>>> THE UP COMING PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTJX, ITS BOARD, STAFF OR UNDER WRITERS.

>>> GOOD DAY, AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF ABLE TO RAISE.

I HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS THE BACKGROUND OF HAVING SERVED IN TWO BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY.

IN THE BRANCH OF THE ARMY AND NAVY.

HIS NAME IS NORMAN NIELSEN AND I THINK HE HAS A LOT TO SHARE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, HOW ARE YOU?

>> PRETTY GOOD, HOW ARE YOU.

>> GOOD, HOW ARE YOU?

YOU HAVE A VETERAN TWO TIME OVER.

I CAN TELL YOU THE BEST YOU CAN.

HOW DO YOU ENCA PSULATE TOO MANY IN THOSE YEARS.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, PLEASE.

>> I HAVE BEEN BORN AND RAISED IN ST. CROIX, AND THEN, I DID NOT LEAVE THE ISLAND UNTIL LEFT AND WENT TO WORK AND FROM THERE, I WENT TO PUERTO RICO.

HE TOLD ME IF I WENT TO NAVY.

THEY SENT ME TO SCHOOL, AND WHEN I GOT OUT OF SCHOOL, I WILL BE ABLE TO BE MY OWN ELECTRICIAN.

>> HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU JOINED THE NAVY?

>> 18.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?

>> I WAS PUT ON THE SHIP AND WORKED ON THE ENGINE ROOM.

AND AFTER I WAS IN THE ENGINE ROOM.

MAYBE A YEAR.

THEY FOLD MY I COULD GET ELECTRICIAN AGAIN.

THAT TIME, I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE AN EXAM FOR A ROW MOTION.

SO I SAID NO.

AND I WILL NOT DO THAT.

I TOOK THE EXAMPLE, PASSED AND I JUST STAYED THERE.

>> WHAT YEAR WAS THIS WHEN YOU WERE IN NATIVE SNI WAS THERE CONFLICT IN THE TIME?

THERE´S IN ´55, THE DAY, IN KOREA, THERE WAS STILL THINGS GOING ON.

SO HOW LONG WERE YOU IN THE NAVY?

>> FOUR YEARS.

AND AFTER THAT, WHAT HAPPENED?

>>LY WELL, I KWOT OUT OF THE NAVY AND VOLUNTEER -- >> I WANTED TO GO TO RHEA AND SEE ACTION.

>> UH, HUH, AND OKAY.

AND ON THE FRONT, FRONTAGE NOT THE ENERGY RIVER, NOT KOREA.

IT´S THE WAY IT WAS, IN THE RECENT OUTFIT.

>> HOW LONG WERE YOU IN THE ARMY?

THREE YEARS.

>> OKAY.

>> AND DID YOU SEE ACTION IN KOREA?

WELL, WHEN I WAS UPDATING IN THE ARMY, AND HE, I WAS IN A WEEKEND SQUADRON, AND WE HAD A SECTOR, IN THE DEMILITARYIZED ZONE TO PATROL AND PROTECT.

WE HAD TO GO AND PATROL AND STAKE OUT AND SOMETIMES, AT THAT TYPE, IT WAS ONE AND IT WAS SEPARATED.

THE DEMARKATION LINE, AND WHERE I WAS STILL THERE, AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD GET BROKEN.

I WOULD PATROL AND WE END UP IN THE, AND THEY SHOOT AT US AND WE SHOOT BACK AT THEM.

WE COULD NOT SEE THEM.

WE JUST HEARD THE GUNS FIRING.

AND DIDN´T KNOW THE DIRECTION IT WAS COMING FROM.

BUT WE SHOOT BACK AT THEM, AND IT WAS REALLY AT.

>> THAT´S ENOUGH.

SO, IN ESSENCE, THE DEMILL -- THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE IS WHAT SEPARATED YOU.

>> YES.

>> IT´S 4,000 METERS WIDE.

AND LIKE I SAID, AT THAT TIME, I DON´T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW.

BUT THAT TIME, IT´S ONE STRING OF WIRE AND THE DeMARRE INDICATION LINE.

