Anyone know any WWII, Korea, Vietnam or other Veterans?

[Guest TankerHC]

I wasnt going to ask, but said what the hey, I participate in the Veterans History Project (You can too). First Ill tell you how I got started then what you have to do and why I am looking for people.

 

I may have mentioned this previously. My wifes Company has teams go out every weekend and do charity work. Last Christmas (2012) they went to an Retirement Home and when she came home she told me she had met a WWII Veteran. This WWII Veteran used to hand out pieces of candy to people visiting the other residents, and he had a refrigerator in his room because he liked diet Pepsi and Root Beer and kept it full. But he could no longer do the Candy thing and keep his apartment size refrigerator stocked (I later learned) because he was getting $200 per month SS but they had cut him to $30 per month. He was 89 years old last Christmas. I decided I would like to meet him, those guys are disappearing and it happened the candy he liked to hand out (Mints and Butterscotch) were on sale at Walgreens 5 bags for 2 bucks so I took him some and while speaking to him thought I am listening to first hand History, I need to record this. So I asked him if he would be interested in being "Interviewed" and he was all for it.  I have sat on boards but have never really interviewed anyone and didnt know the right way to do it, so I found a list of questions to ask on the Veterans History Project, bought a digital voice recorder and went when he told me to come and did the interview. The Interview was supposed to last no more than 25 minutes, it lasted 2 hours. 25 minutes is the standard for the Veterans History Project. The man had served on an LC(FF), Landing Craft Flotilla Flagship at the Battle of Okinawa. In his room he had an old letter on the wall signed by Harry S Truman, which he is very proud of, and it was thanking him, but it doesnt say for what. I asked him what the President was thanking him for and he couldnt remember, except that it had something to do with his Navy service and that Harry Truman was a very nice man. Some of the questions were kind of awkward like the question about R&R, his response was "What R&R, we never even got shore leave, we were always landing somebody, only thing I remember about R&R is the times we weren't being shot at, that was our R&R". Then he said that one of the memories for him that made it easier was that he came up on a farm in Mississippi, so he always volunteered for the cooks because they didn't like killing the chickens, so he got extra rations and ice cream when they had it. on current events it was his opinion that we need to bring those boys home (OEF and OIF) and that although every death is a tragedy "you know what, at Okinawa we lost about 25,000 men killed or wounded in 4 days, plus we had ships sunk". He told me he remembered those Kamikazi attacks and that he thought he had shot one down, but he had seen an American pilot pull up behind one and use his propeller to cut the wing off one of the Kamikazi's and knocked him out of the air "And wondered if the Kamikazi had survived that". He said "Those Kamikazi planes werent nothing but plywood. He said the one he thought he had shot down, they had one gun, he ran to the gun when the Kamikazi was coming in and the rest of the crew took off and left him and ran down in the boat and that he was pretty PO'd there for a while because he thought that was a cowardly thing to do, they actually had to clean parts of the Kamikazi plane off the LC and one member of the crew was killed on deck during that attack. He told me about watching the bombardment pre landing and felt sorry for those boys on the other end, but they got themselves in that position, didnt see how anyone could survive that but they did. But really that was then and at the time he hated the Japanese, until 1945. After the interview I decided to find out exactly what a Flotilla Flagship was, because he didnt explain it in detail. In the process I found the WWII Landing Craft Association, and through that I made contacts because a bunch of them are still living and ON FACEBOOK! The head of the Association is the son of one of the Commanders, and the second in charge is one of the LC Commanders. I told them who I had interviewed and they sent me his records and the records of the ship. I found out that the Flotilla Flagships were formed in early 1944 and were considered a major mistake by all of the Commanders because it put all of the Flotilla Command on a single boat, and because the Japanese knew this one of their prime targets were the Flotilla Flagships, and this man who I interviewed was thanked personally by Harry S Turman because HE SHOT DOWN A KAMIKAZI and saved his ship. (And he couldnt remember why he met Harry S Truman.) He told me about his crewmembers and went through some positions but could not remember any of their names, the LC Association sent me the manifests with the names of every crewmember, when they left training, boarded their ship in Washington State, battles fought, and some other things. The reason this man told me he only hated the Japanese until 1945 was because after the war ended they were sent to Japan, he told me how the Japanese treated him so nice, like a hero, the massages he got and one lady gave him a flower in a vase. I asked him if he still had it. Yep, thats it sitting right there. (In his room). He said the war was over, they had sent his crew to Nagasaki to help clean up but it was more like a vacation, but he had never seen destruction like that before or since, and there was no reason any longer to hate the Japanese, hating people for no reason never helped anyone but while it was on thats how they got through, you wouldnt want them dead if you didnt hate them. They hated us too, otherwise they wouldnt be trying to kill us, which they did pretty good. I was doing that interview to keep for me personally, but the LC Association opened their Memorial in Texas back in August and asked for it, its now part of both the LC Memorial and the Library of Congress along with three other interviews, two WWII Vet's and one Vietnam Vet. And I had a major missed opportunity when I sat and spoke with that 11th Airborne Vet who jumped in to the Phillipines and fought and participated in landings during WWII. Almost 3 hours talking and didnt write down or record one word. 

