sanh, spending a day in Khe Sanh for dental work, being overrun by rats, and celebrating the 4th of July with a free fire zone. Peckham details the chaotic withdrawal from the area by helicopter, retrieving dead from Hill 689, getting air support from Douglas AC-47s, seeing a friend get shot, and nearly being hit by an airdropped supplies pallet. Peckham talks about duty at Con Tien and Phu Loc, food, going in on the buddy system, and his reaction to a letter stating his cousin had died in a car accident. At Phu Loc, Peckham touches on duty at the Fire Direction Center, R&R at Taipei (Taiwan), feeling unwelcome in Vietnam, only staying in touch with one Marine buddy in the States, and lack of debriefing when he was shipped back to the States. He mentions the Marines' stealing equipment from the Army, marijuana use, and an increased racial divide amongst troops in the southern part of Vietnam. Peckham talks about his homecoming experience at the San Francisco airport and at home in Wisconsin. Assigned to Camp Pendleton (California), he states he was so bored that he volunteered to go overseas again and served the rest of his time with the Military Police in Hawaii. He tells of going to a "Welcome Home" march in Chicago and seeing veterans openly smoking marijuana in the parade. Peckham explains why the onset of the Iraq War prompted him to join the Middleton VFW.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 75 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 75 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 37 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/772452286 View

Williams, David R., 1947-. Oral history interview with David R. Williams, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with David R. Williams, [sound recording], 2004.

David R. Williams, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, discusses his experiences serving in the Da Nang area in the Combined Action Program in the III Marine Amphibious Force during the Vietnam War.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 96 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 96 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 32 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/539213374 View

Esser, Michael P., 1947-. Oral history interview with Michael P. Esser, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Michael P. Esser, [sound recording], 2004.

Michael P. Esser, a Middleton, Wisconsin native, discusses his experiences during the Vietnam War with the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division and during the Persian Gulf War with the A-26 Ordnance Company of the Army Reserves. Esser talks about being drafted after graduating high school, basic training at Fort Leonard Wood (Missouri), and advanced infantry training at Fort Polk (Louisiana). After a twenty-one day leave, he tells of reporting to Fort Ord (California) and being flown to Bien Hoa (Vietnam). He speaks of two weeks of training with the 90th Replacement Company and states that, after training with M-14 rifles, he was issued an M-16, which he had never fired before. Esser describes carrying an M60 mortar, high explosive rounds, and white phosphorus rounds. Assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi, he states they sent him into the field right away, carrying radio and machine gun ammunition. He tells of being pinned down by sniper fire his first time out, helping pull a shot medic under cover, and turning down an offer for a bronze star commendation. Esser recalls the smells in Vietnam, riding a helicopter into the field, setting up perimeters, and walking patrols. He speaks of respecting most of his officers and eventually becoming a non-commissioned officer himself. Esser explains he spent six months as machine gunner, machine gun assistant, and ammo bearer before being rotated into a mortar patrol. He describes life in Cu Chi base camp, rotation policies, and the parties after big operations were finished. He tells of doing patrols in rice paddies around the Saigon River and, later, around Tay Ninh. Esser mentions having limited contact with Vietnamese civilians and the regular North Vietnamese Army. He talks about normally having good air support and details being wounded by a friendly fire airstrike while taking cover in a bunker. Esser speaks of R&R in the Philippines, volunteering to ride shotgun in supply runs to Saigon, and being in an old French fortress on the Cambodian border during the Tet Offensive. During a cease fire, he states the Viet Cong threw rocks instead of firing weapons. He recalls coming under sniper fire, being told he couldn't get air support because he was over the Cambodian border, and being the last person to run during the retreat. Esser addresses red ants, high casualty rates, and especially difficult combat areas such as "the Purple Crater," "the Fishhook," and the base of the mountain Nui Bai Dinh. He comments on drinking Vietnamese beer while on patrol, his experiences with marijuana, and occasionally having problems with soldiers on guard duty falling asleep under the influence of marijuana. He reflects on problems with his training and the training of officers. Esser talks about his uneventful homecoming, spending five and a half months at Fort Benning (Georgia), being urged by his brother to join the Reserves, and joining the A-26 Ordnance Company. He expresses bitterness at being exploited by the Army and states he joined the Reserves partly to get all he could back from them. Esser touches on being called to active duty in September of 1990 and spending eight months in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. He touches on learning to control the memories of his experiences in Vietnam. Esser speaks of joining the VFW in Middleton and the American Legion in Waunakee, but dropping out because he felt looked down on by World War II veterans for losing the war; now that Vietnam era veterans are more numerous in the VFW, he states he has rejoined and is having fun.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 61 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 61 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 27 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757935184 View

James, James P., 1923-. Oral history interview with James P. James, [sound recording], 2005.

Title: Oral history interview with James P. James, [sound recording], 2005.

James P. James, a Fond du Lac, Wisconsin native, discusses his World War II service as a paratrooper in the 507th Infantry Regiment, including his experiences during the Invasion of Normandy and as a prisoner of war. James talks about being drafted, basic training at Mineral Wells (Texas), joining the paratroopers, jump training at Fort Benning (Georgia), and training with the 507th Regiment for the Pacific Theater in Alliance (Nebraska). He talks about his transport being rear ended by another boat during the voyage to the European Theater and training for three months in Port Rush (Ireland). James details getting injured during a windy practice jump in England. He states he knew they would be jumping into France after being "fattened up" with all the food he could eat. He details the D-Day jump: seeing a soldier get shot in the airplane's doorway, being the second to last person out before the plane crashed, getting hung up in a tree, and finding only two people from his unit on the ground. James describes getting captured and held prisoner in a barn with 350 other paratroopers. While being marched to Paris, he speaks of the casualties that resulted from being strafed by American planes, and he mentions helping bury them. He tells of spending three days in a boxcar and, after reaching a bombed out bridge, getting out and marching for three months into Germany. James addresses lack of food, his own morale, weight loss, and arriving at a camp in Mühlberg (Germany), where he was put to work cutting timber. After hurting his wrist, he talks about being made a cook and preparing cow beets. James describes spending three weeks in Chemnitz (Czechoslovakia): getting a haircut from Greek prisoners, seeing some prisoners die from eating too much sawdust-filled bread, and helping bury German civilians who were killed by bombs. Recalling his liberation, he tells of the German guards dumping weapons into the toilet pits and fleeing. He talks about finding a hoard of potatoes, meeting a couple of Russian soldiers, and frying eggs all night. James speaks of capturing a loose horse, attaching him to a wagon, and collecting other ex-prisoners of war on his way to Dresden. After reaching American lines, he mentions asking for cigarettes first thing, getting a medical check, and being flown to Camp Lucky Strike (France). James touches on his homecoming to the States and to Fond du Lac. He reflects on receiving decent treatment from the German guards, being spit on by Frenchmen while in Paris as a prisoner, his religious faith, health problems from being a prisoner, and medical care as a veteran. James mentions joining some veterans' organizations and talking about his experiences to high school students and Boy Scouts.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 42 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 42 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 22 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/753560307 View

Garb, Joel, 1945-. Oral history interview with Joel Garb, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Joel Garb, [sound recording], 2004.

