History Commons^™

Charles Runnels, Interviewed By Gary Waters, Part 3, Charles Runnels

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters in Abbot, Maine on June 22, 1999. Runnels discusses growing up in Bethel, Maine and attending Gould Academy; being recruited to play football at UMaine but losing the offer due to a low SAT score; graduating on June 13, 1965, and going on active duty with the Marine Corps on August 30, 1965. He relates his experience meeting his new drill sergeant and wondering “when the bad stuff starts;” and taking comfort in the rule that “even if they do kill you they aren’t allowed to eat you…;” graduating as an infantry rifleman; and …

Robert Railton, Interviewed By Marija Randall, Part 1, Robert Railton

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Robert Railton, interviewed by Marija Randall at Winship Green Nursing Center, Bath, Maine on June 14, 2003. Railton provides short responses to questions from the interviewer about his early life, growing up in Middletown, New Jersey; his father’s suicide; his family's history of serving in the military; working as a mechanic; and his limited knowledge of the war in Vietnam, but enlisting rather than waiting to be drafted believing he had a better chance at surviving if he enlisted. Railton enlisted in the Marines and served as a mechanic with the 3rd Marine Division. Railton speaks about the difficulty telling …

Robert Railton, Interviewed By Marija Randall, Part 2, Robert Railton

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Robert Railton, interviewed by Marija Randall at Winship Green Nursing Center, Bath, Maine on June 14, 2003. Railton provides short responses to questions from the interviewer about his early life, growing up in Middletown, New Jersey; his father’s suicide; his family's history of serving in the military; working as a mechanic; and his limited knowledge of the war in Vietnam, but enlisting rather than waiting to be drafted believing he had a better chance at surviving if he enlisted. Railton enlisted in the Marines and served as a mechanic with the 3rd Marine Division. Railton speaks about the difficulty telling …

Robert Railton, Interviewed By Marija Randall, Part 3, Robert Railton

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Robert Railton, interviewed by Marija Randall at Winship Green Nursing Center, Bath, Maine on June 14, 2003. Railton provides short responses to questions from the interviewer about his early life, growing up in Middletown, New Jersey; his father’s suicide; his family's history of serving in the military; working as a mechanic; and his limited knowledge of the war in Vietnam, but enlisting rather than waiting to be drafted believing he had a better chance at surviving if he enlisted. Railton enlisted in the Marines and served as a mechanic with the 3rd Marine Division. Railton speaks about the difficulty telling …

Maj. Gen. John W. “Bill” Libby (Ret.), Interviewed By Laura Tucker, Part 1, John W. Libby

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Major General John W. “Bill” Libby (Ret.), interviewed by Laura Tucker, in Waterville, Maine on May 27, 1999. Libby speaks about graduating from ROTC at UMaine; field artillery training; volunteering for Vietnam; his view of protesters; being excited when he received his orders; attending “charm school” before deploying; shipping out; his two vivid memories of stepping off the plane in Vietnam; requesting to join the 1st Cavalry Division; being assigned to an artillery division; life on base in An Khe; serving as a liaison officer to an infantry battalion and as a battery commander; the Fishhook area north of Saigon; …

Maj. Gen. John W. “Bill” Libby (Ret.), Interviewed By Laura Tucker, Part 2, John W. Libby

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Major General John W. “Bill” Libby (Ret.), interviewed by Laura Tucker, in Waterville, Maine on May 27, 1999. Libby speaks about graduating from ROTC at UMaine; field artillery training; volunteering for Vietnam; his view of protesters; being excited when he received his orders; attending “charm school” before deploying; shipping out; his two vivid memories of stepping off the plane in Vietnam; requesting to join the 1st Cavalry Division; being assigned to an artillery division; life on base in An Khe; serving as a liaison officer to an infantry battalion and as a battery commander; the Fishhook area north of Saigon; …

Maj. Gen. John W. “Bill” Libby (Ret.), Interviewed By Laura Tucker, Part 3, John W. Libby

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Major General John W. “Bill” Libby (Ret.), interviewed by Laura Tucker, in Waterville, Maine on May 27, 1999. Libby speaks about graduating from ROTC at UMaine; field artillery training; volunteering for Vietnam; his view of protesters; being excited when he received his orders; attending “charm school” before deploying; shipping out; his two vivid memories of stepping off the plane in Vietnam; requesting to join the 1st Cavalry Division; being assigned to an artillery division; life on base in An Khe; serving as a liaison officer to an infantry battalion and as a battery commander; the Fishhook area north of Saigon; …