>> AND IT SEPARATES -- >> TELL US ABOUT, WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN SAINT KROY, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP IN SAINT CROIX?

>> ST. PETERS.

IF YOU ARE GOING EAST, AFTER A, BEFORE YOU GET TO THE SCHOOL.

THAT IS EAST.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE THEN?

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT LIKE GROWING UP?

WELL, WHAT IT WAS LIKE THEN.

IS WHAT DETERMINED THE -- EVERYBODY IS REAL, NOBODY HAD.

AND THEY WERE NOT PAYING NO MONEY WORKING, LIKE IN SUMMER TIME, YOU KNOW GET OUT OF SCHOOL.

AT THAT TOMB.

IT CAME FROM PUERTO RICO, AND THEY SAID, THEN IT WAS TAKEN TO WAREHOUSES.

AND IT´S WAREHOUSES, DISTRIBUTED TO THE LITTLE GROCERY STORES.

WELL, IF YOU HAVE A JOB THERE, AND LOADING THE BOAT AND LOADING THE TRUCKS.

IT´S LIKE 30 CENTS AN HOUR.

>> WOW.

>> AND THEN, THAT WAS ABOUT IT.

I HAD TO WORK LIKE HELL THOUGH.

>> I BELIEVE IT.

>> SO WHAT KIND OF WORK, LET´S SAY, WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS DO?

HOW DO THEY, WELL, MY FATHER WAS A PAINTER.

HE DIED IN 12, 13, 14, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.

SORRY.

>> MY MOTHER, AND SHE STARTED BAKING BREAD TO SELL.

SO, BEFORE I GO TO SCHOOL.

THEY HAD TO SELL BREAD.

AND WHENEVER ANY BREAD LEFT BACK.

HE HAD TO SELL IT IN THE AFTERNOON, AFTER YOU COME OUT OF SCHOOL.

>> WOW.

>>.

>> SO WHEN DID SCHOOL START?

WHAT TIME OF THE DAY DID IT START?

>> I THINK IT WAS AETS:00 IN THE MORNING.

>> SO YOU WERE OUT WORKING BEFORE 8:00.

>> YES.

>> WOW.

>> AND THEN, DID YOU HAVE ANY TIME TO DO HOME WORK OR DID YOU HAVE TO DO MUCH HOME WORK GROWING UP?

>> I DID, AND DIDN´T REALLY HAVE A WHOLE LEFT, I CAN REMEMBER.

SO HOW DID YOU GET AROUND, HOW DID PEEL GET AROUND ON THE ISLAND, WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

>> WALK.

>> WALKS.

>> YOU WERE FIT.

WELL, ONE THING, AT THIS TIME.

THE ELECTRICITY BY THE TALK THERE, CAN THEY GET -- >> RIGHT.

>> IT´S AS FAR AS IT WENT EAST.

SO, WE LIVED LIKE LEFT, AND -- OKAY.

>> OKAY.

>> SO, I GUESS FOR YOU A CHANGE, AS A YOUNG MAN, WOULD HAVE MEANT, YOU KNOW, LEAVING AND GETTING ADVENTURE AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO DO AS A YOUNG MAN?

YOU KNOW.

WERE YOU EXCITED TO JOIN THE NATIVE OR WERE YOU HAVING DOUBTS?

WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE AT 18?

>> I WAS WORKING AS AN ELECTRICIAN HELPER.

WHEN I STARTED WORKING HERE IS WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING THE GUARDIAN SCHOOL AND THE SAME COMPANY GOT A JOB AT ST. JOHN.

AND I WAS WORKING HERE.

WHEN I WENT, I GOT -- THERE WAS SKRAUGZ CAP.

AND THAT WAS WHAT WE DID.

AND THE COMPANY CAN, PAID $16 A WEEK FOR FOOD.

BUT THEY ONLY CHARGE $12 SO CAME OUT $3 A HEAD.

BEING THAT I WORK FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAN THE CONTRACTORS I, SO WE HAD A TRUCK THAT I COULD GO AND COME WHEN I WANTED TO.

