Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Bill Braddock

WWII | B Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division

Bill Braddock saw many Marines head for home after the Japanese surrender but it was off to Japan for him as part of the occupation force. They got the glory but he got to supervise the Geisha houses. How was that assignment? "Heaven." Less pleasurable were the faces of hungry children and the scenes of devastation from the atomic bomb. (3:51)
Bill Brezina

Vietnam | 95th Evacuation Hospital

Growing up in Ohio, Bill Brezina was drafted and got a switch from infantry to be able to work as a unit clerk. After that, he got assigned to Brooks Army Medical Center to work as a patient data coder where he thought he would stay, until he got the call to Vietnam. (5:25)
Bill Brezina had his first assignment at the MASH hospital in Chu Lai. Dealing with that quantity of casualties is difficult to see and takes time to adjust to. (7:01)
At the hospital in Chu Lai, Brezina and his team served people from all over - American soldiers, North Vietnamese, civilians. Amount of patients in the hospital would ebb and flow, leaving them with a lot of down time. (8:11)
Bill Brezina remembers the different types of soldiers that you'd come across while in Vietnam. Substance abuse was pretty common there and it soon became a problem. (5:48)
Working in an Army hospital, things would sometimes be disjointed and would require quick thinking. Brezina and his team made sure that they were prepared for any situation that came their way. After his time in the service, he found it relatively easy to transition back into normal life. (9:46)
Bill Brezina describes how many of the mistakes America made in Vietnam were the same mistakes made by the French and how war can propel society ahead in areas such as medical treatment. He reflects on his time in the military and the influences that it had on his life. Service can affect you in ways that you don't fully understand until you take time to step back and think about it. (4:08)
Bill Burton

WWII | U.S. Navy, Armed Guard, SS McCormick

(Part 1/2) Due to many obstacles at sea, Mr. Burton's ship is detached from its convoy and arrives at the coast of France hours early, forcing him and his men to deal with German forces alone. (4:28)
(Part 2/2) Mr. Burton concludes sharing his experiences from his rough trip to France. (4:05)
Bill Callahan

WWII | 459th Bomb Group

Bill Callahan remembers landing with two engines out in Northern Europe (3:37)