 

So now that the long part is out of the way. First it is something anyone can do, simply Google and go to the Veterans History Project and sign up. But if someone doesnt want to do it, I would like to find Veterans who would be interested, doesnt matter which era. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War, Desert Storm, Panama, OIF, OEF, doesnt matter. Here are the details.

 

The interview can be done in person or by phone.

I stick to the list of questions unless something has to be clarified and let the Vets tell their stories.

It takes about 25 minutes, but can go MUCH longer. Just depends on how much the Veteran is willing to talk about.

It is digitally recorded, then turned into a written (typed) transcript, then sent off to the Library of Congress.

 

I like doing this, and Il tell you why, because I get something personal out of it, listening to History by the people who made it or helped make it. 

 

Ill start doing it again around January 15th. But can do it any time a Veteran is willing. If you are one of these Vets, and willing to tell your story, message me and we will set it up. 

 

Thanks

 

J

 

EDIT: BTW, if you participated in the WWII Memorial Registration, this is not the same thing. That is part of the Battle Monuments Commission, which I also participate in. This is a Congressionally Mandated program that requires the Library of Congress to organize these interviews and oral Histories. And they do. It's part of their American Folklore Department. 

Edited December 30, 2013 by TankerHC

[ArmyBrat61]

My Dad is a Korea and Vietnam vet.....he won't talk about it....I have tried through the years to find out what he did during his service....he always changes the subject so I respect his wishes and have stopped asking.

[daddyo]

My dad participated in this several years ago by video interview. He was a P-47 pilot in the Pacific Theatre.

[Joseg]

You'd be surprise how many veterans will not talk about it or just want to hear about the younger guys experience before they even talk about theirs. I know several Vietnam veterans that would spend more time with the new generation guys.. But yes definitely need to get their stories on paper or tape, before we loose out on these great Warriors.. 

[vr1967]

Tanker,

 

 1st, miss your input on MSGO.

 

 In the last 2 years, I put my father in law in touch with several members of his company in Vietnam (A/5/12 199th LIB 69-70) They are planning on a get together at the reunion in New Orleans in June, and have offered to let me interview them to an extent, make copies of any and all of their pictures (wife has a hand held scanner) etc etc. I'm looking forward to it.

 

A few years ago, I interviewed on camcorder my German grandfather. He was in Panzerjager Abteilung (mot) 33, 15th Panzer Division, Afrika Korps. he got shot thru the ankle 27 Nov 1941 which put him out of the war.

[homeagain]

My wife's family is rich with vets and we're very proud of them.  Her grandfather was a Ranger in WWII (Bronze Star-V, Purple Heart) who lost his leg in Italy.  Her dad and uncle were Viet Nam (dad Air Force, and uncle MACV SOG), her cousin just retired from the 3rd SF as a Team Daddy on a SFOD-A.  Most didn't/don't really want to talk details of their service, but surprisingly the uncle (Viet Vet) does.  He says that it helps him get over the horrors he witnessed.  Just need to make sure my daughter doesn't get any of the 'unfiltered' uncle time when we're around.  Content is not kid friendly for sure.  But really great to know that he can talk about the camaraderie he shared as well as the pain he experienced.

[Dennis1209]

That's a great project.

 

We currently have two WW II veterans (IMHO the greatest generation) in our gun club. They are thinning out at an alarming rate and soon their stories and experiences will be told no more in person.

 

A few days prior to last Veterans Day the wife and I were at Walmart and just checked out, we had a cart crammed full of groceries. Pushing the cart I noticed an old gentleman sitting on one of those courtesy benches they have in front of the check out aisles and wearing a black WW II Veteran's baseball hat. Naturally I had to stop and shake his hand and thank him for his service and a conversation developed when I asked where he served. To make a long story short, I lost track of time and was immensely interested in his service and the wife was agitated as the frozen / refrigerated stuff was melting and she's not the appreciative type that takes everything for granted.

 

I despise people who think freedom is free and they have a natural right to it and need to educate my spouse about the facts of life. What's a few groceries when you have the opportunity to hear first hand in person something very meaningful and special?

Edited December 30, 2013 by Dennis1209

[Dustbuster]

That is awesome, I'll check the site and help. I've listened to older vets tell their stories pre my service time and it always made me appreciate all I have and then some. Thanks for sharing that !!!!


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