Joel Garb, who grew up in Benton Harbor, Michigan, speaks of his experience in the Army Nursing Corps in Kon Tum and Saigon during the Vietnam War. Garb recalls enlisting in the Army and the racist education given during basic training at Fort Knox (Kentucky). He describes the atheistic and compassion-based reasons that led him to enlist in the medics, train at Fort Sam Houston (Texas), and extend his time to become a practical nurse at Letterman General Hospital (California). He talks about flying to Vietnam, being struck by the heat, and his assignment to the Gladiators helicopter assault company at Kon Tum. Garb describes his duties helping with sick call, making sure the defecation got burned, handling medical emergencies, and extra work serving drinks at the officers' club. He recalls learning what rockets sound like and speaks about periodic bombings of his base. He describes treating a soldier who had been severely wounded in an explosion. Garb discusses his friendship with Pham Khue, a Vietnamese private, with whom he shared a motor scooter. He describes the mountain yard villages, their weaving, and the racism they faced. He talks about transferring to Saigon to do renal dialysis at the third field hospital and mentions that of his forty-four patients, forty-one died, many due to infection. Garb talks about usually being out of uniform, teamwork in the Army Nursing Corps, avoiding drinking the water outside the base, and listening to "Come Together" by John Lennon on the rooftops at sunrise. He talks about an issued Smith & Wesson that he never used. He highlights his friendship with Vietnamese colonel Pham Van Lieu, who at that time was advisor to the 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. He tells of a finding a lieutenant colonel crying after a mortar attack destroyed a hangar and several helicopters, and Garb declares he had more respect for non-commissioned officers than for commissioned. He states Vietnam had a positive influence on his life. Garb mentions flying into Fort Dix (New Jersey), reveals he did not talk much about his experiences after the war, and details why he did not join the VFW.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 78 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 78 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 27 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/539239861 View

Williams, William B., 1943-. Oral history interview with William B. Williams, [sound recording], 2005.

Title: Oral history interview with William B. Williams, [sound recording], 2005.

Will Williams, born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi discusses his experiences as an African-American Army infantryman in the Vietnam War. He enlisted in the Army to get out of Mississippi and says this was the only option for Blacks to escape the rural area. Williams states that he has two brothers who served in the military in Korea and one who served during peacetime. He attended basic training at Fort Jackson (South Carolina) in July 1962. Williams recalls that he viewed the breaking down and rebuilding of character the Army put him through as acts of hate, but later realized that was par for the course. He also attended AIT at Fort Jackson. Williams recounts that his first assignment was with the 54th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division from 1963 to 1965. He did not like what was going on in the United States at the time and, in 1965, he re-enlisted at Fort Hamilton (New York) for another six years. He says that he was not even aware that the Vietnam War was going on and he was assigned to Hawaii where he engaged in jungle warfare training with the 25th Infantry Division; already on alert. Williams remembers that he did not get the impression that they were going to Vietnam until they were eight days out to sea. They landed in Vung Tau and Williams thought it was beautiful. He says that the hot weather did not bother him because he was used to it from living in Mississippi. Williams reports that he went to Bien Hoa via convoy and was there at a staging area for about two weeks where they ran mock patrols at the 173rd Airborne Unit's base camp. He was trained on M-1 rifles, but was given M-14s for warfare. Williams recalls senior men telling him, "War is hell," and that he should not trust anyone different than yourself. He reports that he was then convoyed to Cu Chi and experienced some sniper fire when they got close to Cu Chi. When they set up base camp for the 25th, they had to clear rubber plantations and build bunkers. Williams explains that they came under sniper fire while building because Cu Chi was built directly above tunnels and they did not realize this until they had been there for about seven months. He states that at first they had no "tunnel rats" to scope out the tunnels. From this base camp, Williams recounts that he went on search and destroy operations where they would go into villages looking for Viet Cong and assumed any young man was Viet Cong and took them prisoner. He explains that the prisoners were tortured, causing them to give interrogators information that may have been false, and sometimes even killed. Williams states that this bothered him because it created false intelligence that was acted on. He illustrates how landing zones operated by telling a story of how he jumped from a Huey early one time and had to catch up to an alternate zone about 1,000 meters away because the helicopter was under fire. The first big battle Williams tells of was in "Hobo Woods," an area in Boi Loi, where many of his own artillery unit were killed and there were friendly casualties. He became an E5 team leader then a squad leader with the 27th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Wolfhounds." Williams was then sent to Saigon and worked Tent City B security. He illustrates racial tension by telling a story of a sergeant calling him a "nigger" because he refused to send a detail for beautification of an area. Williams explains that he "went ballistic" and was court-martialed not for fighting with the first sergeant, but for disobeying a direct order. He wrote to Senator Robert Kennedy and was transferred a few weeks later. Williams says he felt bad for leaving his squad because some men had volunteered to come with him. He recalls a young man who looked up to him dying shortly after he left and explains feeling responsible for it. Williams characterizes officers as some good and some bad and discusses a story of Lieutenant Duffy listening to his concerns and feeling it was a positive experience. He also recounts a story of a young man from his hometown being killed on the tarmac at Tan San Nhut and remembers the incident turning his feelings against the military because of the circumstances surrounding it. Williams tells a story of a whole squad being killed except for a sergeant who was captured. He reveals that at first he did not see the Vietnamese as people, but a objects, then started to see similarities between the prejudices against "niggers" and "gooks." Williams examines his feeling about the war after the Pentagon Papers were released. He states that he started to find out more and believes that the government was not being truthful with the public about what was going on, however he blames the public for not holding the government accountable. He reveals that he thinks the United States was duped into going to Iraq just as they were with Vietnam. In 1967, Williams was so disturbed by the protests going on in the United States that he re-enlisted and was sent to Fort Davis, a missile base in Panama. He was there for eleven months and then started a second tour in Vietnam. He went as a replacement and says he was uncomfortable because he did not know anyone in the unit. Williams worked with the MPs and was a driver for the first sergeant while they ran convoys from Cam Rahn to Nah Trang. He illustrates more racial tension by discussing fighting between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. After seven months, he was granted emergency leave because his wife became ill. Williams says he was attached to Fort Carson, Colorado and was granted a hardship discharge after meeting with Chief of Staff General Westmoreland and President Nixon. He was discharged in March 1970. Williams then worked in the mines in Climax, Colorado and lived with his family in a motel in Leadville. He analyzes his experiences in Vietnam as events that made him a better person. Williams states, "So it made me see people as people all over the world, to realize that my life is no more important than life in Afghanistan or Iraq, and that what we are missing I think in this country as a whole is the ability of people to understand different cultures are different, but they are human--that they bleed--they breathe as we do." He is a member of Veterans for Peace, Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans of America. Williams discusses PTSD and declares that he believes soldiers currently returning from active duty need help from family, local people and everybody else.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 65 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 65 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 29 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/539216361 View

