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 32 interviews.
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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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Timothy John Sweeten Interview, October 13, 2020
Timothy John Sweeten
In this interview, Tim Sweeten talks about being born in Butte, Montana, and joining the Montana Army National Guard in 2000. He discusses his basic training, which took place in Fort Benning, Georgia. Sweeten speaks about his first deployment to Bosnia and how he wasn’t ... Read More
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Wayne Lee Scrivner Interview, November 7, 2020
Wayne Lee Scrivner
In the interview, Wayne Scrivner talks about being born and raised in Winchester, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1988 and served until 2002. Scrivner’s basic training took place at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Scrivner did special training at Redstone Arsenal in ... 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
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William Praast Interview, April 17, 2021
William Praast
In this interview, William Praast recalls being from Ovanda, Montana. He attended college in Evanston, Illinois, which he left in 1956 to join the military. Praast achieved the rank of specialist fourth class. His service was in Korea, but after the Korean War. After leaving ... Read More
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William Ryan Thibeault Interview, March 20, 2020
William Ryan Thibeault
William Thibeault describes his experiences serving in the United States Army. He talks about how he wanted to join the military since he was a young boy, and how he was inspired by the book, Band of Brothers, and its emphasis on camaraderie among soldiers. ... Read More