Heck Hall, a large building with tall rounded windows covered in icicles and several bare trees, with silhouettes of three people standing to the left of the building.
Heck Hall, a tall building with tall rounded windows covered in icicles with a large fire escape ladder leading from the roof of the building to just above the door.
A procession of women in long skirts and hats wearing large white bows on their backs. They are walking across a road in front of a large house next to a smaller house with an automobile behind them.
Three graduates, one holding a book, one holding a book and a purse, and one holding a mortarboard cap outside a building with a crowd of people in the distance.
Heck Hall, a large building with tall rounded windows behind bare trees. There are icicles covering the building, four small silhouettes of people to the left of the building, and one man standing by the door.
Three adult men dressed in suits standing next to a rock etched with "Class of 1873." Two are holding their hats and one has a hat placed on the ground behind him.
A male graduate holding a diploma flanked by an adult man in a suit and an adult woman in formal dress. They are standing next to a rock etched with "Class of 1873," opposite two more adult men in suits and an adult woman in formal dress.
Male graduate, likely college, dressed in a cap and gown, flanked by three adult men in suits wearing hats and two women wearing formal dresses. They are all surrounding a large rock etched with "Class of 1873" and behind them are a row of trees.
During the fall term of 1920, Harriett Ellen Norton (nee Wallace) kept a scrapbook while attending the Michigan State Normal College (MSNC). Harriett Wallace, known to most as Ellen, was from Bay City, Michigan and a member of the Delta Sigma Epsilon sorority, Le Cercle Francais club, and History club.
She graduated in June of 1922 and remained in the area after graduation with her husband Stanley Norton whose family owned and operated Norton's Flowers. Stanley Norton, a member of the Arm of Honor fraternity, also attended the MSNC but withdrew to enlist in the military during World War I.
Materials in the scrapbook include invitations to on and off campus events, dance cards, correspondence, clippings, receipts, and photographs. Many of the campus invitations are from the Arm of Honor and Kappa Phi Alpha fraternities.
Please note, the book was scanned so that on pages where items were folded the page was scanned multiple times each time exposing more of the materials in the scrapbook.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This December 1990 broadcast includes an interview with the Director Urvashi Vaid of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, musical selections, and a sketch comedy piece.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This October 1990 broadcast includes musical selections, information on queer events in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, LGBTQ-related news from around the world, and an interview with American cartoonist and original creator of the Bechdel test, Alison Bechdel.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This February 1995 broadcast includes an interview with famed poet and writer Allen Ginsberg.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This August 1991 broadcast includes information about queer events in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, musical selections, LGBTQ-related news from around the world, and an interview with an Ann Arbor area lesbian male impersonator.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This July 1991 broadcast includes musical selections, information on queer events in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, and LGBTQ news from around the world.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This July 1991 broadcast includes a listing of local queer events in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, LGBTQ-related news from around the world, musical selections, and the second half of an interview with Native American and AIDS activist Beth Brant.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This July 1991 broadcast includes information on queer related cinema, LGBTQ news from across the country, musical selections, and a piece by drag queen Vaginal Cream Davis.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This June 1991 broadcast includes an intro to the twelfth anniversary of the White Night riots in San Francisco that occurred after the assassination of Harvey Milk, musical selections, and a reading of a poem titled "I am a SCAB (Society for the Complete Annihilation of Breeding)."
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This January 1991 includes an interview with Indigo Girls singer/songwriter Amy Ray.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This January 1991 broadcast includes an interview with Elise Bryant, a Ann Arbor-based playwriter of the production of "Zoo Zoo Chronicles."