Stubbe, Ray W., 1938-,. Oral history interview with Ray S. Stubbe, [sound recording], 2005-2006.

Title: Oral history interview with Ray S. Stubbe, [sound recording], 2005-2006.

Stubbe (b.1938), a Wauwatosa (Wisconsin) native, discusses his service as a Navy Chaplain during the Vietnam War with the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, 26th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. Stubbe recalls enlisting in the Navy Reserves before his senior year of high school and attending a two-week boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center (Illinois). After graduating high school, he was assigned to active duty on the USS Noa, where he served on the deck force for two years before attending Yeoman "A" School at Bainbridge (Maryland) and becoming a Yeoman Third Class. In 1958, Stubbe left active duty to attend St. Olaf College (Minnesota) but continued to serve in the Reserves. Stubbe graduated in 1962 with a degree in Philosophy and then attended Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, graduating in 1965. While at the seminary, Stubbe describes attending Navy Chaplains School, which he calls "boot camp for ministers," in Newport (Rhode Island). Following the seminary, Stubbe went to the University of Chicago Theological School to get a Ph.D. in Ethics and Society; however, he left after one year because the Navy needed chaplains in Vietnam. Stubbe reveals seeing photos of POWs in "Life" [magazine] inspired him to join the war. He mentions his classmates did not support his decision to go to Vietnam, and he discusses his Lutheran faith and his study of the philosophy of war. Stubbe describes in detail Chaplains School in Camp Pendleton (California) where he was assigned to a Marine regiment. Contrary to custom, he chose to participate in infiltration courses and night exercises in order to understand what the Marines went through. Stubbe suggests this compromised his chances for promotion in the Chaplain Corps. In June 1967, Stubbe was stationed in Khe Sanh (Vietnam) with the 3rd Marine Battalion, 26th Regiment. He analyzes at length his relationship to the enlisted men; while he tried to be their friend, Stubbe avoided carousing with them. He calls being Chaplain a "lonely position." Stubbe explains he supported conscientious objectors because a Marine unprepared to fire on the enemy was a danger to the unit. Stubbe comments that the Department of Defense required the Chaplain to determine whether a conscientious objector had authentic, religious grounds for objecting. Stubbe tells a detailed story about Jonathan Nathaniel Spicer, a minister's son who objected and was later killed transporting wounded soldiers. Stubbe describes taking supply helicopters each morning to the Marine outposts on the hills around Khe Sahn to lead worship services. Stubbe thoroughly describes his time with a Special Forces Unit (a group of pro-American Vietnamese training with the U.S. Army) camped in Lang Vei near the Laotian border. This camp had been overrun in April 1967 during the Battle of the Hills when North Vietnamese spies infiltrated the camp, killing two commanding officers. As a result, when Stubbe visited the base, fences separated the Vietnamese allies from the American troops. Stubbe discusses strategic tensions between the Army Special Forces and Marines that caused problems during the Battle of the Hills. He also describes going on a Marine patrol, which was unusual for a Chaplain. He depicts military life and lists common medical problems, such as: dehydration, cuts from bamboo, leeches, constant dampness, and "immersion foot." Stubbe praises the natural beauty of Vietnam and provides some geological history about Khe Sanh and the D'Ai Lao Pass. Stubbe also describes the Bru, an indigenous mountain people who were ethnically distinct from the Vietnamese and loyal to the U.S. Stubbe spends most of his time speaking about the Siege of Khe Sanh which began in January, 1968. He covers the commanders' overall strategy as well as the effects of the siege on individual Marines. Stubbe also analyzes battle tactics of the North Vietnamese. Stubbe states that during the Siege of Khe Sanh, known as Operation Scotland, his unit of 4,500 Marines took 2,500 casualties. The official death report was 205 Marines, but Stubbe estimates 475 were actually killed. He offers explanations for the discrepancy: the Marine Corps did not count Army deaths or wounded Marines who died after being evacuated from battle. During the siege, Stubbe was not allowed to hold regular church services, so he developed a ten-minute sermon with communion that he performed from bunker to bunker. He portrays the young troops as joking and displaying a "gallows humor" to keep up morale. Stubbe contends that men "did strange things in battle." For example, a Marine risked his life to get a jar of maraschino cherries from the mess hall, which he gave Stubbe as a present. He also refers to a famous photograph [taken by Dick Swanson] of Stubbe giving services to Marines, in which everyone had unsafely removed their helmets. Stubbe describes activities and life during the Siege: often the Marines did not have enough rations or water; they had no showers; and they wore their uniforms until they "rotted out." After Khe Sanh, Stubbe was stationed in Quang Tri (Vietnam) for four months where he performed memorial services for fallen soldiers. In 1969, Stubbe went home on a thirty-day furlough. He reports his mother was shocked because he had lost a lot of weight and was talking and thrashing in his sleep. Stubbe's bishop at home asked him how he could "spend his time with such immoral people" (i.e. the Marines). Stubbe was reassigned to the USS Shreveport in 1970. He reports spending a couple years in Norfolk (Virginia) where he trained with some Navy SEALs, eventually going to Jump School in Fort Benning (Georgia). Stubbe mentions he was transferred to Okinawa (Japan) in 1973, where he met Oliver North on the Marine Corps Birthday. Stubbe states that North was very personable and beloved by his men; years later, North interviewed Stubbe for his TV program, "War Stories." After Okinawa, Stubbe spent six years at Great Lakes Naval Base (Illinois). He states he began to write about Khe Sanh more often, and in the 1980s, around the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, he began having nightmares. Stubbe explains he attended a Stress Unit (group therapy) to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Stubbe spent three to four months as an inpatient on the Stress Unit at Great Lakes, then had about six months remaining before he could retire from the Navy. Stubbe describes himself as a "basket case" and explains that he took leave to visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., which brought back painful memories and caused him to check into the Stress Unit again. Stubbe comments it was considered unusual for a Chaplain to be in the Stress Unit. While there, he formulated two goals: to form a group for Khe Sanh veterans and to publish his writings about Khe Sanh. Stubbe did reunite with forty Khe Sanh Veterans at a memorial parade in New York City and later at a reunion of the 3rd Marine Division Association in Florida. In 1988, Stubbe incorporated the Khe Sanh Veterans Association, Inc. in Wisconsin. Stubbe discusses at length the publishing history of his book [Valley of Decision] about Khe Sanh. It wasn't publicized well by Houghton Mifflin Press but was eventually reprinted by the Naval Institute Press as a paperback. Stubbe also mentions self-publishing a book called "The Final Formation" that lists casualties of Khe Sanh and the position of their names on the Vietnam Memorial. Stubbe explains how he collected 100,000 pages of suggestions, memoirs, poems, letters, etc. about the Khe Sanh Siege from veterans and their families. With this information, Stubbe self-published a book detailing the Siege day-by-day and providing background information on individual Marines. Finally, Stubbe spends much of the interview discussing people. He characterizes Colonel David Edward Lownds, the commander at Khe Sanh, as unassuming and soft-spoken and praises his sense of humor and ability to make tough decisions. Stubbe also repeatedly mentions Harper Bohr and Col. James Bascom Wilkinson. He spends much time de-scribing Major Mirza Baig, a Pakistani-American who served as the Target Intelligent Officer at Khe Sanh. Stubbe characterizes Baig as a "genius" who singlehandedly figured out how to read a top-secret electric sensor defense system. Stubbe also frequently mentions Eugene Poilane, a French botanist who founded a coffee and fruit plantation in Khe Sanh. According to Stubbe, Poilane imported Vietnamese workers because they were considered better workers than the Bru. Stubbe met Eugene's son, Felix Poilane, who was born and died in Khe Sanh. Stubbe corresponded with Felix's wife Madeleine for several years after the Vietnam War. Stubbe mentions other civilians living in Khe Sahn, including: Pastor Loc, an Episcopalian Vietnamese missionary, and Father Poncet, a Catholic priest who rode a motorbike. Stubbe speaks at length about John and Carolyn Miller who were Wycliffe Bible translators in Khe Sanh. These missionaries lived with indigenous groups who had no written languages, trying to transcribe their languages and translate the Bible. Stubbe was impressed by the Millers because they "listened before speaking;" they studied the Bru language before preaching. Stubbe reports the Millers left Vietnam in 1964, but John Miller returned to rescue his Vietnamese translator. Stubbe touches upon the progression of the anti-war movement and drug use which affected soldiers who served later in the war. He characterizes Vietnam as "multifaceted" and says each veteran had a different experience, although he generalizes that "all Vietnam vets seem to have this thing about guilt."

