Voices of the Past Speak to the Future Veteran’s Oral History Project
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Voices of the Past Speak to the Future Veteran’s Oral History Project Army Heritage Center Foundation
description
Voices of the Past Speak to the Future Veteran’s Oral History Project. Army Heritage Center Foundation. 1960: Early Cold War and Lead to Vietnam War Background. Lt Col (Ret) Clarence Bouchat Silver Springs Veterans Memorial Committee [email protected]. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Voices of the Past Speak to the Future Veteran’s Oral History Project
Voices of the Past Speak to the Future Veteran’s Oral History
Project
Army Heritage Center
Foundation
1960: Early Cold War and Lead
to Vietnam War Background
Lt Col (Ret) Clarence BouchatSilver Springs Veterans Memorial [email protected]
Silver Springs Veterans Memorial
- OHP Veterans Liaison- Mission:
- Honor veterans’ sacrifice - Motivate others to service
– local to national- Post Oral History on web
- Interview of veteran- Reflection Piece
- Volunteer Opportunities
http://www.sstveteransmemorial.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page1.html
America in 1960- People - population: 179 million - 41% rural - life expectancy: 69 yrs - new: polio vaccine
- US Economy Dominates
- Economy size: $2.4 trillion, or $13,414 /person - 11% farmers, 33% factory workers—30% women - 43% graduate high school, only 8% college - car: $2100, gas: 17c/gl, teacher earns: $4800/yr - new: 2000 computers in use throughout USA
America in 1960 - Entertainment: - Music: The Twist
- Movie: Dr Strangelove ‘64 - TV: Flintstones - new: Dominoes Pizza-Politics in change - JFK youngest president - Alaska and Hawaii become states ‘59 - Cold War – Sputnik ‘57, Castro ‘59, Berlin ‘61 -- Vietnam – 800 advisors in ‘60, 16,000 in ‘64 - Civil Rights – Greensboro Woolworth’s sit-in
OHP Veterans Background - Combat Veterans - 7 Cold War, 4 Vietnam vets
-- 6 Army, 4 AF, 1 Navy -- subs, airborne, fighter pilot
-Only 10% in combat - medical, maintenance, trainer
-Between WW2 and VN - America changing rapidly - Great technological advances - America leads the world in everything - Exercises; Wars are small, limited, many, global
OHP Veterans Today - Today how old is a soldier who was 19 in 1960? - not as technology savvy as you - plagued by old age aliments, or old war wounds - may be irritable: not as strong or independent - some will confuse events, 50 years later - some may become incapacitated or die
TSgt Richard C. Smith, US Army, WWII
Interacting with Veterans- Be patient and accommodating - ask about training, duties, what it meant to serve - be prepared, respectful, reliable, punctual - for some this will be first time talking about war - communicate often – use postal mail too!
- Start with prepared questions then ad lib- Use AHEC overview questions given to you- Record music from that era and play to start meeting- Ask to see photos or memorabilia and ask questions
