Wartime Military Experiences,
1992
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleWartime Military Experiences,
1992
Project No.
ohrc081
Interviews
12 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This project consists of interviews with war veterans.
Interviewees discuss their war and military experiences. World War I through
the Vietnam War are covered in this project. The interviews include discussions
of military food, shelter, weapons, and travel.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains twelve interviews conducted in August of 1992. The interviews range from nineteen to seventy-one
minutes. All interviews consist of audio tapes but are not transcibed.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Arnold, Edward
August,
1992
Call Number
92-021
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 27 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Edward Arnold, born July 30, 1933, discusses his experience in
the navy during the Korean War through 1956. He served on the
USS
Princeton
and the
USS Orka. He discusses
ship life, accidental deaths, and racial discrimination. He also discusses the
end of the war.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Navy
-
-
Occupation Names
- engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Hong Kong
- Korea
- Philippines
-
-
Subjects
- accidental deaths
- African American sailors
- Communism
- Korean War
- racial discrimination
- ship life
- shore patrol
-
USS Orka
-
USS Princeton
Interviewee
Cooper, Marion
August,
1992
Call Number
92-023
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 20 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Marion Cooper, born November 24, 1921, describes his experiences
in the military during World War II. Cooper discusses racial discrimination,
military life, and the barracks.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Navy
-
-
Place Names
- New Guinea
- Philippines
-
-
Subjects
- barracks
- military draft
- military food
- military life
- Pacific Theater
- racial discrimination
- ship life
- V-J Day
- World War II
Interviewee
Evans, Maurice
August,
1992
Call Number
92-022
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 71 minutes;
newspaper articles about interviewee
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Maurice W. Evans, born January 24, 1894, discusses his
experience as an African American in the army during World War I. He discusses
basic training, travel to France, and his duties while in France as a member of
a supply company. He also discusses military life, barracks, food and
homecoming. He discusses racial discrimination in the army that he witnessed
and experienced.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- 308th Supply Company
- American Red Cross
- Showers Brothers Furniture Company
- United States Army
-
-
Occupation Names
- barber
- minister
-
-
Personal Names
- Blair, Jim
- Keener, Edgar
- Wilson, Woodrow
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- France
- New Port News, Virginia
- Paoli, Indiana
- Spencer, Indiana
- St. Nazaire, France
-
-
Subjects
- 1918 Armistice
- African-American soldiers
- barracks
- basic training
- military food
- military life
- military supplies
- prisoners of war
- racial discrimination
- ship life
-
USS George
Washington
- veterans
- World War I
Interviewee
First, Chester
August,
1992
Call Number
92-029
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 22 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Chester First, born 1916, discusses his experiences in the army
during World War II. He describes his most memorable experiences, military
food, shelter, and combat.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Army
-
-
Occupation Names
- engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Germany
-
-
Subjects
- bivouac
- combat
- military training
- postwar employment
- war souvenirs
- wartime casualties
- World War II
Interviewee
Hurt, Richard
August,
1992
Call Number
92-019
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 25 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Richard Hurt, born March 8, 1933, discusses his experiences in
the military during the Korean War. He explains why he joined the service and
his voyage to Korea. He also discusses combat, military life, and racial
discrimination.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Korea
-
-
Subjects
- African-American soldiers
- combat
- infantry
- Korean War
- military food
- military training
- racial discrimination
- ship life
Interviewee
Interland, Greg
August,
1992
Call Number
92-028
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 25 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Greg Interland discusses his experience as a soldier in Vietnam.