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 9 sound cassettes (ca. 539 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 9 sound cassettes (ca. 539 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 105 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/316875143 View

Drummond, Robert, 1947-. Oral history interview with Robert Drummond, [sound recording], 2006.

Title: Oral history interview with Robert Drummond, [sound recording], 2006.

Robert Drummond, a Chicago, Illinois native, discusses his Vietnam War service with the 264th Transportation Company. Drummond discusses dropping out of high school, his motivations for enlisting in the Army, and the reactions of his family and friends. Sent to basic training at Fort Polk (Louisiana), he mentions disliking the snakes and states bulls and cows were allowed to wander camp. He speaks of being sent to pole climbing school for a week before being reassigned as a stevedore in the newly-formed 264th Transportation Company at Fort Eustis (Virginia). Drummond describes flying overseas on a C-130 and arriving in Cam Ranh Bay (Vietnam). At Cam Ranh, he discusses the routine of loading and unloading ships out on the water, military life, an unloading mishap, and the types of cargo he handled. Drummond states, "It wasn't like a part of Vietnam, you know. It was just like being here in the stateside." He describes participating in Operation Oregon: setting up an ammunition dump on the beach at Duc Pho, standing watches in his camp, and hearing battleship artillery rounds pass overhead. Drummond touches on seeing his wife while on R&R in Hawaii and trading with a Republic of Korea Marine for a carbine. Drummond details the ammo dump catching fire, running for safety, and losing all his possessions in the fire. He states, "Some of the guys didn't even have clothes with them because they had been down there swimming in the ocean." After starting to set up a new base, Drummond recalls someone scrounging for ammo in the old base site causing another explosion by accidentally triggering some dead rounds. He tells of another, similar loss of possessions after an airplane accidentally dropped a bomb near the loading area. Drummond explains that the only object to survive in the whole company area was a prayer book from his footlocker, which he later donated to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. He touches on his homecoming, having a furlough, and assignment to a maintenance battalion at Fort Riley (Kansas), where he was in charge of the pallbearers and did military funerals all over the state of Kansas. Drummond states the hardest duty he had while in service was presenting flags to the next-of-kin of deceased soldiers. Sent next to a maintenance company in Karlsruhe (Germany), he describes duty operating a rough terrain forklift. He comments on the tendency not to talk about experiences in Vietnam. After being discharged, Drummond states he was no longer satisfied to work in a factory, so he got a job with United Airlines at O'Hare Field loading and unloading planes while using the GI Bill to go to engineering school at night. He discusses his activities with VFW Post 1318, including being on the Madison Area Firing Squad for military funerals.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 47 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 47 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 28 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757936351 View

Finnerty, Patrick O. 1947- ,. Oral history interview with Patrick O. Finnerty [sound recording], 2003.

Title: Oral history interview with Patrick O. Finnerty [sound recording], 2003.

