Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Robert L. “Bob” Towle, Interviewed By John J. Springer, Part 1, Robert L. Towle

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail …

Robert L. “Bob” Towle, Interviewed By John J. Springer, Part 2, Robert L. Towle

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail …

Robert L. “Bob” Towle, Interviewed By John J. Springer, Part 3, Robert L. Towle

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail …

Ron Frechette, Interviewed By Gary Waters, Part 1, Ronald Paul Frechette

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Ronald Paul Frechette, interviewed by Gary Waters in Jay, Maine on June 15, 1999. Frechette discusses his time training as a combat engineer at Camp Lejeune and jungle training in California, growing up fast in the Marines, being gung ho about going to Vietnam because he wanted to be patriotic, being assigned to the 1st Shore Party, 1st Marines, never forgetting the smell of Vietnam and odors that trigger memories, being at Hill 55 and Dodge City, seeing his first KIAs and WIAs, being unprepared and frightened, Vietnamese burial customs, slang terms used by soldiers. He talks about returning to …

Ron Frechette, Interviewed By Gary Waters, Part 2, Ronald Paul Frechette

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Ronald Paul Frechette, interviewed by Gary Waters in Jay, Maine on June 15, 1999. Frechette discusses his time training as a combat engineer at Camp Lejeune and jungle training in California, growing up fast in the Marines, being gung ho about going to Vietnam because he wanted to be patriotic, being assigned to the 1st Shore Party, 1st Marines, never forgetting the smell of Vietnam and odors that trigger memories, being at Hill 55 and Dodge City, seeing his first KIAs and WIAs, being unprepared and frightened, Vietnamese burial customs, slang terms used by soldiers. He talks about returning to …

Ron Frechette, Interviewed By Gary Waters, Part 3, Ronald Paul Frechette

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Ronald Paul Frechette, interviewed by Gary Waters in Jay, Maine on June 15, 1999. Frechette discusses his time training as a combat engineer at Camp Lejeune and jungle training in California, growing up fast in the Marines, being gung ho about going to Vietnam because he wanted to be patriotic, being assigned to the 1st Shore Party, 1st Marines, never forgetting the smell of Vietnam and odors that trigger memories, being at Hill 55 and Dodge City, seeing his first KIAs and WIAs, being unprepared and frightened, Vietnamese burial customs, slang terms used by soldiers. He talks about returning to …

Warren S. Smith, Interviewed By Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 3, Warren S. Smith

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Norridgewock, Maine, June 26, 1999. Smith briefly reviews his background as the son of an American World War II Veteran and English war bride, growing up in Skowhegan, Maine, knowing around age 13 that he would be entering the military after high school graduation, and enlisting in October 1962. Smith explains he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and had to go to the library too look up where Vietnam was located when he received his orders. He talks about being assigned to the 611th Transport Company in Vung Tao, …

Warren S. Smith, Interviewed By Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 2, Warren S. Smith

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Norridgewock, Maine, June 26, 1999. Smith briefly reviews his background as the son of an American World War II Veteran and English war bride, growing up in Skowhegan, Maine, knowing around age 13 that he would be entering the military after high school graduation, and enlisting in October 1962. Smith explains he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and had to go to the library too look up where Vietnam was located when he received his orders. He talks about being assigned to the 611th Transport Company in Vung Tao, …

Warren S. Smith, Interviewed By Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 1, Warren S. Smith

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Norridgewock, Maine, June 26, 1999. Smith briefly reviews his background as the son of an American World War II Veteran and English war bride, growing up in Skowhegan, Maine, knowing around age 13 that he would be entering the military after high school graduation, and enlisting in October 1962. Smith explains he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and had to go to the library too look up where Vietnam was located when he received his orders. He talks about being assigned to the 611th Transport Company in Vung Tao, …

Secrets On Morgan Hill: A Story Of An Unlikely Friendship Amid An Apartheid South, Camille Kleidysz-Ferreira

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Introduction

The Burden of History and Fiction

“How much of the burden of history can fiction bear?” – Margaret Walker

Comprehensive historical research can often become the inspiration for art. The greatest pieces of historical fiction, are a result of years of historic scholarship before the creation of a compelling historical narrative or fiction piece. Through my two-year ethnographic study and collection of oral histories of the black community, surrounding the historic Bethel A.M.E. church in Acworth, Georgia, I was told a story about a friendship between two little girls who remained friends until the end of their lives. What …