Beth Parks, Interviewed By Laura Tucker, Part 1, Beth Parks

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Beth Parks, interviewed by Laura Tucker on June 11, 1999. Parks speaks about her early life, education, and marriage; becoming an “obligated volunteer” in 1966 for 24-months; the mistake of believing the Army recruiter’s promises; being trained for medical field service at Fort Sam Houston; going to Vietnam early in the war; mistakenly believing her husband was stationed near the DMZ, then learning he was in Thailand; asking to serve a unit near the action; receiving her duty assignment at the Third Field Hospital in Saigon before being moved to the 7th Surgical Hospital (a MASH unit) in the Mekong …

Beth Parks, Interviewed By Laura Tucker, Part 2, Beth Parks

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Beth Parks, interviewed by Laura Tucker on June 11, 1999. Parks speaks about her early life, education, and marriage; becoming an “obligated volunteer” in 1966 for 24-months; the mistake of believing the Army recruiter’s promises; being trained for medical field service at Fort Sam Houston; going to Vietnam early in the war; mistakenly believing her husband was stationed near the DMZ, then learning he was in Thailand; asking to serve a unit near the action; receiving her duty assignment at the Third Field Hospital in Saigon before being moved to the 7th Surgical Hospital (a MASH unit) in the Mekong …

Christopher “Chris” M. Beam, Interviewed By Doug Rawlings, Christopher M. Beam

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Christopher “Chris” M. Beam, interviewed by Doug Rawlings, August 29, 2000. Beam reviews his early life, attending Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, being invested in the “domino effect,” being disturbed about his fellow students seeking a way out of service, his gendered perspective of serving in the military, enlisting with the U.S. Marines feeling it was a prestigious branch of the military, feeling it was his patriotic duty to serve, signing up for three years of active duty and three year in an active reserve, his mother’s opposition to him entering the military, experiencing a change in heart as his …

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 …

Frank Soares Iii, Interviewed By Kellie Pelletier, Part 1, Francis C. Soares Iii

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Francis C. “Frank” Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on June 22, 1999, in Augusta, Maine. Soares speaks about his early life; joining the U.S. Army in 1965; attending boot camp at Fort Dix; applying for Officer Candidate School and being accepted while in infantry training; wanting to go into Special Forces and ending up in helicopter training before having his orders changed to report back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to form the new 7th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment; becoming a cavalry scout using LOHs, light observation helicopters (OH6A); deploying to Vietnam as a squadron; the experience flying …

Frank Soares Iii, Interviewed By Kellie Pelletier, Part 2, Francis C. Soares Iii

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Francis C. “Frank” Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on June 22, 1999, in Augusta, Maine. Soares speaks about his early life; joining the U.S. Army in 1965; attending boot camp at Fort Dix; applying for Officer Candidate School and being accepted while in infantry training; wanting to go into Special Forces and ending up in helicopter training before having his orders changed to report back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to form the new 7th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment; becoming a cavalry scout using LOHs, light observation helicopters (OH6A); deploying to Vietnam as a squadron; the experience flying …

Frank Soares Iii, Interviewed By Kellie Pelletier, Part 3, Francis C. Soares Iii

MF087 Vietnam Veterans Oral History

Francis C. “Frank” Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on June 22, 1999, in Augusta, Maine. Soares speaks about his early life; joining the U.S. Army in 1965; attending boot camp at Fort Dix; applying for Officer Candidate School and being accepted while in infantry training; wanting to go into Special Forces and ending up in helicopter training before having his orders changed to report back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to form the new 7th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment; becoming a cavalry scout using LOHs, light observation helicopters (OH6A); deploying to Vietnam as a squadron; the experience flying …

Erwin Rommel: Noble Knight Of Germany Or Nazi Knave?, Jake Schultz

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This poster seeks to explore the historical memory of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and his legacy today in commemoration in modern Germany.

Heroes, Victims, And Future Citizens: Representations Of French Children During World War I, Megan R. Outtrim

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

The effects of total war society in France during WWI dramatically altered the daily lives of both adults and children, witnessing increasing levels of patriotic rhetoric, wartime propaganda, and anti-German sentiment. Children were often made the focal point of this propaganda, as they represented the future of the nation. As such, three specific representations of children emerge from WWI propaganda in France: the heroic child, the victimized child, and the malleable future citizen. Some of these representations were depicted in propaganda meant for children specifically, while others were depicted in propaganda meant to mobilize adults in the name of children. …

A Spirit Of Revolution: The Story Of Lt. Colonel John Laurens, Sophia A. Fossati

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

Though he has become a figure all but forgotten or merely glossed over, John Laurens (1754-1782) was the purest form of an early American hero, a pioneer for proto-abolitionism in the South, and a queer historical figure. His complex character and legacy is deserving of recognition and remembering. In this article, I intend to do just that by giving a brief historical summary of his life and person.