Finnerty, a Middleton, Wisconsin resident, discusses his experiences as a Navy corpsman, attached to the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Division, in the Vietnam War and his experiences upon returning home. He tells of seeing news about the war every night, his graduation from Sheboygan High School, attendance at a technical school in Sheboygan, and losing his student deferment due to poor grades. Finnerty enlisted in the Navy after he received his draft notice. He attended training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station (Illinois) for about thirteen weeks and claims, "the day that we all got our head shaved was the most equalizing day I've ever experienced in my life, because all of a sudden everybody was on the same playing field and all the guys, they all looked alike." Finnerty says that his training consisted mostly of tying knots, ship board duties, swimming, using his uniform (with pieces intended to be emergency life preservers), and standing guard with a rifle. He recalls that hospital corpsman school took about twenty-two weeks and that his first assignment was to the USS Vulcan in Norfolk (Virginia). He then attended hospital corpsman field training at Camp Lejune (North Carolina), where he learned how to use a 45-caliber weapon instead of a rifle. Finnerty states that he was then stationed on the USS Sanctuary, a hospital ship off the coast of Vietnam near Da Nang, where he would broadcast news every night brought to him via teletype. He describes boredom on the ship at other times and watching helicopters come in and out and visiting with injured soldiers. Finnerty then states that he was assigned to the 5th Marine headquarters in Da Nang and was sent to "The Tomb." He was assigned to a platoon and participated in patrols looking for North Vietnamese with help from the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam). Finnerty remembers searching villages and talking to people who seemed nice, but then would attack at night. He says that booby traps were the biggest concern and most of these were box mines made out of gun powder. Finnerty explains that a major concern was legs and feet being injured. He spent two years in the same platoon as a medic. Finnerty says that they returned to base camp about every three weeks and he remembers experiencing a divide between races. He describes officers as competent and well-trained, but reluctant to get close to conflicts. Finnerty discusses the composition of the platoon, the weapons they carried, (including LAU rockets), ammunition, and air support from the Marines, Navy and South Vietnamese. He goes into detail about day and night patrols, the number of medics available, and what it was like walking through rice paddies. He mentions immersion foot and leeches, dirty clothes, and eating mostly c-rations. Finnerty remembers being able to trade c-rations with the Vietnamese for liquor while at base camp. At one point he suffered from stomach problems and was sent back to the USS Sanctuary where he enjoyed some R & R. Finnerty describes the areas his company was responsible for patrolling, "The Bridge," "The Road," and "The Outpost." The squads would engage in "Snoop and Poop" south of Da Nang, watching for North Vietnamese planting mines. Finnerty explains that he could have gone home in November of 1969, but volunteered to stay longer because of a lack of corpsmen. While describing his feeling on the war he states, "I was doing something to stop the threat of Communism, and that turned out to be a big joke. I found out that the whole war was unnecessary..." He was later offered a promotion to stay on and turned it down, returning to California. He shortly returned to Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on the GI Bill. Finnerty remembers that he had several negative experiences with people having poor impressions of him because he participated in the Vietnam War. These people included veterans from the Racine and Middleton, Wisconsin VFW posts. He was able to join the Middleton post in the early 1990's without being hassled.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 70 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 70 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 29 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/85363003 View

Curry, Robert, 1952-. Oral history interview with Robert Curry, [sound recording], 2006.

Title: Oral history interview with Robert Curry, [sound recording], 2006.

Robert "Bob" Curry, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, discusses his service in the Vietnam War doing aerial surveillance for the Army with the 131st Aviation Company and the 225th Aviation Company. Curry grew up in a blue collar neighborhood in Milwaukee and attended Milwaukee Lutheran High School. In 1969, He transferred to Washington High in order to graduate in December and enlist in the Army Reserves. Curry remarks he was inspired by recruitment posters of Huey helicopters and "an aura...in my neighborhood of Mom, God, and apple pie" that convinced him it was his duty to join. Curry briefly covers his basic training at Fort Polk (Louisiana), observing he never knew the South got cold. Next, he outlines helicopter school at Fort Walters (Texas). Curry tells how he was transferred in the middle of the night and sent to Fort Huachuca (Arizona), a military intelligence base, to learn to fly the OV-1 Mohawk, a stealth airplane. Curry spends much time describing the Mohawk, which "looked like a caterpillar" and used Slide Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) and infrared technology for intelligence work and visual surveillance. Curry comments it was unusual that he was assigned as a Mohawk co-pilot because he was an 18-year-old E-5 enlisted man. Curry vividly describes the shock of arriving at Bien Hoa (Vietnam) in 1970, noting veteran soldiers ignored the "f-ing new guys." He was sent to the main base at Phu Bai to work with the 131st Aviation Company, I Corps. Curry describes frequent, unpredictable night attacks on the Army base, and he criticizes the Army's weapons policies: soldiers were not allowed to carry M-16s with them on base. In the event of an attack, they had to wait in line to be issued a weapon. Curry suggests this policy was created because of racial tensions and drug use among the troops. He also reports that disputes over funding between the Air Force and Army resulted