Veterans History Project Collection

2003-2004

3.52 linear feet

Collection Number 168

Prepared by Patricia A. Threatt

CITATION: The Veterans History Project Collection, Collection No. 168, Interview with [name], Archives and Special Collections Department, Frazar Memorial Library, McNeese State University.

Archives and Special Collections Department

Frazar Memorial Library

McNeese State University

Historical Sketch

The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress began the Veterans History Project to honor the nation's war veterans for their service and to collect their stories and experiences. The project began as a result of Public Law 106-380, which calls upon the Library to collect and preserve audio- and video-taped oral histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and home movies, of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them.

The national Veterans History Project covers every major war that Americans fought in since World War I. It includes all participants in those wars--men and women, civilian and military. It documents the contributions of civilian volunteers, support staff, and war industry workers as well as the experiences of military personnel from all ranks and all branches of service.

In 2003, the Lake Charles Mayor’s Armed Forces Committee and McNeese State University joined forces to conduct videotaped interviews with local veterans. Faculty from the History Department interviewed the veterans, the Mass Communication Department recorded the interviews, and the Archives and Special Collections Department transcribed the interviews. The Library of Congress received a videotape and a transcript of each interview.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of a VHS videotape, a DVD, an audiotape, and a transcript of each veteran interview and any other documents the veteran provided. The textual material mostly consists of transcripts, biographical data, recording logs [a chronological list of subjects discussed], and any documents donated by the veteran. All materials are arranged alphabetically by veteran’s name. Each interview is 90 minutes long. The interviews document veterans' experiences in World War II, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, and Desert Storm. The veterans served in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Merchant Marine, and the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots.

Name	War	Branch of Service	Subjects discussed
William P. Alley	WW II, Korean	Army	Germany, Crossing the Rhine, Concentration camps, American POWs in Korea.
Terry G. Antee	Desert Storm	Army	Support operations, physical conditions, chemical weapons, Bedouins
Anthony Arceneaux	WW II	Merchant Marine	Torpedoes, Racism, Murmansk Run, Merchant Marine rituals, Family, Cuba, Boxing.
Robert E. Baker	WW II	Air Force, Army	Crossing the Vosges, Capture by Nazis, German POW camps.
Leonard J. Barchak	Vietnam	Air Force	Journalism, Thailand, Aerial photography, Community relations, Media relations.
Nelson Bourgeois	WW II	Army	Crossing the Vosges, Maginot Line, Battle of Bitche, Battle of the Bulge.
Annelle Bulechek	WW II	Army Air Corps (WASP)	Civil Air Patrol; Aloe Field; Sabotage; Orlando, Fla.; Reunions.
Elwyn Cavin	WW II, Korean	Army	New Zealand, New Guinea, Higgins Boats, Philippines, Occupied Japan, Medical Corps.
John Colligan	Vietnam	Army	Pipe Smoke Recovery, Nu Bai Dinh, Military Intelligence, SHAPE, East Germany.
Lawrence Conley	WW II	Army	South Pacific, Segregation, New Caledonia
Wilson A. Courville	WW II	Army	Fort Hood, Duke Ellington, Fort Ord, Saipan, Okinawa, Philippines, VFW
Dan E. Didelot	Vietnam	Marine Corps	Da Nang, Booby traps, Vietnamese culture, Khe Sanh, Sabotage, Health problems. Additional materials: Reflections & Repatriations, an I-Mac film on CD by Luis Alejandro Parker. This disc may not be copied under any circumstances.
Henry Doiron	Korean	Army	Pusan, Wounded, AYA camp, Recruitment.
Alex Ellis (Mss. only)	WW II	Navy	U.S.S. Harder, Submarines, Sea of Japan. Additional materials: Diary written May-August, 1943.
Ronald Fontenot	Vietnam	Navy	Basic training, Dong Tam, Tet, Yard Repair Barges, Wounded
George Thomas Fox	Vietnam	Army	Military Intelligence, The Green Berets, Photo interpretation, Long Binh, Press briefings, Creative bartering.
Edward Arthur Godwin	WW II, Korean	Navy	U.S.S. Cates, Bombing submarines, Murmansk Run, D-Day, Philippines, Occupied Japan.
Jesse M. Knowles and Jim J. Bolich	WW II	Army	Philippines, Bataan Death March, Filipino Army, Cabanatuan, Mukden, POW experiences.
George Kreamer	WW II	Army	Intelligence Operations, Playing music, Celebrities. Additional materials: Copy of an earlier oral history interview.
Malbert Joseph Lewis	WW II	Army	Buffalo Soldiers, Segregation, Italy, Anzio, Folk medicine
Jack A. Nelson	WW II	Navy	Aircraft carriers, Pacific arena, Battle of Okinawa, Japanese surrender, S.S. Ticonderoga, Family relationships.
John W. O'Reilly	Vietnam	Army	NCOs & draftees, Nike Hercules Battalion, MSU atmosphere during & after the war, Peacetime Korea & DMZ, Nuclear weapons.
Stuart Middleton Pearson	WW II	Merchant Marine	Re-supplying ships, Boredom on ship, Shore leaves, Hazard pay, Occupied Japan.
Hector Ponton	Vietnam	Army	Cold war, South Vietnamese Army, South Korean Army, Casualties, Fort Polk, Latin America.
Frank O. Pruitt	WW II, Korean	Army	Graves Registration Service, Korean combat, Kapyong. Additional materials: 2 books regarding career, cataloged in the book collection.
Paul W. Rainwater	Enduring Freedom, Desert Storm	Army	Emergency Management, Logistics, Finance Command, Operations Planning, Local contracts.
Jesse James Sylvie	WW II	Army	North Africa, Anzio, Toulon, Steel manufacturing.
Paul V. Taylor, Jr.	WW II	Army	Philippines, Japanese surrender, Occupied Japan.
Robert L. Taylor	WW II	Army Air Corps	Thurleigh, England; Schweinfurt Raids; R&R.
Jeff E. Townsend	WW II	Army Air Corps	Italy, Norden Bomb Sites, Northern Africa, British Army, Bombing raids.
William F. Vaughan	WW II, Korean	Air Force	Norden bomb site, England, European bombing raids.
Joseph W. Veillon	WW II	Merchant Marine	Activities on board ship, Bombings
Thomas D. Watson, Jr.	Korean	Air Force	Yokota, Japan; Bombing raids; SHORAN; Peace talks.
William R. Winfree	WW II	Army Air Corps	Okinawa, Kamikazes, Bombing raids, Leisure activities.
Erbon Wise	WW II, Korean, Vietnam	Army, Air Force	England, Utah Beach, Liberating Paris, Adj. General of La., Finance Operations, D-Day, Gas attacks, Wurzberg, Hurricane Betsy, Natl. Guard Integration, War protesters, Draft boards. Additional materials: Book regarding career, cataloged in the book collection.
Allison F. Worley	Korea, Vietnam	Marine Corps	Inchon, Chosen Reservoir, Da Nang, Booby traps.

Container List

Box	Description
1-2	Transcripts of interviews and other textual information provided by veterans [filed alphabetically].
3-4	Audiotapes of interviews.
5	Videotapes (VHS) and DVDs of interviews.