Veterans Oral History Sites
There are many organizations striving to preserve the oral histories of veterans of America’s conflicts, such as:
The Library of Congress Veterans History Project
Collects and preserves the extraordinary wartime stories of ordinary people.
National D-Day Museum
Preserves the stories of those who fought in, supported and lived through WWII.
Utah Education Network: Veterans’ Oral History Resources
A lecture series of veterans’ remembrances that can be downloaded and listened to from the website.
The Vietnam Center and Archive Oral History Project
This project seeks to create a more complete record of the wars in Southeast Asia by preserving, through recorded interviews, the recollections and experiences of all who were involved. Anyone can participate.
Sample of submissions to the
National Memorial Day Concert
From: A Soldier and A Mother
“I was called to active duty in 2004, after having given notice of my retirement. I had mixed feelings, but knew in my heart of hearts it was time for me to leave the military. After all, a woman in her 40s, with two small kids, after having dedicated more than 20 years to military service, I felt that I had done my share. Knowing my way around a regulation, I was able to claim a past medical condition (which was indeed valid and that I suffer from to this day) to claim out. Finally, I did retire, and did not have to go to this war. Even though I was a Gulf War veteran and had served all over the world, I continue to this day to feel like a failure militarily. I had fancied myself a leader and a Soldier. I know I made the right decision for my children, but the grief runs so deep, it can stop your heart sometimes.”
“When you ask a Soldier what is the best thing about the Army, s/he always says, ‘the people.’ That is why we do what we do. I married a Soldier, all my best girlfriends have served (now moms too) and I support our mission and troops. Like I said, the people.”
From: Harriet Voorhees
Texas
“I am a third generation military brat. My grandfather and grand-uncle both served in the Civil War. My father was a Cavalry Officer and Veterinarian serving in both WWI and WWII. His was the first shipload of pack mules into Guadalcanal. My brother was a junior officer under Patton in Italy and two brothers-in-law were young officers in WWII and Korea. I am a former Captain in the Army Nurse Corp and a Vietnam era veteran. As I grew up, I knew I had to become a military nurse. I wanted to keep the family tradition alive and make the family proud of me, too. I graduated from nurses training in 1965 and joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corp immediately thereafter as Vietnam was the headline of the day. After basic training at Fort Sam I was assigned to the 30th Field Hospital at Augsburg, Germany. I was just a kid as so many of us were in the military at that time. My first assignment was taking care of young men who needed care before they could be sent back stateside. Many of them needed to be ‘recivilized’ after spending so many months ‘in the field.’ I sometimes sat night after night in isolation with some of these boys who were restrained as they relived the hell they had been through in hallucinations caused by high fevers as doctors brought some infection or other under control. I learned that you never try to shake a combat soldier awake by his shoulder. I learned about ‘battle fatigue’ and about what damage a ‘Dear John’ letter can do to a man. I never was assigned to Vietnam but saw a fair share of Vietnam casualties, among other things. We all grew up fast.”
From: Steven Ralph Bringhurst
Virginia
“I am Steven Ralph Bringhurst, US Air Force Retired. I served three tours overseas mainly in Afghanistan supporting the 66th Combat Search and Rescue Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV. Thanks to the phone cards, internet access, and care packages, my assignments were very positive and they became one of the best experiences of my career. I felt everyone's faith and prayers while I was away and knew I was being protected during long aircraft flights, living in tents, and working near the airport. I felt especially honored to work in one of the best combat search and rescue squadrons in the world! We saved many many pilots, wounded civilians, and sometimes fellow airmen. I was especially touched to have received a visit a few months later to our squadron from the recovered downed pilot in Iraq that we helped rescue!”
From: Tommy Phelan
New Jersey
“I enlisted at 16 and served on the USAHS Dogwood, an Army hospital ship. On the way over to Europe to pick up the wounded and dead Army Airborne and Rangers, a submarine was hiding under our ship trying to escape a British Korvette who had been depth charging it, a German Stuka dive bomber took a swing at us and left immediately. What really made me feel sad was the embarking of the wounded at night. The Corpsmen marched in a scary kind of cadence while carrying the wounded aboard the ship. When I first saw the wounded, I was shocked seeing them with parts of their body missing. What made me feel better was when we were going home and out at sea, I saw smiles on their faces. We had dances for them with the nurses who were great. Some of the guys were dancing with one leg or just one foot, or arm and the smiles on their faces gave me the greatest feeling of happiness for them. When we arrived back at home port, the bandwas playing as they walked or were carried down the gang plank and entered the ambulances. All the time waving to the crowd and smiling. God bless all of our men and women in the Armed Forces.”
From: Lehman Gaither
Oklahoma
“What was your reason for enlisting, or were you drafted?
“I was drafted. I was scared and didn't know anything about anything. I'd never been out of the state of Oklahoma. I was 19 years old.
“In which branch of the military did you serve? [Korean War]
“I was in the ARMY. I figured the ARMY was the best cuz I didn't like water, and couldn't fly airplanes. I heard in the Air Force you had to jump out of planes and that wasn't for me.
“What was basic training like?
“Basic training was 14 weeks and for 30 days and we were confined, no PX or any of that stuff. I was in Camp Roberts in the California Desert and boy was it hot. They made it so rough on us, we had to do all that walking. They said, ‘we were going to need all the training we could get’ when we got to where we were going.
“What was your military specialty (infantry, artillery, airborne, armor)?
“Walking Infantry MOS 1745. It wasn't our decision and had to do whatever we were commanded to do. We were waiting for the trucks to arrive to take us to our location and the trucks never showed up, so the commanding officer said, ‘The trucks are not here today so your on your trucks, start walking.’ The dirt would be flying and blowin and it sure felt good to get into the shower.
“When you think about your war experiences, what is the thought that first comes to mind?
“I didn't think I was ever going to come home alive. When the incoming artillery was comin at us you just felt scared. I didn't get over the fear, we all just hung together and prayed. I carried the New Testament with me in my left pocket it a little bitty one.
“What was your best experience?
The best thing was when we called for air support and the Air Force came and helped us. They'd circle the area and find a target and do their combat maneuvers. After they got through they formed a formation and then flew back south. At that point we knew the enemy wasn't going to fire at us because they'd disclose their locations and get knocked out.
“What was the worst experience?
“On a patrol one night to help set up a communication telephone, it was out on the enemy side. We went in to observe a site and after we left a medic got a call that a young guy went right where we'd been and stepped on a mine and got his leg blown off. It could have been us. After the thing was set-up, I had to walk back to my company all alone. I was hoping the whole time that I wouldn't forget the password. One of the guys came up missing and we couldn't go out and look for him because he'd have to start shooting at us. We were all worried about him and thought maybe he'd been taken captive when he didn't return same time as me. Then two days later he came in by himself.
“Then there was the time when the enemy came in and surrounded us and we ran out of shells. The division I was in 19 Infantry was on Heartbreak Ridge.
“How did you cope with the frustrations and horror of war?
“It was hard because I was bitter from the way our government treated us; we couldn't do anything about it. We were told not to shoot till we were commanded to and they'd be shooting at us and we couldn't retaliate. We'd be sitting in a foxhole or a bunker just scared to death.
“What would you most like your family and friends to understand about your war experience?
“They don't understand what I went through and they don't know how hard it was. They weren't there so how could they understand. I get cold now and it's from laying out in the snow for long periods of time. The temperature would be 40-50 degrees below, they said it was the coldest it had been in a 100 years.”
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