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This January 1991 broadcast includes an interview with Ilene Lynch from the domestic violence organization SafeHouse about the topic of lesbian battery.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. The February 1991 broadcast includes LGBTQ news and events in Washtenaw County as well as an interview with LGBTQ novelist Lev Raphael.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This October 1990 broadcast includes an interview with novelist and gay activist Sarah Schulman.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This September 1990 broadcast includes musical selections and an in-depth interview with three members of the HIV/AIDS advocacy group ACT UP Ann Arbor and a defendant in the Adrian 17 sex scandal in Adrian, Michigan. The Adrian 17 were seventeen male defendants who were all charged with gross indecency for engaging in homosexual acts at a public park. Over half of the men were over 40, married, and had children living in the Adrian community. The local Adrian newspaper published the names and addresses of each defendant on the front page of the newspaper.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This May 1990 broadcast includes musical selections and a detailed discussion with a University of Michigan PhD candidate Raelynn Hillhouse, who studied extensively in Communist East German and in Soviet influenced Eastern Europe. The conversation with Hillhouse describes the status of LGBTQ people living and expressing themselves in Eastern Bloc countries.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This May 1990 broadcast includes musical selections, news and announcements on LGBTQ related events and information, and an interview with three guests from the University of Michigan and ACT UP to discuss the status of HIV/AIDS in the country.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. The January broadcast highlights LGBTQ news and events in Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan and includes the reading of a queer poem. The February broadcast begins with news and announcements about LGBTQ events and information in Washtenaw County, and later includes a roundtable discussion from several people about being the child of lesbian or gay parents.
Closets R4 Clothes was a LGBTQ oriented student radio program from the University of Michigan's WCBN Ann Arbor. The Closets R4 Clothes collection in the Eastern Michigan University Archives contains radio broadcast recordings from 1988 to 1999. This broadcast from June 1991 includes an update on queer news and events in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County and an interview with Matt Bower from the local Metro Detroit chapter of Copwatch.
A screen shot of a zoom class taught by Matt Jones in the Winter of 2021 at Eastern Michigan University. The Oral History Methods course, taught out of the University Archives was offered online because of the pandemic.
Former Vice President for Marketing and Student Affairs Laurence Smith, worked at Eastern Michigan University from 1975-2000. Smith worked in the capacity of Vice President for University Marketing and Student Affairs where he had overall leadership responsibility for strategic University marketing, communication and media relations, as well as student affairs. Smith played an important role in campus life and served on the EMU Logo Review Committee and Logo Selection Committee. In his interview, Smith describes the state of higher education thirty years ago compared to now; how alumni and community placed value in the institution vs. a symbol; and the selection process for a new logo. Smith speaks in broad strokes about higher education and their role in social justice causes and does not speak to the specifics of the committee's work.
William Everett Shelton (b. 1942) was president of Eastern Michigan University 1989-2000, and is universally recognized for his work to do away with the EMU logo and mascot, seen as culturally insensitive to many inside and outside of the university. In this interview, Shelton recounts his rise to higher education administration from his roots in segregated southern schools, and the turmoil surrounding the change of the EMU logo and mascot. Arriving on the heels of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission recommendation that all Michigan schools with culturally insensitive logos and mascots make changes to those depictions, Shelton was thrust into the spotlight as a brand new university president grappling with painful institutional growing pains. This interview centers around the values espoused by Shelton in his recommendation to the Board that EMU should, in fact, change the logo and mascot, that change is inevitable, and that it was the responsibility of universities to encourage growth and change along with the rest of American culture. Shelton also wrestles with his legacy at EMU as he describes the backlash from alumni unhappy with the logo change and the longterm effects of the Board's decision to drop the Huron logo.
Longtime Ypsilanti resident and EMU Regent Dr. Richard Robb was named chair of the University Logo Committee and tasked with finding a new EMU logo to replace the Huron. Understanding that the logo was offensive to many students, Robb predicted a quick decision and adjournment. Fending off the ire of alums attached to the logo as well as the frustration and occasional apathy of fellow committee members, Robb found himself entrenched in a much larger debate over the identity of the school itself.
Juanita Reid served EMU for 28 years in vital roles such as Vice President of University Relations, Executive Associate to the President and Secretary of the Board of Regents. Reid's integral roles gave her a front row seat to the workings of upper administration and her view of the EMU logo and mascot change reflects this close, professional proximity. Explaining the rationale of the Board of Regents and the president in changing the mascot and logo, as well as the reactions from the community both on and off campus, Reid paints a uniquely vivid portrait of a university enmeshed in the thorny process of altering the identity of a university and committing itself to the cause of inclusivity and social justice.