AND THE OTHER GUYS THEY DECIDE TOGETHER TO GET THE TRUCK.

TO GO FROM A TO B.

SO, IT´S CHEESE AND CRACKERS AND CAFFEINE, AND THE ONE I WENT LATE FOR IT.

THEY WILL EAT AN EGG.

I START GOING LATE FOR BREAKFAST.

>> VERY SMART, YOU NEED THE PROTEIN.

WHAT KIND OF WORK WERE YOU DOING IN ST. JOHN?

>> ELECTRICAL.

>> ELECTRICIAN HELPER, YEAH, I DID PLUMBING.

THE SAME COMPANY DID PLUMBING.

>> WHAT OTHER AREAS WERE YOU STATIONED AT?

>> IN CALIFORNIA, AND WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF THOSE PLACES?

>> I DIDN´T CARE FOR IT.

IT WAS TOO.

AND I ENDED UP MARRYING A GIRL.

>> HM-MM .

>> AND SO IT WAS NOT TOO BAD.

>> SO I GOT THE SIDE, I WAS MARRIED FOR TEN YEARS BEFORE I CAME BACK TO ST. CROIX.

>> OKAY.

>> AND I WENT, CAME IN AND DID NOT LIKE IT HERE AND SHE WANTED TO MOVE BACK, AND I DIDN´T WANT TO GO BACK.

SO WE SEPARATED.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> UNDERSTANDABLE.

>> THE DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY HURRICANES OR ANY NATURAL DISASTERS WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP IN ST. CROIX?

>> NOT IN ST. CR.

IX, BUT IN THE FIRST, MY EXPERIENCE WAS IN KOREA.

>> AREALLY?

>> YEAH.

>> WAS WHEN HE WAS IN THE NAVY.

I WAS IN TUCSON.

WE HAD A SMALL BOAT THAT, A LANDING CRAFT, THAT I USED TO RUN THE BOAT.

AND THEY ARE COMING UP AND THE CHIEF TOLD ME, THEY CAN GET UP THE COAST AND FIND ONE FOR PROTECTION.

SO, I DIDN´T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

I STARTED GOING UP AND I FOLLOWED THEM AND I WENT UP AND THEY BOTH HAD A CABIN IN IT.

AND MY BOAT WAS OPEN.

>> WOW.

>> SO, WE GOT IN THE COLD THERE.

AND WE TIED UP THERE AND WE WENT TO THE BOAT.

AND HAD A SAD BREAK IN THE LINE THAT WAS TIED TO THE PIER.

>> WOW.

>> SO I HAD TO GET OUT THERE, IN THE BOAT, AND I HAD TO GO, MAYBE LIKE HALF A MILE TO GET BACK TO THE PIER.

>> WOW.

>> SO, THIS IS WHILE IT WAS BELOW.

>> YEAH.

>> MY CHIEF WAS TELLING ME I HAD TO GO BY MYSELF.

I FOUND THAT THIS KOREA, IN 50 YEARS.

WELL, I GUESS IT INVOLVES SOME COURAGE AND SKILLS.

I MEAN, HAVE YOU FAILED BEFORE?

>> YES, I USED TO RUN THE BOAT.

BUT, THAT IS WHY YOU CAN TALK TO ME NOW.

>> IT´S HARD TO KEEP ON COURSE WITH THE WIND.

>> SURE.

>> I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN IT.

YOU WERE OUT, AND YOU COULD NOT GET TO THE PIER, YOU WERE HALF A MILE FROM THE PIER, YOU SAID?

>> ABOUT THAT, WHEN THE LINE STARTED BREAKING.

HOW DO YOU?

HOW DID YOU MANAGE?

>> GOT IT TURN AROUND AND IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET BACK TO THE PIER.

>> BY POWER OR BY WIND?

DID YOU GET BECOME -- DID YOU GET BACK BY POWER OR WIND?

>> THEY GOT BACK BEFORE ME.

SO THEY HAD ME TIED UP AGAIN.