in all weaponry being removed from the Mohawk airplanes, so the Mohawks were always escorted by fighter planes. Curry touches briefly on racial tensions, stating his unit never had a problem but others did. He discusses drug use in depth, considering marijuana and alcohol use widespread by 1971, and stating that harder drugs were used more in some companies than others. Curry describes a typical mission. His role was to develop film canisters in the cockpit, creating topical maps to track movements on the ground. He details the various cameras on the Mohawk. When Curry was not performing surveillance, his missions involved transporting munitions to North Vietnam. Curry recalls frequent missions over the Gulf of Tonkin between Vinh and Hanoi. He also flew some missions for the 101st Aviation Company near Chu Lai and Da Nang, looking for specific logistical information. After four months in Phu Bai, Curry took R&R at China Beach (Vietnam) and was transferred to a base in Udorn (Thailand) for Mission Steel Tiger. Curry contrasts the poor living conditions in Phu Bai with the nicer facilities in Udorn, and he praises the Thai military. Curry mentions he flew missions over Laos with the 7th Air Force during the Lam Son invasion in 1971. He explains his mission with the 7th Air Force was to look for Vietnamese trucks and traffic patterns, leading fighter planes to fire directly on the enemy. Curry would land at bases on the Plain of Jars and Long Chieng, the Hmong base in northern Laos. Curry spends much time relating the history of the Hmong, explaining how the CIA trained them to fight in Laos, and praising them for their support and protection of U.S. troops. He mentions meeting General Vang Pao, a Hmong resistance leader, and getting to know Hmong people at Long Chieng. Curry comments that Nixon officially denied the U.S. presence in Laos. Most of his missions were at night along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, doing intelligence and supporting Hmong guerrilla forces on the ground. Curry emphasizes that protecting the Hmong made him feel he had a purpose in a war that he had previously been conflicted about. Curry mentions working with Bill Lair, a CIA operative in the Secret War in Laos, and General Richard Secord, who handled Air Operations in Laos and later became part of the Iran-Contra scandal. Curry remarks Secord had "brilliant" but strange tactics, blowing up the toilet paper supply for the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and pouring detergent on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to make it slippery. Curry also praises General Harry C. Aderholt for understanding how to get what was needed from the government. Curry muses that he was an "eighteen-year old punk" briefing generals on intelligence information. In contrast to his work in Laos, Curry characterizes the attitude of soldiers in Vietnam as "protect your own ass," adding that "your own military was damn near trying to kill you through stupidity." Curry tells an emotional combat story in which, on a clandestine mission, his airplane was hit and the pilot was killed. Curry ejected them both from the plane, but he landed between a Hmong firebase and invading NVA. He thanks the Hmong soldiers, especially Colonel Xay Dang, for saving his life. For years, Curry felt guilty about this incident, both for not having done more for the Hmong and for the death of the pilot. He regrets that he could not talk with the pilot's family because the operation was classified. Curry displays great affection for the Hmong and expresses frustration at racial tensions in Wisconsin. When Hmong refugees were relocated to the U.S., Curry was saddened that many veterans confused the Hmong with the Vietnamese. Curry also blames the U.S. government for leaving the Hmong to "a slaughter that was totally unnecessary and uncalled for" when they pulled out of Vietnam. In 1971, Curry finished his tour of duty in Vietnam. Curry speaks with bitterness about his homecoming. He had to fly one last mission over Saigon, and he was certain he would die on the mission. He describes his arrival at Fort Lewis (Washington) at night; military police strip-searched everyone, looking for drugs. Curry comments it was like basic training all over again. He says he never wanted "a pat on the back," but he did not expect such hostility. Curry describes being greeted at the Seattle Airport by angry protestors who chanted "baby killers!" and threw eggs and chicken blood at the veterans. Curry ran into the airport and changed into civilian clothes in the bathroom, throwing his uniform in the trash. Soon after arriving home, Curry describes having a flashback while at the mall and being angry at civilians who were not interested in Vietnam and Laos. After the war, Curry married June, his fiancee, and studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He admits he hid his service from his classmates and stopped listing his veteran status on his resume after being turned down for several jobs. During the Persian Gulf War, Curry began having flashbacks and drinking heavily. He explains his family intervened with the help of veteran Joe Campbell, and he was treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the VA Hospital in Milwaukee. Curry mentions relapsing after September 11, 2001 but states positively that the nation's support for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans "gave [Vietnam Veterans] our respect back." Curry says he is no longer afraid to show his Vietnam badges in public and that strangers have approached him to thank him for his service. As a younger man, Curry states he was against veterans organizations; however, around 2001, Joe Campbell convinced him to join the Vietnam Veterans Association in Milwaukee, where Curry was reunited with Colonel Xay Dang. He discusses how renewing friendships with veterans and writing his book "Whispering Death: Our Journey with the Hmong in the Secret War for Laos" helped him release some of his anger and fight PTSD. Finally, Curry compares the politics of the Vietnam War with the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, and he opines on the military service of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and John Kerry. Curry mentions he has been active with Hmong groups in Wisconsin and is currently trying to build a library in Laos, which he considers a small way of "making it right."