During her more than 40 years with Eastern Michigan University, Emerita Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Glenna Frank Miller served in various capacities and was called a "Human Dynamo" by former Vice President for Student Affairs Laurence Smith for her tireless devotion to the student experience on campus. Serving on the EMU Logo Review Committee and Logo Selection Committee, Frank Miller describes her confidence in newly appointed EMU President William Shelton despite the public backlash from alumni for dropping the EMU Huron, a logo/mascot deemed culturally insensitive by many members of the university community. Adhering to the belief that all community members are harmed by the negative depiction of any one group, Frank Miller details the tension in Board of Regents meetings, the aftermath of the logo and mascot change, and the higher duty of academic institutions to causes of social justice.
A member of the Native American Student Organization at Eastern Michigan University at the time of the struggle to change the EMU mascot and logo, Deisha [Olszewski] Myles attended nearly every meeting related to the change of what many considered to be an insensitive depiction of Native American culture. Myles speaks of her experience as a student on the Logo Selection Committee, witnessing the tense interactions between university administrators and describing the divisions amongst indigenous participants, divisions that often adhered closely to differing generational values.
Former Michigan State Senator Anthony Derezinsky (b. 1942) joined the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents in 1981 and served in that position until his retirement in 1996. In this interview, Derezinsky recounts his formative years with the University of Michigan Law School and Harvard Law before describing his time with the United States Navy serving with the Judge Advocate General Corps in Vietnam, 1968-1971. As a University Regent, Derezinsky played a vital role in the EMU logo/mascot change, placing the value of fairness above all other considerations. Stating that it "rankled my civil liberties heart" to see students offended by the Huron logo and mascot, and known by fellow regents as "Mr. Gavel," Derezinsky describes the process of learning from other institutions how to go about the changing of a logo/mascot that had become synonymous with school spirit and identity for many alumni and community members. Helping to steer the university through difficult ethical waters, Derezinsky traveled the country with EMU President William Shelton to provide insight to schools considering a change of logo/mascot.
Leon Zimmerman was born in Hersey, Michigan on June 4, 1924 in a town of 206 people. Leon was attending Grand Rapids University when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the Army rather than being drafted and having no choice of assignment. After numerous tests, Leon was finally assigned to Bombardier training. His first six weeks were spent marching, and doing calisthenics. Eventually Leon was transferred to Las Vegas for gunnery school, followed by Advanced Bombardier School in New Mexico. Leon graduated in 2/4/44 and was sent to England by way of Baltimore and Florida, where he was assigned to a replacement crew in the 8th Air Force. Eventually, his crew was assigned to the 457th Bomb Group. His crew participated in a number of training flights before they went on a mission. Their first mission was uneventful, a "Milk Run," that experienced no flak, no losses, no battle damage. There were many other missions by his crew. Two missions especially stood out for Leon. The first was over Stettin where they took a great deal of flak and were very close to ditching the plane. They did return to England safely however. The other was in Northern Germany. His B17 crew had to bail out because of the extensive damage. After a harrowing jump, he was captured by the Home Guard. His treatment was poor until the regular army took over. Leon and his crew were assigned to a camp that was commanded by a former Luftwaffe General who treated prisoners with respect. It was not a pleasant time but certainly it was not overly difficult. Leon's camp was liberated by the Russians. After spending time in different camps and some time in Paris, he returned home, by troop ship. He met and married his wife after his discharge. They are now in retirement in Jackson, Michigan.