He discusses combat, food, and housing of war. He also describes the North
Vietnamese and Viet Cong. He describes discrimination against African-American
troops and the negative public response to all the soldiers that fought in
Vietnam.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Army Reserves
-
-
Occupation Names
- engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Cambodia
- Fort Dix, New Jersey
- Fort Waynewright, Alaska
- Mekong, Vietnam
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Tokyo, Japan
-
-
Subjects
- bivouac
- C-rations
- combat
- drug use
- military food
- military integration
- military training
- military uniforms
- North Vietnamese
- prisoners of war
- racial discrimination
- service medals
- support troops
- Tet Offensive
- Viet Cong
- Vietnam War
- Vietnam War protests
- wartime casualties
- weapons
Interviewee
Jackson, Joseph
August,
1992
Call Number
92-025
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 37 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Joseph Jackson, born December 2, 1917, discusses being in the
United States Navy during World War II. He describes the
USS York,
training, his work, and his illnesses.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Navy
-
-
Place Names
- Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
- Tuskegee, Alabama
-
-
Subjects
- African-American troops
- military training
- ship life
- supply company
-
USS New York
- war souvenirs
- weapons
- World War II
Interviewee
Lascall, Carl
August,
1992
92-026
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 19 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for the Study of History and
Memory for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Carl Lascall, born October 3, 1919, discusses serving in the
96th Special Battalion of the United States Army during World War II. He
discusses the work that he did, his travels with the military and the living
conditions. He talks about the lack of celebration at his return after the war,
and he also talks about his career as a truck driver.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Navy
- United States Navy SeaBees
-
-
Occupation Names
- stevedore
- truck driver
-
-
Subjects
- 96th Special Battalion
- homecoming
- military training
- military travels
- stevedoring
- World War II
Interviewee
Miller, Wilbert
August,
1992
Call Number
92-027
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 34 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Wilbert Miller, born 1911, discusses his experience in the
military during World War II. He discusses the training of African-American
troops in San Antonio, Texas. He describes racial segregation and
discrimination that he and others experienced. He also discusses his medical
discharge and his return to Bloomington, Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University
- United Service Organization
- West Side Community Center
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- San Antonio, Texas
-
-
Subjects
- 2nd Cavalry Division
- 92nd Infantry Unit
- African-American community
- African-American troops
- Ku Klux Klan
- medical discharge
- military draft
- military training
- physical education
- racial discrimination
- racial segregation
- racism
- railroad
- recreation
- World War II
Interviewee
Taylor, Joseph
August, 1992
Call Number
92-020
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 31 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Joseph Taylor, born March 2, 1922 describes being drafted into
the military during World War II. He explains his job as a military cook on the
battlefront. He discusses being in Normandy on D-Day and his experience when
his outfit was captured by enemy troops and he was not. He also describes
seeing many German soldiers surrender to become prisoners of war. The
interviewee then discusses returning to the United States.
-
Keywords
-
-
Occupation Names
- cook
- farmer
- truck driver
-
-
Place Names
- Belgium
- Germany
-
-
Subjects
- African-American troops
- battlefront
- combat
- D-Day
- German troops
- military draft
- military food
- military training
- prisoners of war
- war souvenirs
- World War II
Interviewee
Towers, Willie
August,
1992
Call Number
92-024
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 48 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Scope and Content Note
Willie Towers, born 1933, describes his experiences in the army
from 1953-1955, while he was stationed in Korea. He discusses military daily
life and his responsibilities as a tank driver and gunner. He also discusses
being drafted at the same time that the military was integrating the troops. He
discusses racial discrimination he experienced in basic training and when he
requested a promotion.
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Army
-
-
Occupation Names
- gunner
- tank driver
-
-
Place Names
- Chicago, Illinois
- Korea
-
-
Subjects
- 8th Bomber Division
- Korean War
- military draft
- military food
- military integration
- military life
- military rank
- North Koreans
- postwar life
- racial discrimination
- racial segregation
- ship life
- weapons
Interviewee
Wisneski, Richard
August,
1992
Call Number
92-030
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape 1 7/8 ips, 35 minutes
Interviewer
Welch, Ted
Access Status
Restricted: Contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
Richard Wisneski, born 1934, discusses his experience in the
United States Marine Corps. He discusses training, the Korean War, and being
stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. Wisneski also describes military food,
recreation, combat, weapons, and housing.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- United States Marine Corps
-
-
Place Names
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Korea
-
-
Subjects
- bivouac
- C-rations
- combat
- military food
- military life
- military supplies
- military training
- prisoners of war
- racial discrimination
- recreation
- war souvenirs
- weapons
