Michael Williams details his time in the United States Navy. In particular, Williams discusses his upbringing, his decision to join the Navy, his transition into basic training, and his combat experiences. He also discusses reintergation into cilvilan life and shares his advice for people who are getting ready to retire from the service.
Shannon Memminger discusses his career in the United States Army. In particular, Memminger comments on his choice to enlist, and his experiences and observations within the confines of race, gender and culture. He also shares his thoughts on the military industral complex and how the military has become more like a business.
Keith Dinsmore discusses his time in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. In particular, he comments on his being drafted, his time in basic training, and the politics of war.
Christopher Rechtin details his time in the United States Army and his return to civilian life. In particular, Rechtin comments on his choice to enlist, his time during basic training, and his feelings before deployment. He also shares his experiences during his deployment to Iraq, and comments on how the war changed him. He also discusses his easy…
Jason David details his time in the United States Air Force. In particular, David comments on his time in basic training, and the differences in service during the pre and post 9/11 eras. He also discusses the difficulties of staying in touch with family before technology innovations of the mid-2000s.
Seth Vaught discusses his time in the United States Marine Corps. In particular, Vaught comments on his reasons for enlisting, his position as a nuclear instructor, and his experiences while being stationed in Japan.
Tim Anderson discusses his time in the United States Army, and his life afterwards. In particular, Anderson comments on basic training and being deployed to Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. He also discusses his education after the Army, his path to becoming a teacher, teaching high school, and his use of military styled classes.
Dan Edwards discusses his time in the United States Air Force. In particular, he comments on his time during basic training, his deployment during the Vietnam War, and the racism he witnessed during his service. He also details the skills he picked up that help him perform well under pressure, and, explains his reluctancy to join groups like the…
Dan Gros recounts his time in the United States Army. In particular, Gros comments on his experiences during basic training, his deployment to Somalia, and his role as a Sergeant. He also discusses the good and bad that came from his service and the comforts of home that he missed most.
Brandon Self recounts his time in the Marine Corps. In particular, Self details his reasons for enlisting in the Marines, his service in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, the brotherhood that is attached to serving, and he shares his reflections on his time in the service.
Dylan Adams discusses his time in the United States Coast Guard. In particular, Adams comments on his training, the involved travel, and his assignments in both Iowa and Maryland.
Timothy Gruber details his time in the United States Army. In particular, Gruber comments on his deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, being injured and awarded a Purple Heart, as well as coming home and dealing with PTSD. He also comments on being honorably discharged because on the complications he experienced with PTSD.
In this video interview, James B. Vires discusses his time in the United States Marine Corps. In particular, Vires comments on basic training, his deployment to the Middle East, and encountering Sadaam Husein's torture chambers in Abu Ghraib Prison. He also explains his feelings of being lost after discharge, details the benefits of spending more…
In this interview, Guillermo Loaiza discusses why he joined and memories from Bootcamp. He also discusses the bases he has been to, the habits he picked up while serving, and his medical discharge and reintegration into civilian life. Loaiza wraps up his interview with comments on how medical treatments and military life impacts the family. He…
This interview covers Ken Dryer's reasons for joining the military, his experiences as a soldier at home and while deployed, and his response to several different areas of his time in the Army. Dryer moved a lot as a child but knew at an early age that he wanted to serve his country and add his name to a family history of soldiers. During his…
Josh Alexander shares details on his time in the military. He provides motivations for joining the United States Army, the training he received, and his early experiences in the Army before proceeding into his experiences from being deployed to the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Interview topics also include reintegration after his…
Christopher Martin Hickey discusses influences in his life and his reasons for choosing the military for his career. Hickey also comments on his multiple deployments and how he saw it affect the people around him. The interview ended with him considering the VTS 200 class’ question of if there should be a mandatory military or at least a National…
Penny Bowling-Messer served in the Army, from 1992-1998, first as a medic and later as an oral technician. Bowling-Messer describes her experience in the US Army, including the good times she had and the memories and friends made.
Joe Bowman comments on his experiences in basic training and his deployment to Midway Island, where he repaired airplanes. Bowman also talks about his placement in Texas and Germany. In Germany, Mr. Bowman’s mission was transportation for high ranking officials and plane repair. He also talked about how the men would “play” battlefield for…
In this interview, Harold Broughton discusses his service in the Kentucky Army National Guard, beginning with his initial enlistment in 2002. He talks about the experiences he had while in basic training as well as job training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. We also covered the different experiences he had throughout his service including several…
This interview provides a first hand account of the pre-service and military service record of Staff Sergeant Howard Denham. Denham explains his role in the Korean War as well as his general worldview and outlook on topics beyond the war. He also talks about the impacts the service had on him.
Deborah Mills discusses her time in the military. Mills comments on her favorite aspects of military life, the exercises she participated in, and her interactions with male service members. She shares a story about a fight that she got into with another soldier while on the phone with her mother and the disciplinary actions she received as a result…
In this interview, Carol Trainer details her life before joining the Air Force and her subsequent time in the military. Trainer shares details on her "normal" childhood and how a John F. Kennedy quote motivated her to join the military to prevent war. She comments on her time in bootcamp, the procedures that occurred after she got off the plane,…