Clifford Woodside was born in Masten, PA. on January 22, 1923. Before completing high school, he enlisted in the Navy. This was immediately following Pearl Harbor. He was 17 at the time. Since he had been in the Sea Scouts, he was immediately assigned to training for gunnery. Clifford was eventually assigned to the USS Portland, and later to the USS Yokes. Clifford saw combat at Midway, Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, and the Aleutian Islands. At one time he was at sea for 110 straight days. Although he enlisted for eight years, he did not make the Navy a career. He had married by that time and elected discharge in 1947. Clifford and his wife returned to Ypsilanti, Michigan and he eventually went to work as a salesman for a local Ford dealer. Clifford and his wife lived on Ford Lake until he could no longer live independently. He and his wife now live in an assisted living facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Russell Woinowsk was born on 8/8/1915 in Debut, Iowa. His father moved to Texas when Russ was young. Russ was in the ROTC in high school and eventually joined the National Guard in order to get help with his college expenses. He was able to complete two years before entering the Army. He wanted to be a pilot but "flunked out." His training turned to Bombardier School. Russ became a trainer. He was never assigned as a permanent member of a team. When he was sent to England, he was assigned to a B24 and completed 21 missions before the end of the war. Before V-E Day Russ was returned to the United States where he began training with a B29 group. The War ended before he was able to complete any missions. When the Korean Ward started, Russell was flying with B29's and completed 16 missions. He remained in the Air Corp retiring as a Lt. Colonel. During his service he received 2 DSC's and 4 Air Metals. He spent time in Turkey, the Philippines and many different States. Upon discharge, he returned to college and eventually received a Master's Degree in teaching. He spent 21 years teaching math (20 years in Romulus High School) before retiring because he was 70, the maximum retirement age. For a time, he and two friends owned and flew a Piper Cub. He and his wife had two children. He has four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. He was married for 51 years before his wife died. He lives with his son in Ann Arbor.
Richard Wagner was born on December 13, 1924 in Blissfield, Michigan. He attended Blissfield High School and enlisted in the Army at the end of his senior year after taking a class in aircraft identification. He left home for Fort Custer near Kalamazoo on July 9, 1943. After passing the necessary tests to join the Air Corps, he was sent down south to Miami Beach for ten weeks basic training. In October of 1943, Richard attended the Air Force College Training Department at Michigan State University. In April of 1944, he was sent to San Antonio, Texas and was trained as a bombardier-navigator for eight weeks. From there, he received flight training in San Angelo, Texas. Richard was assigned as a bombardier/assistant navigator/nose gunner in a B-24. After getting married while on commissioning leave, he was sent to Westover Field Airbase near Springfield, Massachusetts where he became acquainted with his crew and did large amounts of flying and bombing practice. After VE Day, Richard's crew was taken off shipping orders to Europe and was sent to Boise, Idaho. After rendezvousing at the Golding Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, Richard's crew flew to New Guinea where they spent ten weeks. After they arrived at Clark Airbase in the Philippines, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and the second on Nagasaki. Richard remembers seeing the Japanese delegation in their white planes at le Shima on their way to the signing of the peace treaty in Tokyo Bay.
Richard Wagner was born on December 13, 1924 in Blissfield, Michigan. He attended Blissfield High School and enlisted in the Army at the end of his senior year after taking a class in aircraft identification. He left home for Fort Custer near Kalamazoo on July 9, 1943. After passing the necessary tests to join the Air Corps, he was sent down south to Miami Beach for ten weeks basic training. In October of 1943, Richard attended the Air Force College Training Department at Michigan State University. In April of 1944, he was sent to San Antonio, Texas and was trained as a bombardier-navigator for eight weeks. From there, he received flight training in San Angelo, Texas. Richard was assigned as a bombardier/assistant navigator/nose gunner in a B-24. After getting married while on commissioning leave, he was sent to Westover Field Airbase near Springfield, Massachusetts where he became acquainted with his crew and did large amounts of flying and bombing practice. After VE Day, Richard's crew was taken off shipping orders to Europe and was sent to Boise, Idaho. After rendezvousing at the Golding Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, Richard's crew flew to New Guinea where they spent ten weeks. After they arrived at Clark Airbase in the Philippines, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and the second on Nagasaki. Richard remembers seeing the Japanese delegation in their white planes at le Shima on their way to the signing of the peace treaty in Tokyo Bay.
Elliot Valenstein enlisted in the Army at the age of 18 following the Pearl Harbor attack. After training he was shipped to the South Pacific. They traveled without escort and landed in Australia. Before the Coral Sea victory, the Japanese were unstoppable. His unit was then sent on to Bombay, India and crossed to Calcutta by train. Elliot received quick training in how to string lines. There was fear the Japanese who were threatening India would link up with the Africa Corp from the East. In Burma, his unit met up with Head Hunters. Elliot's unit worked under a great deal of hardship including swollen rivers and threats of Chinese bandits. When World War II ended, Elliot was in Calcutta. He was shipped back to Seattle and on to Fort Dix. After discharge he spent time in a VA hospital with malaria. Eventually Elliot enrolled in college and began his research project that eventually attracted him to the University of Michigan. Much of his research was supported by NASA. After retiring Elliot continued to live in Ann Arbor and became Professor Emeritus.
