Week 4: Processing A Veteran

 Week 4: Processing A Veteran

This week on the Veterans History Project I began going through my list of  veterans to process And started with my last one before the break. Contrary to what you might believe, this project gets more older veterans than younger veterans. I'm not sure if it's the Orlando population or another unknown factor, but we are blessed to have an influx of Vietnam in Korea veterans to interview and capture their story.

A Brief Summary


This veteran that I began processing is different in the sense that he is the youngest that I have interviewed so far. During his service in the United States Coast Guard, Mr. John Doe rose to the rank of E-5 and served in a unit regarding Port Security in Iraqi Freedom. I was able to interview him and ask him a plethora of questions regarding his training and time in port security and how he was involved in Iraqi freedom. Our conversation was mostly based upon interactions he held with locals and even tourists in the area. You'd be surprised to know how many people choose to stay ignorant to the fact that they are entering a military zone. 

The Brutality of War: A Thought


 I think the one thing I'm beginning to take away from his interview as I compare them with previous ones that I have completed  is that the realness of War and conflict are not generationally based, but they are consistent and will continue to be consistent. It doesn't matter if it's a 70 year old veteran or a 22-year-old fresh out of the field veteran, both have seen the brutality of human nature. Sure, one might have fought with napalm in a jungle and the other against insurgents in a desert but at the end of the day, war is the simple pursuit of humans figuring out new ways to endure in conflict.  It's not exactly a light subject to discuss, but it's an important one to understand the lives and the impact that these veterans have on our country. I've mentioned it before again and again in previous posts, but the freedom we have today in our country cannot be taken for granted because of what these men and women have endured. 

Next week I hope to be able to discuss this case more closely and offer more details to the veteran in question. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week One: Re-Introductions

Image
  Week One: Re-Introductions Hello! My name is Carson Maschmeier and I am a senior this year at the University Central Florida. I'm studying History with a minor in Anthropology and I will be continuing my time at UCF this fall in the Masters program under Public History. I dual enrolled in high school pushing me two years ahead in credits; After experiencing my first year in college I am now experiencing my last year of my bachelors! When I'm not studying or researching, I enjoy playing almost an instrument with strings and creating original compositions.  Public History and Veterans Affairs This semester I'll be continuing my time with the Veteran's History Project, diving deeper into more hands on work for interviews and scheduling. Last semester I served as the Lead Interviewer for the team and I'll be resuming my position there. Previously, I spent a semester working on the Olustee Project with Dr. Gannon as a head researcher for the 8th USCT and their regiment...
Read more

Week 8: Refocus

 Week 8: Refocus Formatting Interviews & Refocusing This week on the Veterans History Project I have had the duty of refocusing on existing interviews and revisiting questions for consideration. I've been assigned the task of inventing a new question series in the aftermath of both COVID-19 and now Hurricane Ian. Veterans pose a unique take on the individual response to tragedy and pandemic with their time in service and existing conditions during their time in service. The questions I am instructed to create pertain to this idea; How has a veteran's service changed or ordered their actions in response to a societal crisis? What changed in perspective? What stayed the same? Its important to register not only the memory of a Veteran, but also how that memory has shaped the individual.   USS La Salle (LPD-3, AFG-3) The USS La Salle (LPD-3), awarded August 3, 1963, is the second ship of the Veteran we previously discussed prior to the destruction of Hurricane I...
Read more

Week 15: The End

Image
This past week on the veterans history project has been super busy. not only did I have my internship showcase last Friday, but I also was away in DC for a whole weekend at a leadership conference.  I was able to show photos from the storyboard that I had begun working on and I'm going to continue working on. I'm super happy with how it's turning out, and I'm glad I'm finally able to use the skills I've been learning all semester!  This past year with the Veteran's history Project has taught me so much. I cannot express how amazing these past weeks have grown and instilled so much in me as an interviewer and as a person. Oral History is truly a special subject that is essential to not only the preservation of our history, but the expanse and growth of ourselves as individuals. I'll be going into my masters in the Fall with the hope of continuing my time with the project.   Thank you to everyone who supported me this semester in reading my posts and askin...
Read more