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 3 sound cassettes (ca. 127 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 3 sound cassettes (ca. 127 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 51 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/426492438 View

Bradley, Doug, 1947-. Oral history interview with Doug Bradley, [sound recording], 2005.

Title: Oral history interview with Doug Bradley, [sound recording], 2005.

Doug Bradley, a Madison, Wisconsin resident, discusses his service as a reporter in the Information Office ("IO") of the Army during the Vietnam War.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 45 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 45 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 22 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/539213467 View

Miller, Kenneth L., 1934-,. Oral history interview with Kenneth Miller, [sound recording], 2003.

Title: Oral history interview with Kenneth Miller, [sound recording], 2003.

Kenneth "Ken" Miller (b. 1934), a Middleton (Wisconsin) native, discusses his service during the Vietnam War as an engineer on the USS Hissem and as a member of the Naval Advisory Group, part of the MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam). Miller grew up in Mount Horeb (Wisconsin) and joined the Navy in 1953, shortly after high school graduation. Miller explains that after boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center (Illinois), he was assigned to the USS Peterson in Key West (Florida) where he became an apprentice diesel engineer. He mentions going to Havana and Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Scotland, and Portugal with the USS Peterson. Miller recalls that in 1956 he was reassigned to the Fleet Reserve Facility in Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (Pennsylvania) where they repaired and guarded defunct "mothballed" ships including the USS Tennessee and USS California, that had been sunk in Pearl Harbor. He tells a ghost story about a young sailor convinced he heard a piano playing on one of the mothballed ships. Miller's next duty was as a refrigeration man on the USS Keppler; however, in 1959 he was transferred to the USS Hissem, a destroyer radar ship based in Newport (Rhode Island). By this time, Miller was the Leading Engineering Petty Officer in charge of the engine room. He tells several stories about engine failures and how he helped fix them. Miller describes Operation Deep Freeze in detail. During 1963 and 1964, the USS Hissem acted as a weather ship for scientists on Antarctic expeditions. Miller tells a funny and ribald story about scientists in the Antarctic Circle leaving beer at various points on Campbell Island for the sailors to find while on tours. He also recalls the ship doctor performing an onboard appendectomy on a New Zealander. Miller mentions that after Operation Deep Freeze, the USS Hissem made a world cruise, which he implies was finagled by the Captain. They began in Australia and New Zealand, where Miller describes eating mutton with some New Zealand civilians. Miller visited Tasmania, Australia, Singapore, Bombay (India), Aden (Yemen), the Suez Canal, Greece, Rome (Italy), Cannes (France), and Barcelona (Spain). Miller mentions visiting the Vatican and the Coliseum; seeing part of the Cannes film festival; attending bullfights in Barcelona; and catching glimpses of nude sunbathers on the beach. In 1965, Miller states that the USS Hissem was deployed to Vietnam. He describes engine failure in the Panama Canal and encounters with Panamanian hippies on the way there. In Vietnam, Miller reports his ship was part of Operation Market Time and Operation Game Warden. He explains that the ship patrolled the coast from Cam Ranh to Da Nang (Vietnam), inspecting Vietnamese boats for contraband. He states humorously that the Navy provided no training for the inspection teams. Miller also points out that the inspection teams would ask for the identity papers of the people on the boats, but since the sailors could not read Vietnamese, they never knew if the papers were authentic. He reveals that the inspectors were mostly looking for weapons, but recalls an incident in which a Vietnamese boat tried to outrun the USS Hissem. The sailors pursued this boat all the way to Hong Kong where they discovered the boat was full of marijuana. Miller discusses various types of American weapons as well as the differences between boats. He compares the American Swift boat and the Patrol Boat River (PBR) on with sampans and junks, which were Vietnamese boats. Miller clarifies that Operation Market Time involved dragging the river for drowned pilots; they "found two parachutes, but no bodies." Miller mentions that most of the boats they inspected during Operation Game Warden belonged to fisherman and ordinary people. He describes encountering refugee boats full of women and children. Miller characterizes the plight of the refugees as "terrible to see." Miller touches upon visiting Bangkok (Thailand), Formosa (Taiwan), and the Philippines for rest and relaxation. In 1966, the USS Hissem returned from its tour in Vietnam. Miller tells a story of sharing a hotel room in Los Angeles (California) with an African-American sailor who was concerned that they would not be allowed in the hotel because of segregation. Miller reportedly said: "If they don't let us have a room, there's gonna be all kinds of hell to pay." Miller states they were not bothered at the hotel, adding that the sailor took home the Bible. Miller asserts that there were no racial tensions between sailors. He mentions that the USS Hissem had the first African-American Limited Duty Officer, who eventually became a Lieutenant Commander. Miller says he learned most of what he knows about engineering from this officer. Miller criticizes younger sailors in Vietnam for using derogatory language and ethnic slurs towards the Vietnamese. He contends that when they were replaced with older, experienced sailors like himself, relations between the Americans and Vietnamese improved. Miller touches upon drug use among young sailors and a lieutenant; unfortunately, part of this story is missing from the tape. In 1971, Miller underwent SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, and Escape) training at Camp Pendleton (California) before redeploying to Vietnam. Miller explains that this was part of the Vietnamization program. He also took Vietnam language classes; however, it was difficult for him to master Vietnamese because of the many different dialects. Miller describes in detail the SERE training which simulated prisoner of war conditions. According to Miller, he had to forage for food, resist water-boarding, and spend eighteen hours in a metal box. When he returned to Vietnam, Miller was part of an MACV Naval Advisory Group in Binh Thuy, teaching the South Vietnamese how to repair boat engines. Miller states that when he arrived the engines had a 50% failure rate, which was reduced to five-tenths of a percent by the time he left. He describes taking boats out to test them on the river but states he never went on strikes and did not see much combat. Miller discusses relations between the V.N. and the U.S. sailors; he mentions attending many social events like funerals, weddings, and New Years. He adds that sailors often went drinking in Binh Thuy and stayed overnight. He touches upon religion, portraying the Vietnamese as superstitious. Miller states that the Navy learned not to force V.N.s to go on a patrol if they said Buddha didn't want them to go. Miller attributes the positive relations between the Navy and the Vietnamese civilians to the fact that his ship had regular collections to support the Vietnamese orphanage in Binh Thuy. He mentions briefly that the "dust kids" (children of mixed white and Vietnamese heritage) were treated badly by the orphanage staff. Miller goes on to describe cultural differences between the Americans and Vietnamese, stating that Vietnamese sailors held hands to show friendship and shared beds on cold nights, which upset some homophobic American sailors. He also comments that Vietnamese people were fascinated by Americans with hairy arms. Next, Miller discusses entertainment. The Navy had regular movie nights and invited V.N.s and civilians who either entered the base or watched from boats on the Mekong River. Miller briefly mentions seeing drummer Buddy Rich, pool player Willie Mosconi, and entertainer Phyllis George on shore-leave or in USO shows. Miller tells a story about V.N.s putting a smoke bomb in the ladies' dressing room before a "floor show," causing the women to run out of the dressing room naked. Miller's interview is full of humorous, often bawdy anecdotes, including: the overreaction of a V.N. ensign whose radio was stolen; several stories about officers neglecting their duty or showing cowardice; and a burial at sea where a breeze caught the ashes and blew them back onboard, covering the sailors' white uniforms while the widow looked on aghast. Miller reports he retired in 1973 and settled in Colora (Maryland). He belongs to the VFW, the American Legion, and the Fleet Reserve Association. He states he went to Washington D.C. for the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 94 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 94 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 42 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/317721195 View

Tracey, James A.,. Oral history interview with James A. Tracey [sound recording], 2003.

Title: Oral history interview with James A. Tracey [sound recording], 2003.

James Tracy, a Madison, Wis. veteran, discusses his Vietnam War service as a truck driver and welder with the 25th Infantry Division.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 24 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/85365384 View

Marxen, Duane W., 1942-. Oral history interview with Duane W. Marxen, [sound recording], 2005.

Title: Oral history interview with Duane W. Marxen, [sound recording], 2005.

Marxen, a Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan native, discusses his service in the U.S. Army in Germany and stateside during the Vietnam War. Marxen mentions his childhood, working for several years at Beloit Tool Corporation, and being drafted soon after getting divorced. He speaks of basic training at Fort Campbell (Kentucky), advanced infantry training at Fort Polk (Louisiana), and the restrictions on his service due to being a Canadian citizen. Marxen tells of being held at base while most of those he trained with were sent to Vietnam and describes his interactions with returning Vietnam veterans. Assigned to Germany for Exercise Reforger One, he discusses his combat gear and going on maneuvers near the Czechoslovakian border. Marxen states he spent nineteen months at Fort Riley (Kansas), first as a recoilless rifleman in a jeep and later as a clerk/typist for headquarters. He touches on driving officers and occasionally being given a hard time about having easy duty. Marxen details being a guard at ex-president Dwight D. Eisenhower's funeral: being selected and bussed to Abilene (Kansas), seeing many soldiers faint from standing at attention so long in the heat, and seeing Richard Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower pass by. Marxen talks about returning to Wisconsin, using the GI Bill to attend college, and being unable to join the Peace Corps as a Canadian citizen. He states he recently became a United States citizen so that he can vote.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 24 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 24 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 13 p.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757932826 View

Kurtz, James A., 1940-. Oral history interview with James A. Kurtz [sound recording], 2002.

Title: Oral history interview with James A. Kurtz [sound recording], 2002.