Amherst Turner was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He earned his English degree and teaching certification from the University of Michigan while also participating in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC.) In 1961, after graduating from U of M, Amherst attended basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia and was trained as an officer. After his basic training, Amherst was shipped out to Korea and joined a unit guarding the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Amherst did this for for 13 months and became a 2nd Lieutenant in that time. Amherst returned to Fort Benning, was promoted to Captain and eventually was transferred to a base in Florida that was to serve as the staging area for a proposed invasion of Cuba. On this base, he served as a property book officer. In 1963, Amherst left the service, still involved in the reserves, and went into manufacturing. He was married in 1969 and had two children.
Like many young men of his generation, William "Bud" Tracy served in the Armed Forces during World War II. Eager to see the world, he chose the Navy because he could enlist at seventeen and his uncle could help him through the process. He left high school before his graduation date, but made up the credits by enlisting. Mr. Tracy's wartime service was spent in the South Pacific including the Admiralty Islands. Tracy loved being in the service despite facing the same fears and frustrations that other young men encountered.When Tracy returned home after his military service was over, he utilized the G.I. Bill to enroll in college. He had a successful career working for the phone company and raised a family. Tracy was very humble in his accounts of his experiences during World War II, yet even in the short time it took to conduct the interview, there were examples of his bravery and heroism.
Reuben Swisher had nine years, two months and eighteen days on active duty, followed by five years in the Reserves. He was wounded twice in Korea and earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for valor while a combat infantryman. Swisher was seventeen years old when he served in Korea and was assigned to Fox Company of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was wounded on Hill 578 on February 15, 1951 at Chipyong-ni, near Yangpyoeng as part of a force defending the Wonju Line during "Operation Killer." Besides being wounded twice, he suffered frostbitten feet. After his Army service in 1950-1952 and rise to Corporal, he joined the Air Force in 1957 and served until 1964, achieving the rank of Technical Sergeant. Besides the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Stars, and the United Nations Service Medal. Swisher then served the Department of Veterans Affairs and earned several honors while employed there, followed by 400 hours of volunteer work at the VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor after his retirement in 1991. He also served as Commander of the Washtenaw County Chapter of Disabled American Veterans for seven consecutive terms.
John Strouss was born in Freeport, Illinois on March 4, 1918. His family moved to Jackson, Michigan during the influenza epidemic while he was very young. John attended the University of Michigan from 1937 to 1942. While sleeping in on a Sunday morning, he and his roommate heard over the radio the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Eighteen of his friends went in for physicals, yet only three passed. John's eyes kept him out of the line officers. After several physicals, he was commissioned in the Navy in the spring of 1942. He became a staff officer in the supply corps - those responsible for the food and clothing in the Navy. John was called up in January 1943 and sent to South Austin Naval Yard for basic training (note: transcriber could not verify the location of said naval yard). He was then sent to Harvard University until the summer for supply officer education. He was assigned to Acorn 16 and sent to Port Hueneme, California to wait for the rest of the officers. In September, Acorn 16 was officially commissioned into the Navy and was granted base personnel for airbases in the Pacific. The unit shipped out to Barber's Point in Oahu, Hawaii. From there, they were ordered to Apamama in the Gilbert Islands along with a Marine Corps unit and a CP unit. An airbase was constructed at Apamama in which John worked. John remembers very friendly Natives and nice weather in Apamama. One incident stuck with John. A Japanese submarine was reported in the area. Despite the harsh weather, a scout plane was still sent out. the plane never returned. John was ordered to gather and send the missing man's belongings to his family. After a little over a year, the airbase Apamama was shut down and John was transferred to Guam. He recalls mud and relentless rain in Guam. He was put in charge of the mess hall. Most of the food was canned, yet at one point they were sent fresh ground beef. Hamburgers were prepared for the men, which gave many a feeling of homesickness. After the war, the Navy put together a class for those interested in aiding in terminating Navy contracts. John volunteered due to his business school training. He was sent to Harvard for the class. From there, he was sent to an office in Cincinnati, Ohio to clear plants for civilian production. Later on, he was transferred to the Naval Reserve and left as a Lieutenant Commander.
