Week Four: Processing and Logging

AV Logs and Abstracts

This week in the Veterans History Project, I have been assigned my first official task of finalizing a interview by processing it's AV Log and preparing an abstract for it. I have the privilege of learning and assisting in the documentation of a Vietnam veteran who had been stationed in Virginia as a typist for general supply until he was shipped to Germany as an engineer, building bridges and other necessary objects until his shipment to Vietnam. For the sake of privacy, I will refer to our veterans as John Doe. 

Here, There, Everywhere

Mr. Doe experienced a very active service with multiple occupations in various places during his time in the United States Army. After being drafted, Mr. Doe studied as an Electrician in New Jersey before transferring to Virginia where he worked as a typist under a quartermaster.  He then spent several months in Germany as an engineer and several months in England on air bases before he was requested to serve in Vietnam. 

Vietnam

Mr. Doe flew from Hawaii to the Philippines and eventually into Saigon where he was assigned to a convoy patrol. He remarks that it was one month in his division where he was given a field promotion to "Buck Sergeant" and was assigned to maintaining and building control towers and assembly of items around base due to his knowledge of blueprint reading. 

Post-Service

Following his service in Vietnam, Mr. Doe found work in the CIA where he worked for over 35 years as a contractor working with mainframe systems and computer engineering. He was able to work with the Personal Computer system and with the Fiber Optics team. 

Mr. Doe remarks that he held a career that "wasn't bad for someone who held a high school diploma". It is apparent in his full length interview that that is certainly the case. It is instances like these that educate others and preserve details in the historical narrative of veterans. Mr. Doe was an ordinary person who took up his card to fight for his nation.