This collection of interviews details the lives and experiences of U.S. military veterans. The interviews were conducted during the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters by students in the HSTA 150: The Veteran’s Experience course at Missoula College under the supervision of instructor Elizabeth Barrs. The HSTA 150 course and oral history project were made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The interviewees discuss their motivation for joining the military, their training and combat experiences, and their transition to civilian life following their term of service. The original interviews are held as Oral History collection OH 472 at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection includes 11 interviews.
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Daniel Sullivan Interview, November 24, 2019
Daniel Sullivan
Marine Corps Master Sergeant Daniel Sullivan describes his decision to join the Marine Corps, where he served 21 years, playing clarinet and other instruments in Marine Corps bands. Sullivan talks about auditioning to become a member of the band, the role of the band to ... Read More
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Harold G. Davis Interview, November 23, 2019
Harold G. Davis
Harold G. Davis details his experience in the U.S. Air Force starting with basic training at Lackland Air Force Base on January 8, 1954. Davis describes his time in active military duty in Eastern Asia the South Pacific, which included training runs in Okinawa, Japan, ... Read More
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James D. Holmes Interview, September 2019
James D. Holmes
James D. Holmes describes serving in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955. He talks about why he joined the Navy, what basic training was like, and how his company was split between three groups of men from the southern United States and three groups ... Read More
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Jay T. Nelson Interview, November 3, 2019
Jay T. Nelson
Jay Nelson describes his time as an infantryman in the United States Army during the 1980s. He discusses basic training and advanced Individual training [AIT] at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was part of an experimental COHORT unit. Nelson talks about the unit’s posting in ... Read More
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Kathleen Creel Interview, November 25, 2019
Kathleen Creel
Kathleen Creel describes serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1980 to 1993. She talks about coming from a military family, which influenced her decision to join the Marines. Creel discusses the importance of basic training as well as the necessity of commanding officers and ... Read More
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Marie Richards Interview, November 26, 2019
Marie Richards
Marie Richards describes her time in the U.S. Navy, starting with boot camp in Florida and ending with her retirement from active duty. Richards tells why she entered the military and discusses her boot camp experiences. She describes attending A School in San Diego after ... Read More
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Nathan White Bemis Interview, November 16, 2019
Nathan White Bemis
Nathan Bemis describes his time serving in the U.S. Navy from 1960 to 1964, narrowly missing deployment to Vietnam. Bemis discusses how he came to be a gunner’s mate after originally joining the Navy in order to become a Seabee. He talks about what life ... Read More
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Richard Ische Interview, November 25, 2019
Richard Ische
Richard Ische discusses his childhood on Minnesota farm and what motivated him to enlist in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He describes receiving his draft notice, reporting for boot camp in Memphis, Tennessee, then going to Moffett Field Naval Air Station, California, for a year for ... Read More
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Sidney Lee Bailey Interview, November 23, 2019
Sidney Lee Bailey
Sidney Bailey describes serving in the U.S. Armed Forces as a small engine mechanic during the 1990s. He talks about what motivated him to join the army and details his basic training at Fort Dix then further training as a mechanic. Bailey discusses serving his ... Read More
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Steven Johnson Interview, November 24, 2019
Steven Johnson
Steve Johnson describes his time serving in Europe during the Vietnam War. He talks about serving in Wiesbaden, Germany, noting that many U.S. troops were sent to Europe for 20 months during their active duty during the Vietnam War. Johnson discusses his retirement from the ... Read More
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William Fernau Interview, March 17, 2020
William Fernau
William Fernau describes being drafted into the United States Army during the 1960s, which put his college career on hold, and getting shipped to Vietnam. He talks about basic training at Fort Lewis, advanced infantry training [AIT] at Fort Polk, then being accepted to Officers ... Read More