Philip Stokes was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan when he was eleven years old. He graduated from Ypsilanti High School in June of 1943 and enlisted in the Marines in November of 1943. After boot and basic training, Philip was assigned to the newly formed Marine 5th Division, the Division landed on Iwo Jima in February 19 of 1944. They were responsible for cutting the Japanese forces in two. Philip was assigned to the Battalion Headquarters as a clerk. Casualties were heavy, two of every three Marines were killed or wounded. The Marines received a big morale boost when on the 27th of March a damaged B29 landed on Iwo Jima even though the island was not fully secured. That had been part of their mission to provide a landing area close to Japan. Philip's Division returned to Hawaii and began preparing for the invasion of Japan. Philip was sent to Washington D.C. where he was responsible for reviewing requests for hardship discharges. Philip was discharged in April of 1946 and was married in September of 1946. He attended Cleary College and received an Associate Degree, which eventually helped to secure a position at a local bank, from which he retired. Philip has four children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He continues to live in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Gerald Staton tried to enlist after Pearl Harbor but he was denied because he was not yet 17. He joined the Marines when he became 17. Gerald did his basic training in San Diego and had additional training in San Luis Obispo. He was sent to Mare Island just north of San Francisco and from there was sent to Woodlark Island which is a part of the Solomon Islands. The landing at Woodlark was considered Gerald’s worst experience ever. Gerald was assigned to a Caterpillar D-8 Dozer to clear away the thick vegetation for roads and airfields. Japanese planes would attack the island after dark. On one particular night, a Japanese fighter strafed an area near Gerald. He jumped in the river and was bitten by a rat. He was hospitalized for several days with typhus and a high fever. After his hospital stay, Gerald was sent to the US to train as a tank commander. He was shipped to Saipan where he witnessed the B-29 taking off to bomb Japan, using the atomic bomb. After the surrender, Gerald was sent to Nagasaki as a scout for the 2nd Division. He stayed there for 60 days, which ultimately affected his health due to exposure to radiation. After discharge he went to Miami University in Ohio and spent the rest of his life as an insurance salesman. Once a year Gerald and his wife attend a reunion of the Marine Battalion in which he served.
Roscoe (he goes by Tyson) grew up in Mounds, Illinois. He received numerous letters asking that he report for duty. Instead, he went to Detroit to live with relatives. He graduated from Lane College in Tennessee and was slated for a career in Medicine. The Federal Agents caught up with him in Detroit. Tyson was sent to Officers Training School (90-day wonders), and was assigned to train Black soldiers for combat. "Becoming an Officer was quite a distinction and honor" despite the resentment he received from many of the White officers. Tyson was discharged after seven years of service. It amazed him that after spending so much time and energy in trying to stay out of the Army, he worked very hard to accomplish the goals established for him while in the Army. He describes his experience as an honor and he is very grateful. After discharge, Tyson went to Chicago with his wife. He drove a bus for ten years. Eventually, Tyson settled in Ypsilanti. He joined his brother in the construction business. At the time a Black contracting business could not borrow money from Ann Arbor banks so they went into remodeling. Eventually Tyson joined Ford Motor Company as a Testing Technician, retiring in 1987. Tyson often describes "Two Armies - One White and One Black." He does not show any resentment realizing that was the way the country was at that time.
James was born in Ironwood, Michigan, on May 17, 1924. After graduating from high school, he tried to enlist in the Marines but was told to wait for the draft. He took a job as a tool and dye apprentice in the De Sota plant. He was drafted into the Marines in early 1943. After several difficult boot camp experiences, he was finally sent for training as a mechanic. After months of training, he was assigned to a B25 unit patrolling the East Coast, after which he was sent to the South Pacific. There he participated as a mechanic on several missions. When the war ended, he was eventually discharged and returned to Michigan. He could not get his job back at De Sota but did get a tool and dye job at Kaiser and then Republic Tool and Dye. James lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan and has eleven children.
