Guide to the
Veterans History Project Collection,
Record Group 024
Date processed: 5-13-2005
Processed By:
M. Olliff
Repository Information
Archives of Wiregrass History & Culture
Troy University--Dothan Campus
P.O. Box 8368
Dothan, AL 36304
Ph:
334-983-6556 x-327
E-mail: Archivist Dr. Martin T. Olliff <molliff@troy.edu>
Administrative
Information
Accession Number:
Date Span:
Perm Acc Size:
Perm Phy Desc:
Project Organizational Sketch:
In 2000, Congress, recognizing that 1500 veterans
died per day, directed the Library of Congress to initiate a nationwide
project to collect the stories of veterans, family members, defense-industry
workers, and similar individuals who had participated in conjunction with the
United State's military in the 20th century. The Library of Congress
assigned this task to its American Folklife Center, which dubbed the resulting
program the "Veterans History Project" (VHP).
The Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture (AWHC)
became an official partner in the VHP in 2002, collecting oral history
interviews, artifacts, documents, and photographs from veterans and others in
the Wiregrass Region. This is a long-term, ongoing project of the AWHC.
A variety of interviewers have contributed to the VHP Collection:
Archives Director Dr. Martin Olliff has conducted many of the interviews; some
veterans have turned in self-interviews, and Troy University--Dothan Campus
students have participated.
American History classes at Wicksburg High School,
Dothan High School, and Houston Academy have contributed to the VHP, though
their work is separated into distinct collections. See the list of
"Related Collections" below.
Scope / Content Note:
As of May 13, 2005, the VHP Collection contained more
than 40 hours of interviews with 28 narrators who served or lived during World
War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War.
Narrators come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from combat servicemen to
those who grew up under wartime conditions. AWHC VHP interviewers have
made a special effort to secure oral histories of those on the home front,
particularly during World War 2.
Each interview packet consists of the audiotaped or
videotaped interview, biographical information sheets, and releases. Some
contain topical indices of the interview and associated artifacts, photographs,
or documents.
Arranged alphabetically by Narrator's last name.
Collection Inventory
Narrator Name Allen, A. C.
(Archie)
Service Branch USN / USMC
Aviation
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials Bolo Knife
Narrator Name Babcock, Ira
Service Branch USMC / Enlisted
Naval Aviation Pilots
Unit Designation VMSB-244, VMO-2/6
Highest Rank Colonel
Conflict or
Service WW2; Korea
Service
Location(s) Pacific Theater; Korea; US
Interviewer Name self
Collateral
Materials Enlisted Naval Aviation Pilots (Turner Publishing, 1995)
Narrator Name Barr, Michael D.
Service Branch USAF, then Army
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service Vietnam Era
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name George Martin,
student
Collateral
Materials
Notes Interview
was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS 4470, Oral History, Summer 2003.
Narrator Name Bivins, Marjorie
Service Branch Civilian
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials
Notes Wife of
Rex Bivins
Narrator Name Bivins, Rex
Service Branch USAAF
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2, North Africa & Italy
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Bivins, Rex, Jr.
Collateral
Materials Pathe film, "Battle of Tunisia" on video
Notes Bivins deceased. Pathe film from Grinberg Worldwide Images, Chatsworth, CA
91311
Narrator Name Butler, Harlan
Joe
Service Branch National Guard
Unit Designation
115th AC&W
Squadron
Highest Rank A2C
Conflict or
Service Vietnam Era
Service
Location(s) South Alabama.
Unmobilized Guard service: 2
weekends per month, 2 weeks per year.
Interviewer Name Jeremy Sizemore,
student
Collateral
Materials none
Notes
Interview was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS 4470,
Oral History, Summer 2003.
Narrator Name Clements, Earl W.
Service Branch Army
Unit Designation 88th Infantry
Division
Highest Rank PFC
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s) North Africa, Italy
Interviewer Name Fondren,
Kenny (US History Teacher, Wicksburg High School)
Collateral
Materials Photo of Clement w/ medals.
Possesses field maps.
Narrator Name Daniels, Wilson
Service Branch National Guard
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service Vietnam
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Roberts, William (Student)
Collateral
Materials
Notes Interview
part of class assignment at TSUD, HIS 4470, Oral History, Summer 2003
Narrator Name Fischer, Mark
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation 4th Inf.
Div, 196th
inf. Brig.
Highest Rank Sgt, E-5
Conflict or
Service Vietnam
Service
Location(s) Vietnam
Interviewer Name Karabin, Bernard
(Student)
Collateral
Materials
Notes Interview
was conducted as a class assignment for TDUS HIS 4170, Oral History, Summer
2003
Narrator Name Floyd, Mary Lucy
Service Branch
Civilian
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2; Korea
Service
Location(s) Various, mostly Dothan Alabama
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials small scrapbook of photos to scan and return
Notes
Wife of William Jefferson (Bill) Floyd
Narrator Name Floyd, William Jefferson (Bill)
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2 and Korea
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials copies of some photos and a 750-word autobiography
Notes Husband of Mary Lucy Floyd. Collection includes photo and copy of short autobiography
of her brother, William Campbell, US Army, WW2
Narrator Name Hart, Lamar
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Flowers, George
(Student at Birmingham-Southern College)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Hart was a POW captured in Battle of the Bulge. Flowers, Atty in Huntsville,
interviewed his uncles Hart
and Adm. Dub Johnson as a class assignment at Birmingham-Southern Univ.