The Uss Liberty Incident: Accident Or Intentional Attack, Maximus E. Marlowe

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

When I first heard the story of the USS Liberty I became extremely interested in learning more about the events that transpired and began reading about the incident in my free time. Thus, when I registered for Modern American Military History with Dr. Snead, I was already eager to research this topic.

While my primary fields of study are engulfed in the Colonial American period, I have had a strong interest in American military history since I was a child. This would especially be the case with the U.S. Navy as my father is a retired Naval officer and I …

End Of The Patrol: Analysis Of The Blimp And Its Contributions To The Us Navy, 1941-1962, Spencer M. Benefiel

Channels: Where Disciplines Meet

From 1917 to 1962, the United States Navy was America’s main contributor to the use of lighter-than-air vehicles, from small observational kite-balloons to the massive infamous rigid airships like the ill-fated Shenandoah, Akron, and Macon. Most aviation histories cover the Navy’s rigid airships but ignore the post-rigid era, a period that began after the demise of the Hindenburg. This study serves to examine the Navy’s airship program in the subsequent two time periods: World War II and the post-war era. This study is based upon both qualitative and quantitative sources, most of which come from written …

Ua94/6/18 Stephen Flora Student / Alumni Papers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Stephen Flora during his years as a student at Western Kentucky University.

The Implications Of Waste Streams At Camp Au Train, Timothy J. Maze

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Archaeological remains from Camp Au Train provide an opportunity to understand sanitation methods during its use as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp and later used to house German Prisoners of War during World War II. Seven refuse features from this camp were excavated and their contents linked to functional locations within the camp in order to reconstruct waste streams across the site and to observe how military aspects of sanitation were implemented by an organization infamous for its emphasis on cleanliness, order, and hygiene. While the importance of sanitation is often mentioned by historians and archaeologists in research of these …

“Blackjack” Pershing’S Punitive Expedition, Jacob Breezeel

Tenor of Our Times

In 1916, General Pershing led a force of American troops into Mexico in response to a raid on Columbus, New Mexico. While unsuccessful in achieving the primary mission, the expedition produced advancements in military transportation and aviation and provided valuable experiences to the next generation of generals which were central to America's success in World War I.

Ship Shaping: How Congress And Industry Influenced U.S. Naval Acquisitions From 1933-1938, Henry H. Carroll

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

Studying shipbuilding politics across time can yield key insights into present-day shipbuilding acquisition reform issues, such as the effects of naval industry consolidation and potential “ally-shoring” of warship production on domestic political support for future naval funding. Past studies of naval acquisitions during the late interwar period often focus on how President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Navy Department prepared the nation for the beginning of World War II. However, Congress and the shipbuilding industry played an often-overlooked role in creating the political support needed to expand the Navy during the tumultuous late interwar period. Self-interested domestic interest groups were …

Shaping Modern Europe: Evaluating Napoleon Bonaparte's Governance And Impact On European Statecraft, William R. Thurman

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores Napoleon Bonaparte’s profound impact on Europe, examining the leadership, military strategies, and reforms that reshaped European governance and law. Retracing Napoleon’s rise to power from the chaos of the French Revolution to the height of the Empire, it highlights the political acumen and strategic genius that enabled him to seize power and dominate Europe. Napoleon's reign is illustrated both as a quest for power and as a transformative movement to modernize Europe through systematic reforms in administration, law, and education.

Central to Napoleon’s vision was the Napoleonic Code, which revolutionized legal systems around the world by emphasizing …

Architects Of War: The Economic And Industrial Strategies Of The Third Reich And United States Under Albert Speer And William Knudsen, Spencer David Taylor

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis presents a chronological narrative that delves into the economic and industrial underpinnings of the Second World War, focusing on the contrasting war machines of Germany and the United States. By examining the strategic decisions and outcomes shaped by two central figures, Albert Speer of Germany and William S. Knudsen of the United States, this study highlights how their approaches to war production profoundly influenced the overall trajectory and outcome of the war. Knudsen’s embodiment of the American industrial spirit and Speer’s manipulation of Germany's constrained resources illustrate the crucial roles that economic strategies played alongside military operations. The …

Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …

Ua94/5/6 Lucian Flora Student/Alumni Papers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Scrapbook and memoirs created by alumni Lucian Flora of Smiths Grove, Kentucky of his activities as a soldier in World War II. Flora saw action through North Africa and Italy from 1941 to 1945.

Ua1c11/128 Lucian Flora Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs and postcards removed from Lucian Flora's World War II scrapbook.