Charles Snider enlisted in the Army in March of 1943 while attending the University of Michigan. He took his basic training in Ann Arbor. Because of his interest in foreign languages, after basic training, he began training in a meteorological program sponsored by the Army. Because of his meteorological training and his knowledge of Russian, he was given orders in the middle of the night to report to Great Falls, Montana. After being interviewed by a Russian speaking American officer, he was one of two people selected for a special program. Mr. Snider was given orders to report to Ladd Air Force Base in Alaska where he began conducting meteorological forecasts for the Lend-Lease Program that was sending planes to Russia from the United States. He commented on how he worked with Russian officers daily. He also noticed the Russians had political officers in Alaska to "monitor" the interaction between the Americans and the Russians. Snider noted in his journal that the Russians became very cold toward the Americans after the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. Mr. Snider commented on how the best service pilots he ever saw during the Lend-Lease Program were female WASP's or Women's Army Service Pilots.
Just after his 17th birthday, while still a junior in high school, Bill enlisted in the United States Navy. He was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Station in Chicago, Illinois for his basic training. After six weeks there he was sent to California. Bill was assigned to the U.S.S. Rudyerd Bay, an aircraft carrier. While on board as a Seaman 1/C he served as a gunner’s mate, in the air department on gasoline detail, and on the crash squad. The Rudyerd Bay was involved in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa while Bill was on board. Much of his recreational time was spent playing his saxophone in the ship’s band. When the ship returned to the states, Bill was transferred off due to illness and sent to the Philadelphia Naval Hospital. It was while in the hospital that he received his medical discharge from the Navy. He returned to his home town of Sharon, Pennsylvania where he went on to get his GED and study mortuary science at the college level. He was a funeral director his entire life, until the day he retired. This interview was conducted in San Diego, California during a reunion of the U.S.S Rudyerd Bay.
James Shaw was born in Detroit and grew up near the six mile/Telegraph area. He went to Redford High. After graduation, James went into engineering at a Southfield company, where he was a draftsman for two years. He was drafted, and on September 16, 1966 he shipped out. James recalls basic training being as bad as it sounds, but he says it was a neat experience. The food wasn’t very good. His drill instructor was Sergeant Davis. Basic training really turned people into fighting machines. Upon completion, he went on to advanced training for 6-8 weeks. His training was in artillery, which he says was much more interesting and less demanding. He also had an interest in helicopters and he worked with them in “air mobile.” His flight to Vietnam took 42 hours. They landed in Cameron Bay where it was incredibly hot (105 degrees). He went up to An Khe and the landing zone that was located in the middle of a rice paddy on top of a hill. The villagers nearby helped them with day-to-day tasks. He lived in an underground bunker with no electricity for seven months. They survived on B rations (canned food) which weren’t tasty but soldiers persevered. Everyday life was difficult, even simple things were hard. There was no hot water, and no bathrooms with about 100 people on the landing zone, which was under surveillance. James was ready to fly the day after he arrived. His job was a gun observer for the helicopter. James would be given coordinates and he would survey the area, and assess damage etc. On the first day out, his unit was under fire and James used a machine gun to stop it. He got two hits on his first day out. He was bothered by having killed someone, even though he realized that’s what they were there to do. They flew 9-12 hours a day, seven days a week, and did not keep track of days because they melded together. It was a very busy job even at night when James had guard duty after an exhausting day. One incident he recalls includes Major Sorensen, and Pilot Quin in the Yang Province mountains. They were flying with two scout ships into a valley about 60 feet off the ground, surveying a hostile area. They heard fire and were hit. It happened so fast, the next thing they knew they were headed toward the ground, and without control of the ship. They went down flat, hit on the skits, and broke the rotor blades. They unbuckled and ran out of the helicopter where they were shot at. They ran to the cover of large rocks and kept the machine gun with them. Their wing ship fired on the enemy and called for back-up. Within five- or six-minutes other gunships were there and took out the enemy fire. They were rescued by one of the gunships and flown back to base camp. The entire ordeal lasted no longer than 10 minutes. No one