Veteran interview Essay

The scenes in New York City of soldiers returning from World War II have been remembered for decades. The huge parades, the confetti flying through the streets, and couples embracing were reflective of the gratitude the country encompassed for soldiers returning from World War II (Crowe, Pervis et al.). The country as a whole was very appreciative of the services of these soldiers. Laif Maseng, a World War II veteran said that his return from World War II was not quite like the vibrant scenes in New York (Maseng) “For me, it was more of a ‘we’re glad you’re home safe, now go get a

Shortly after leaving the Army, his unit redeployed, but this time with no deaths or serious

He obviously went into a moment of shock, and after this he will not be the same. The way this event affected him proves that psychologically he has been changed. According to psychological expert on war and the effects it leaves on people, Stan Tian:

In conclusion, coming back from the war was a hard adjustment. He returned home in 1972 and lived with his mother and father. He slept on the floor for about a week to get adjusted to not sleeping in bunkers. He brought home a Vietnamese badge, a picture that he shipped home, and a wooden carving. On another note, he had a few positive memories of the war. First, he made a lot of friendships during the war and went back to the 45th reunion. However, his most memorable memory was when he was on patrol and saw a lot of orphans. The kids had nothing, so he bought the orphans a pack of M&Ms. Something so small made the kids super thrilled. David Newhard will always be

I noticed that that in the Wwii yearbooks that there was a page for young men in the military serving for the war. There was also a section for those that died in the war. I also could see in some the faces that they were sad, and that they were dealing with a lot at the moment. The vibe that I got from some of the staff members and students were mixed, but some of them were very sad. I think at that point in the war, everyone was just anxious to see how the war was going to turn out and if their loved ones would return. I looked at the yearbook for the Class of 1944 Prescott, Arizona.

He is going through a very rough time. Without the bonds that he has made with his company there would be no reason for him to move on with the war and keep

This accident, along with losing close friends, and seeing others die, has left him traumatized. Although, his PTSD is not as severe as other solders, it still affects him in his day to day activities.

served alongside him. It is unfortunate that this tragedy has taken him from his family,

One of the unusual events he faced was when they picked up a dog at a base camp they were visiting this was unusual because they weren't allowed to have pets. He remembers playing a prank on a fellow soldier where he swapped fruit for pound cake in the sea rations. He thinks his biggest accomplishment was Surviving and making it home safely. He remembers keeping a journal of phone numbers of the friends he met.

how he dealt with them such as watching a soldier named “Billy Boy Watkins” die from a heart attack

Rob is fifty-one years old, and he is my second cousin on my mother’s side of the family. I chose to interview him because of his military experience and perspective. During

He also had a bottle of beer that he had purchased. He showed me what was inside and explained why he didn’t drink it. In the inside of the bottle there was dirt pieces of glass and debri. He said the vietnamese would sell this in hopes to make the soldiers sick and die. Some of the Vietnamese people went to the extent of digging holes and put bamboo in the hole, then they would cover it up with leaves, twigs and branches. Bill said that when a soldier would step or fall in the hole the bamboo would impel their calf and legs depending on how they fell, and to make sure the soldiers died they put poison in the hole, so that the poison would enter the soldier's system and kill them. Hearing these stories has made a big impact on me. I am so glad that Bill was able to tell me the stories of the war. I wish they were only stories. It saddens me to know that it was a reality and that the soldiers had to go through and scars it left on their lives. Having to watch their every move so they wouldn’t fall to their death, to not knowing who to trust caused many soldiers to have permanent scars in their minds that still trouble them

My grandpa does not remember the start of the War since he was too young, but he certainly remembers things that happened back home during the war, and the joy at the end of the war. The first point that he brought up was practicing for air raids. After the bombing attacks in Hawaii, no one knew where the next strike point would be. As a result, every town practiced drills. He recalls that, “When the siren blew everyone had to pull the curtains so no one could see anything,” because they didn’t want to provide targets if bombers did appear. Many schools also established evacuation plans and held bomb drills, but they often turned “dangerously and embarrassingly chaotic” (Ossian, 26).

on the ALCAN Highway in Alaska and in combat in Europe and Korea. He met and married my

We talked about Nam and losing his legs. “The Army gave me two medals, one for each leg. The V.A. gave me a wheelchair and enough money to