AND I WENT BACK I´M TOLD, OR I HAVE HEARD, A BIRDIE TELLS ME THAT YOU LOVE THE OCEAN.

I GUESS THAT IS WHY YOU WERE ABLE TO MANAGE UNDER A CRISIS SITUATION.

>> YEAH.

>> AND I REMEMBER, AS A BOY, THOSE OH, MAYBE 12, 13 YEARS OLD, SO, I USED TO HAVE THEM IN THE LINE.

AND I DIDN´T GET PAY, I GOT WHATEVER FISH I WANTED TO CARRY HOME.

AND THAT´S HOW MUCH I LOVE THE SEA.

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THE SEA.

>> DO YOU STILL SAIL?

OR YOU KNOW?

>> I DID HAVE A BOAT, I HAVE A BOAT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE WATER?

>> I DON´T KNOW.

JUST BEING ON IT, I GUESS.

>> I GOT 35, IT´S JUST A SCUBA DIVE.

>> OKAY, OKAY.

>> I USED TO, BOTH DIFFERENT, AND THE EAST AND THE SOUTH SIDE, AND THEN, SOMETIMES ON SUNDAYS I GOT RODGER, HE WENT TO THE BAY TO DIVE.

>> ARE YOU STILL FISHING?

>> NO.

>> OR SAILING?

>> I´M 85 NOW, I GAVE THAT UP.

BUT I´M SURE YOU GO TO THE BEACH.

>> YES, I GO EVERY MORNING.

>> ON OH, OCHBLTH GOOD, GREAT.

THAT IS FANTASTIC.

WERE YOUR PARENTS BORN IN ST. CROIX, AS YOU, BOTH PARENTS, MOTHER AND FATHER?

>> YEAH.

AND YOUR MOM WAS FLOYD AND DANISH, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> THEY WAS WENT TO SCHOOL -- SHE COULD SPEAK DANNISH.

>> DO YOU KNOW DANISH WORDS?

>> NO, SHE TOLD ME, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK A COUPLE OF TIMES.

NOTHING I COULD REMEMBER.

>> WELL, UNDERSTANDABLE.

>> AND ANOTHER THING, THE NAME NIELSEN IS A DANISH AND HOW I GOT THE NAME.

MY FATHER´S FATHER WAS MY GRANDFATHER WAS FROM CHINA.

>> HM-MM.

>> AND HE WORKED FOR A FAMILY THEY KNEW AND HE WANTED TO GET MARRIED.

BUT HE SAID HE HAD DANISH RULE WHERE HE COULD NOT GET MARRIED WITH THE CHINESE NAME.

>> SO HE TOOK THEIR NAM NIELSON, IT´S A DANISH NAME.

>> RIGHT.

INTERESTING.

>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, AND IN A WAY, HE COULD TRACE IT BACK FOR THEM.

YOU CAN FIT IN TO A TUBE AND SEND IT TO A LAB AND THEY WILL TRACE IT AND SAY, YOU HAVE RELATIVES HERE AND THERE, AND YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF PLACES.

IT´S FASCINATING.

YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OF US WHO DO NOT HAVE MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF WHO OUR ANCESTORS ARE, IT´S A METHOD.

>> THE POPULATION OF CHINA, I DOUBT, EVERY TIME I TRACK DOWN THE FAMILY.

>> TRACK THEM DOWN, HUH?

>> DON´T KNOW WHAT PART OF THE NATION.

>> UNDERSTANDABLE.

I GOTTCHA, MR. NIELSON, WHAT IS IT ABOUT SAINT CROIX THAT YOU LIKE.

THAT YOU LOVE.

WAS IT FROM KENTUCKY.

OR CALIFORNIA?

>> YES, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

>> WHEN WAS THAT?

>> 1960.

>> OH, OKAY.

>> ´70.

>> 1970.

>> SO, BY THEN, WERE YOU STILL IN THE MILITARY OR WERE YOU OUT?

>> NO, NO, I WAS -- >> OKAY.

SO WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN YOU RETURNED?

WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU DID WHEN YOU RETURNED?

TO SAINT CROIX?

>> FIRST THING?

>> YES.

>> I CAN´T REMEMBER THE FIRST THING.

WHERE I LIVED.

I HAD THE TIME.

I BORROWED THE MONEY, AND BUILT MY HOUSE.

WHEN I FIRST CAME BACK.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU WOULD ADVISE YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO MILITARY SERVICE.

WHAT ARE SOME WORDS OF WISDOM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO IMPART TO OUR AUDIENCE.

>> THERE´S RULES AND KEEP YOURSELF STRAIGHT AND DON´T GET ANY TROUBLE.

COURT MARTIAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WHEN I GOT OUT, I WAS A SERGEANT SO THE MAIN THING IS KEEP YOURSELF GOOD.

>> WERE YOU A SERGEANT?

>> YES.

>> OH, YOU WENT WITH UP THE RANKS, THAT´S A GOOD THING.

WERE YOU IN CHARGE OF ANY GROUP?

>> IT´S BASIC TRAINING.

TRAINING THE TRAINEES.

YOU HAD FOUR PLATOONS IN THE COMPANY.

I HAD ONE PLATOON.

AND EVERY MORNING, I HAVE TO GIVE NEM EXERCISE.

AND I EXERCISE WITH THEM.

SO ONE TIME, I ASKED ONE OF THE SERGEANTS, HOW COME NONE OF YOU ARE GOING TO EXERCISE IN THE LINE?

>> HE SAID, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE YOUNGEST.

>> WHICH I WAS THE YOUNGEST.

HOW MANY SOLDIERS WERE IN YOUR PLATOON?

>> I CAN´T REMEMBER.

>> WAS IT A LOT?

>> SAY MORE THAN 20?

>> IF IT WAS, IT WAS NOT MUCH MORE.

>> OKAY.

>>> WELL, MR. NIELSON, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD DISTINGUISH, I DON´T KNOW IF I HAVE ASKED YOU THIS QUESTION BEFORE, HOW WAS THE ARMY DIFFERENT FROM THE NAVY?

I´M ASSUMING THAT YOU WORKED TO SOME EXTENT, MAYBE YOU DIDN´T.

THIS IS BEFORE PRESIDENT TRUMAN SIGNED THE NONDESEGRAGATION.

THERE WAS A TIME THAT THE BLACK TROOPS WERE SEPARATE FROM THE NONBLACK TROOPS.

AND I BELIEVE IT WAS PRESIDENT TRUMAN THAT SIGNED THE DESEGRAGATION ORDER, I THINK ´54, I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THE YEAR?

>> THEY DIDN´T HAVE IT WHEN I WAS THERE.

>> THERE WAS NO SEGREGATED TROOPS WHEN YOU WERE THERE?

>> NO.

NOPE.

>> OKAY.

THAT´S AN ENCOURAING NOTE.

YOU WERE THERE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BETTER TREND?

>> YEAH.

>> NOT THAT IT´S FREE OF DISCRIMINATION AND HEAVY BIAS.

THAT IS AN ENCOURAGING NOTE TO HEAR.

ENCOURAGING NOTE TO HEAR.

>> GO AHEAD.

YEAH, IF THERE´S ANYBODY AROUND ME AT THE TIME THAT FELT, RACIAL, THEY KEPT IT TO THEMSELVES.

THEY NEVER BROUGHT IT TO ME.

>> GOOD.

WELL, ON THAT ENCOURAGING NOTE, MR. NIELSON, I WOULD LIKE YOU FOR TAKING TIME WITH US AND IMPARTING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND LIFE STORIES TO OUR LISTENING AUDIENCE.

I SALUTE YOU AS A VETERAN.

I´M A DAUGHTER OF VETERANS AS WELL AND SO IT´S NICE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE STRONG PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY FAMILY.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR LISTENING AUDIENCE FOR LISTENING TO THE BROADCAST, VIEWING THE BROADCAST, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING, "ABLE TO RAISE," UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, BYE-BYE.