NEW VIDEOS

Curtis James

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Curtis James was the first officer in charge of a Pentagon effort to manage crises during the Cold War. It was a brand new office inside the giant headquarters and, after running that for a while, he served in Vietnam at MACV in Saigon, managing the logistics of the war effort. (4:32)

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Curtis James returned from Vietnam to an assignment as director of personnel at Parris Island. This was the last post for the Marine Corps staff officer. His favorite was the Pentagon, where he initiated a brand new office to coordinate military crisis response. (4:40)

Charlie Hooper

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He knew the draft would get him as soon as he graduated college, so Charlie Hooper joined the Navy Reserve and went active. He was assigned to a radar picket ship, which patrolled the West coast in a Cold War defensive operation. (4:58)

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It was boring duty on the radar picket ship off California. Charlie Hooper didn't mind that as much as the fact that the crew contained many delinquents, who chose the Navy over jail. (5:48)

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Charlie Hooper recalls life aboard ship, the scare of rough seas, the dynamic of enlisted and officer relations and the challenge of playing basketball on an old liberty ship. (4:18)

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Two officers gave him trouble in the Navy and one of them nearly killed him with incompetent medical care. He relates those stories and describes his successful career path once he left the service. (5:02)

Willard Pope

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When he got the greetings from the government, Willard Pope went into the Army. He was selected for medical training and served with a shipboard unit that cared for men on troop transports headed into battle. (7:09)

Roy Walker

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While in training for the US Merchant Marine, Roy Walker had to be pushed into the water. He couldn't swim, but when he was at sea, he didn't even think about it. The ships he sailed on kept the war effort supplied with fuel and ammunition. (4:59)

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Roy Walker had a pretty good set up on one trip. The Merchant Marine steward had cornered the market on decks of cards and Coca-Colas, plus he got tips out of the kitty because he ran the officers mess. He also had an identical twin brother on the crew, which could lead to some confusion. (5:44)

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Steward Roy Walker had to make sure fifteen dozen eggs were prepared for breakfast aboard the Merchant Marine ship. He was in France when the war ended and they celebrated by using up their ammunition. (2:42)