THE STORIES OF LOCAL MILITARY VETERANS WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY ARE BEING PRESERVED IN A SPECIAL PROJECT THAT TOOK PLACE FRIDAY AT THE 185TH AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE IN SIOUX CITY.
PENNE BARTON, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR U.S. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY, COORDINATED THE LOCAL PROJECT TO PRESERVE THE STORIES FOR THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS:
STORY1 OC………WHO THEY ARE. :13
BILL LYLE OF SIOUX CITY IS ONE OF A DOZEN VETERANS WHO SHARED THEIR STORY. LYLE WAS 18 WHEN HE AND EIGHT OF HIS FRIENDS JOINED THE ARMY AT THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO.
AFTER BASIC TRAINING HE WAS ON A SHIP HEADED FOR JAPAN, WHO HAD SURRENDERED A FEW MONTHS EARLIER:
STORY2 OC……..GOOD JOB THERE. :23
BEING 18 AND IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WE HAD BEEN AT WAR WITH FOR OVER FOUR YEARS WAS CAUSE FOR SOME CONCERN, BUT LYLE SAYS HE WAS SURPRISED BY THE RECEPTION HE AND OTHER SOLDIERS RECEIVED:
STORY3 OC……….IT WASN’T DANGEROUS. :21
BRIGADIER GENERAL LARRY CHRISTENSEN, WHO WAS THE FORMER BASE COMMANDER AT THE 185TH, BROUGHT HIS STEPFATHER TO SHARE HIS STORY OF SERVING IN VIETNAM STARTING IN 1968:
STORY4 OC………THAT THEY DID. :27
CHRISTENSEN REMINDS US THAT THOSE WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO THROUGH VIETNAM WERE IN AN ERA WITH VERY LITTLE TECHNOLOGY:
STORY5 OC……….AROUND US TODAY. :21
IT’S THE FOURTH YEAR FOR THE PROJECT INVOLVING A 30-MINUTE TO HOUR-LONG TAPED INTERVIEW.