was injured. James mounted a grenade launcher on his machine gun to more effectively fight back against the system of holes/tunnels the NVA used. In mountain ranges, which were hotspots, they would call in B-52 bombers, which were silent due to their flight altitude. The whole sky would light up as they bombed. The A Shau valley was a thick jungle, and one day they went scouting after a B-52 bombing, and found nothing left but dirt. The damage was about a mile wide, and three miles long. James was bitten by a centipede, and he still recalls it as the most pain he’s ever felt. Out on a mission near a rice paddy outside of another base (LZ English) he saw movement. It was about 50 NVA soldiers in full gear. They started firing and made many hovering circles while continuing steady fire. A wing ship joined in and called for more gunships. His ship’s crew was uninjured and they managed to take out many of the NVA. They discovered later that there were hundreds more NVA in surrounding paddies, and the fight turned into an all-night battle with flares going up all night long, like daylight. It was constant fire as they shelled the whole area and the path from which the NVA came in the mountains. The US troops wiped out an entire NVA regiment that night, and some were captured. James was very shaken after that. It was his last mission as a gunner. He had logged 1200 hours of combat by this point. He said he could not fly anymore, and he became a helicopter mechanic. He was already a sergeant. He worked as a mechanic for two months to keep the helicopters in working order. He was sent home in February of 1968.
Dennis was drafted after his first year in college. He trained at Fort Knox, before being sent to Vietnam. He was assigned to a Light Infantry Battalion. Their duties consisted of patrolling to engage the enemy. Coppers flew them to their destinations whether it took a few days or a month. Dennis reported feeling frustrated because they would clear out an area, only to have the enemy return the next day. Dennis described the time he was wounded. A bullet passed completely through his shoulder and he was also hit in the hip and the stomach. He was sent to a field hospital, a base hospital, and eventually to Japan. There he was given the choice of returning to his Unit, which would have shortened his time be three months, or going home. He chose home. He returned to Fort Knox where he started his military service. After returning to Ann Arbor, he went back to his job at Jacobson’s from where he retired. Since he was only 50, he took a job at the local lumber company where he stayed for eight years. Dennis and his wife have two children and four grandchildren. A letter to the editor of the local newspaper is how we found this Veteran. He had suggested that the 4th of July parade be led by a true war hero, his buddy Gary Bowen who grew up with Dennis, was drafted and trained with Dennis, and served gallantly in Vietnam.
At the age of eighteen, Leonard and his buddies tried to enlist, but the government closed enlistments at that time. He was able to "convince" his draft board to draft him. Soon after he entered the service, Leonard volunteered for Jump School (an extra $50 dollars per month was given to paratroopers). Sickness prevented him from going to the South Pacific. He was then sent to demolition school, and was eventually assigned to the 542nd Regiment and sent to England. While in England, Leonard was assigned to the 101st Airborne, but missed going to Normandy because there were not enough planes. Leonard's commander had given him a choice: S2 Intelligence or machine gun training. Few people wanted to do the machine gun training since gunners were always the main target of the enemy. Despite this, Leonard chose the machine gun training. Leonard jumped into Holland and was part of the "Market Garden" offense. He was very impressed with how grateful the Dutch were for being liberated. Eventually, Leonard fought in the "Battle of the Bulge" where he was wounded and finally evacuated to an Army Hospital. When he was first sent to a Mash unit, the doctor wanted to remove his leg. An old classmate was working as an assistant and talked the doctor out of the amputation. Leonard spent more than two years in various Army Hospitals before being discharged in 1947. He returned to the Michigan area and went to Art School. He worked at various modeling jobs for all the Big Three. He talked about how many people resented him as a veteran. He returned to civilian life two years after the War had ended and peopled treated veterans differently by then. Leonard received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Infantry Rifleman's Award, and the European Theater with two Battle Stars. Leonard feels that he had a guardian angel watching over him: once when a gunner was shot and killed right next to him; another time when in Holland, two soldiers on either side of him were shot and killed; he felt lucky that his old classmate was able to talk the doctor out of amputating his leg. Leonard finished his interview by saying: "I'm proud of my service and I'd do it again."