Kurtz, an Appleton, Wis. native, discusses his experiences as an officer during the Vietnam War with the 18th Infantry Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division. He talks about participation in ROTC at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve, and attending platoon leader training at Fort Benning (Georgia). Kurtz describes Fort Benning including training facilities, social issues in the south, and decision to serve in Vietnam. He describes the trip to Vietnam; bomber activity at Guam which lead to the feeling of going into a war zone; and his first impression of Vietnam talking about the heat, smells, and humidity. He comments on his orientation in Vietnam, learning to identify combat veterans, and the Army promotion system. He characterizes his base camp as constantly under enemy fire and describes its tents, sleeping accommodations, and mess hall. Kurtz relates providing security for an Engineering Unit and his first experience with combat. He reflects on the psychology of combat, Viet Cong tactics, and the vulnerability of officers to enemy fire. Kurtz was transferred to battalion staff as an adjutant and talks about his duties including the time when his helicopter was shot down. He provides a sketch of officer and enlisted relations, the political nature of the South Vietnamese Army, and the different types of wildlife soldiers had to contend with. He recalls several incidents when people in his unit were killed, seeing the Bob Hope USO show, and investigating senior NCOs. Kurtz details the relationship between the Army and the Vietnamese people talking about how almost anyone could shoot at the soldiers, relocating entire villages, and buying and relocating graveyards. He touches upon Agent Orange use, "Arc Light" flights, serving on a court martial, military life, and return to the United States. Kurtz describes the abrupt transition to civilian life, beginnings of anti-war sentiment in Madison (Wisconsin), shutting out his experience "like it never happened," and feelings of futility when Saigon fell. He talks about joining the Veterans of Foreign Wars, returning to Vietnam on a veteran's tour, and the healing effects of that visit.

ArchivalResource: Transcript: 48 p.Military Papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57146797 View

Van Dyke, David ., 1945- ,. Oral history interview with David Van Dyke [sound recording], 2003.

Title: Oral history interview with David Van Dyke [sound recording], 2003.

Van Dyke, a Coronado (California) native, discusses his U.S. Air Force service during the Vietnam War. Van Dyke discusses his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base (San Antonio, Texas), and officer training school in Valdosta (Georgia) before service in Vietnam in late 1969. Van Dyke mentions his survival skills training at various U.S. Air Force bases before his attachment to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Laikay) at Ben Wa (Vietnam) in October 1969. He details various ordnance aspects of his daily flight missions as a FAC (Forward Air Controller) in OB-10 and T-37 aircraft as a lieutenant. Van Dyke talks about the ambiance of rustic living and being the "second guy" in combat in Cambodia, May 1970, while assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Tienyen, Vietnam). He elaborates on his combat impressions of "blowing up a lot of trees and monkeys" and having to fly after a long night of drinking at a USO show in Vietnam. He concludes with his impressions of distrusting the Vietnamese people and other fliers' "unsafe acts" causing their deaths while on assignment.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording ; 2 sound cassette (ca. 75 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 29 p.Master sound recording ; 1 sound cassette (ca. 75 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/214079363 View

Fuller, Robert C., 1942-. Oral history interview with Robert C. Fuller, [sound recording], 2004.

Title: Oral history interview with Robert C. Fuller, [sound recording], 2004.

Robert "Bob" Fuller, a resident of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, discusses his service as a radio operator with the 9th Marine Corps in Okinawa (Japan) between 1961 and 1964, during the Cold War and just before the Vietnam War.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassettes (ca. 40 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassettes (ca. 40 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 18 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/556177237 View

Woodward, Randall H., 1947-. Oral history interview with Randall H. Woodward, [sound recording], 2006.

Title: Oral history interview with Randall H. Woodward, [sound recording], 2006.

Randy Woodward, born in Columbus, Wisconsin, discusses his Army service in the Vietnam War as a track driver with the 4th Infantry Division. He explains that he graduated from Madison Area Technical College with a degree in auto mechanics and received his draft notice three days after his eighteenth birthday. He spent two years in the Army and served in Vietnam from August 1968 until July 1969. Woodward remembers that he attended basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and AIT at Fort Ord, California for three months. He states that he trained with M14s and M16s and later with M79s, M60s and 50-caliber weapons. Woodward says that his father served in a tank unit in World War II under General Patton. He reveals that his brother was a draft dodger who spent some time in Canada. Woodward was sent to Gray Army Airfield, near Fort Hood, Texas for special training in heliborne infantry. He explains that he received training in infantry, helicopters, rappelling and survival. Woodward also received riot training and was placed on standby for the riots in Detroit. He recalls that in 1968 he flew to Pleiku, Vietnam on a military cargo plane and that his father was proud of him, but his mother was afraid. Woodward talks about his unit building their own barracks and serving mainly as a support unit. They would go out in Huey tanks with four or five riflemen, set up a perimeter and sweep an area, or go in for help. Woodward explains that after three months he was transferred to a mechanized armored company and was disappointed at first because he missed his friends, but quickly adjusted. He reports that he was a track driver for armored personnel carriers (APCs), where they performed a lot of security duty on Highway 1. Woodward speaks to the differences in living conditions between the barracks and in the field. He explains that they had to take "Australian Showers." He also recalls that they did not have much contact with Vietnamese civilians. Woodward tells a story of being ambushed with RPGs and losing about half his company. He explains how the RPGs destroyed the tracks and illustrates finding a burnt torso. Woodward says that he found going out on ambush patrol nerve-wracking, "I can remember one time when we went out, it was so dark that you couldn't see the person in front of you, you had to hang on to them and I was the last man and I don't know if we were being followed or if it was a tiger or something, but I could keep hearing things, you know, behind me." He reports seeing Montagnards once in awhile. Woodward says that NCOs were well-trained and knowledgeable. He says some lieutenants came in and wanted to push their authority. He says they were told very little about their missions. One thing that stands out in Woodward's memory is the weather. He describes monsoons and the dry season being very hot and tells of passing out from the heat. Woodward talks about being reprimanded for writing to his mother about the living conditions and her writing to Senator Hasselmeyer regarding hot food and clean clothing. He discusses being pulled from the field to go home when his time was up and hating to leave the people, but being glad to go home. He says that he tried to stay in contact with others, but they seemed uninterested. Woodward flew home on a chartered civilian craft to Fort Lewis, Washington and was instructed to wear civilian clothes if he left base because of war protesters. He states that he never has any contact with the protesters and that his brother's draft dodger status never caused any problems between them. Woodward explains that Vietnam was a good experience for him and played a positive role in his maturing and outlook on life. He believes that everyone should serve two years in the military and says he regrets not staying in the military or joining the National Guard. Woodward talks about his visit to the Vietnam War Memorial as being a moving experience.

ArchivalResource: Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 26 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/539208524 View