Narrator Name Herndon, Rena
Service Branch Civilian
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Van Scyoc, Stacy
(Student)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Interview conducted as class assignment for TSUD HIS 4471,
Oral History, Summer 2003
Narrator Name Hubbard, John
Service Branch Civilian
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service
World War 2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials
Notes
Narrator Name Johnson, Dub
Service Branch
US Navy
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Admiral,
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Flowers, George
(Student at Birmingham-Southern College)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Johnson was a POW captured by Japanese after his airplane
crashed.
George Flowers, Atty in Huntsville, interviewed his uncles
Johnson and Hart for a class assignment at
Birmingham-Southern Univ. The Johnson interview is on the Hart tape.
Narrator Name Koch, William
Service Branch USMC
Unit Designation 2nd Combat Eng. Bn.
Highest Rank Gunnery Sgt., E-7
Conflict or
Service Persian Gulf War, 1991
Service
Location(s) Camp Lejune, NC; Okinawa, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
Interviewer Name
Sizemore, Jeremy (Student)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Interview was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS
4470, Oral History, Summer 2003.
Narrator Name LeBaron, Robert
Service Branch US Navy, Sub
Service
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service Vietnam Era
Service
Location(s)
North Atlantic/Med,
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials 90+ scanned images
Notes Nine hours of taped
interviews taken in three sittings, June--July 2003
Narrator Name Mayo, Harland
Francis
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation 14th Inf. Rgt, 25th
Inf. Div.
Highest Rank Master Sgt (MSG, E-8)
Conflict or
Service Korea, Vietnam
Service
Location(s) U.S., Korea, France, Germany, Vietnam
Interviewer Name
Karabin, Bernard (Student)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Interview conducted as part of class assignment, TSUD HIS
4470, Oral History, Summer 2003
Narrator Name McCall, Ursula
Service Branch German Civilian
Child
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or Service
WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Whorley,
Barbara (Student)
Collateral
Materials
Notes Interview
was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS 4470, Oral History, Summer 2003.
Narrator Name McGee, Val
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2, Korea
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name
Searcy, Jason (Student))
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Interview conducted as part of class assignment, TSUD HIS
4470, Oral History, Summer 2003
Narrator Name Meeker, Francis
Service Branch US Army,
Unit Designation 6th Armored Div.
Highest Rank Sgt
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials
Digital copies of
substantial correspondence & photo album
Notes Tape 2 = Elsie and Francis Meeker about life before and
after World War 2.
Narrator Name Napier, John
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service Korea
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials
Argosy article about Napier's Unit capture and imprisonment written by
one of the unit's officers; ca. 20 digitized photographs of capture local taken
by former Napier comrade, ca. 1990s.
Notes POW in
Korea
Narrator Name Smith, Charles Wells
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation C-501st; 101st
Airborne; 214th Res.
Highest Rank SSG, E-6
Conflict or
Service Vietnam; Canal Zone; Desert Storm
Service
Location(s) Vietnam; United States; Panama; Persian Gulf
Interviewer Name Roberts, William (Student)
Collateral
Materials 2 current photographs
Notes Interview conducted as part of class assignment for TSUD
HIS 4470, Oral History, Summer 2003 Birthdate
1942.
Narrator Name Smith, Patrick, H.
II
Service Branch USAF and Reserves
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service Vietnam and after
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name
Martin, George
(Student)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Interview was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS
4470, Oral History, Summer 2003.
Narrator Name Stanphill, O'Dell
Service Branch USAAF
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2, ETO
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Searcy, Jason (Student)
Collateral
Materials Self-published memoir, "A Little Bit of World War
II," 1995
Notes Interview was part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS 4470,
Oral History, Summer 2003 Mr. Stanphill
was a POW during WW2.
Narrator Name Stovall, Thomas B.
Service Branch USAAF
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2, Korea (Japan)
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials
Notes Stovall was a POW at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan, Poland (Stalag
of "Great Escape" fame). First
interview on 8-22-2003.
Narrator Name Sutton, Robert
Service Branch US Army
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2, Korea
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Van Scyoc, Stacy
(Student)
Collateral
Materials none
Notes Interview was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS
4470, Oral History, Summer 2003.
Narrator Name Tuttle, Otis
Service Branch US Navy SeaBees
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2, Pacific Theater
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Olliff, Martin
Collateral
Materials
Notes Mr. Tuttle has offered his small collection of photographs,
unit yearbooks, unit newspapers, etc. to the AWHC. Follow-up letter should include
acknowledgement of this offer.
Narrator Name Williamson,
Erna
Service Branch German Civilian
Young Adult
Unit Designation
Highest Rank
Conflict or
Service WW2
Service
Location(s)
Interviewer Name Whorley,
Barbara (Student)
Collateral
Materials
Notes Interview
was a part of a class assignment for TSUD HIS 4470, Oral History, Summer 2003.
RELATED COLLECTIONS