Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:47 | General Richard Myers served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until 2005. In this clip he reflects on what he saw as some of the difficulties and successes from his time serving. (Interview conducted in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation as part of their Ike's Soldiers program. https://eisenhowerfoundation.net & http://ikessoldiers.com)
Keywords : Afghanistan War On Terror Iraq Saddam Hussein Osama Bin-Laden Al-Qaeda Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)
Born in Kansas, Gen Myers had your typical, American childhood post-WWII. He was able to go to college, but like many schools at the time, he'd be required to join the ROTC where he'd learn to fly. With the draft ramping up and the opportunity to fly fighters, he made the choice to commit to the U.S. Air Force at the brink of the Vietnam War. (Interview conducted in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation as part of their Ike's Soldiers program. https://eisenhowerfoundation.net & http://ikessoldiers.com)
Gen Myers served two tours in Vietnam, flying out of the Royal Thai Air Force Base in Udorn, Thailand. While there, he flew many missions over Southeast Asia where we lost many men, one of which was an old classmate, Bill Reed. (Interview conducted in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation as part of their Ike's Soldiers program. https://eisenhowerfoundation.net & http://ikessoldiers.com)
With over 30 years of service in the military, General Myers was about to be nominated as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but September 11th, 2001 would prove to be a much more eventful day than he anticipated. (Interview conducted in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation as part of their Ike's Soldiers program. https://eisenhowerfoundation.net & http://ikessoldiers.com)
Following the September 11th attacks, the path to war was unclear. General Dick Myers describes the weeks following from his position as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Interview conducted in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation as part of their Ike's Soldiers program. https://eisenhowerfoundation.net & http://ikessoldiers.com)
Leading men in war is a difficult task for many, and leading many men through wars in two countries is not something you can prepare for. General Myers reflects on the weight of making decisions at the level at which he served. (Interview conducted in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation as part of their Ike's Soldiers program. https://eisenhowerfoundation.net & http://ikessoldiers.com)
