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Kenneth McGruther Interview Abstract:
1. Childhood and Adolescence
2. Experience in Dartmouth’s Navy ROTC Program
3. Campus Political Culture
4. Post-Grad Naval Training
5. Service on the USS Loyalty and USS Hissem
6. Service on the USS Roark
7. Naval War College
8. Civilian Career and Final Thoughts
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Vietnam veteran John McNally, III describes his experience in Vietnam and his perception of the socio-political climate of the time. Mcnally further discusses his stance on the conflict as well as his perception of the Vietnamese while on-ground.
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Ray A. Meyer. Class of 1965. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Meyer describes his childhood in Ridgewood, New Jersey as a son of immigrant parents from the Netherlands. Meyer explains how his family was working-class living in a wealthy suburb of New York City. He describes how being a Boy Scout might have contributed to his decision to join the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at Dartmouth. Meyer describes how Dartmouth’s Air Force ROTC experienced a reorganization and all members has to re-enroll at which point Meyer chose to not sign up again. Meyer describes participating in the Glee Club. Upon graduation from Dartmouth Meyer discusses his time in law school at Boston University (BU). Meyer shares his experience working in the Office of Legislative Services in New Hampshire. While working in New Hampshire he learned that he was accepted into the Foreign Service Civilian Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) program. Meyer shares his experience in Vietnam with CORDS. He describes his experience as very different than most people involved in the Vietnam War. In between his time spent in Vietnam he was sent to Brussels to the U.S. Mission to the European Union. Meyer shares his experience working in Bonn, Germany with the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 1989 and his involvement in lawyering the reunification of Germany. After his work in Germany Meyer discusses his involvement with nuclear nonproliferation law and civil liability for nuclear damage.
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Abstract coming soon
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Thomas L. Miller. Class of 1965. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Miller describes his involvement with the Boy Scouts as a child. He shares how he was actively involved in various extra curriculars. Miller discusses his time a coxswain on the crew team, his participation in the Dartmouth Outing Club, and Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. Miller joined the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). He describes being sent to Germany after he enlisted in the Army. Miller recounts his time in Germany as being a very social and enjoyable experience. He met his wife there and married her shortly before being sent to Vietnam. During Vietnam Miller describes being involved in the cavalry. He shares that he did not experience many casualties during him time and had a rather different experience than many other soldiers in the Army during the war. Miller describes how the first time he met his son was in Hawaii while on Rest and Relaxation (R&R) because his wife was pregnant when he was deployed. When he returned from Vietnam Miller describes feeling lucky that he did not experience many anti-war protestors aside from his sister. Miller was sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey and focused on military law while completing his service to the Army. When Miller left the Army he worked for the Continental Illinois National Bank while completing his MBA at Northwestern University. He shares how he was sent to London to work for the bank for six years, was sent and back to the States for 12 years, moved to Japan, and back to the United Kingdom, and has been in the U.K. for over 20 years.
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John M. Morton, Head Coach, Dartmouth Skiing, 1978-1989. Oral history interview documenting his athletic career and his military service during the Vietnam War. Morton describes his years as an undergraduate at Middlebury College, including participation in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and the ski team. He discusses infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia, after graduation, as well as the two years he spent stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska, while training to compete in the biathlon in the Olympics. Morton describes how his Olympic training was interrupted by orders to deploy to Vietnam, and details his service leading a Mobile Advisory Team (MAT) in the Mekong Delta, and later working as an instructor at a school for Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) advisers. He discusses returning to the United States after his tour in Vietnam and resuming his Olympic training at the Biathlon Training Center. Morton details his career as an Olympic biathlete and his time as head coach of Dartmouth Skiing.
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Dartmouth Professor Marysa Navarro discusses her experiences with the Vietnam War, as well as her perception of the conflict from academic and individual perspectives.
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Vietnamese-American student Ben Nguyen shares his experience growing up as part of the Vietnamese diaspora community in California, and how this aspect of his identity has shaped his experiences at Dartmouth and beyond. Nguyen also shares how his father's experiences in North Vietnam have influenced his perception of the conflict.
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Daniel D. Nixon. Class of 1955. Oral history interview for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Nixon describes his childhood growing up during the Depression in California and Pennsylvania. He shares how his family physician was a Dartmouth graduate and encouraged and sponsored him to attend Dartmouth. Nixon discusses his academic transition to Dartmouth as a difficult one. He shares his feelings about the college and his continued close relationships with his fraternity brothers from Tau Epsilon Phi, a Jewish fraternity during him time. He discusses his time in medical school at the University of Pittsburgh and various residencies and internships in oncology and hematology. He describes his time in Vietnam as a participant in the Berry Plan. He discusses basic training at Fort Sam in Texas, and Fort Ord in California. He describes his path to how he eventually ended up in Vietnam in August 1966. He shares how he was sent to Cam Ranh Bay to work at the 6th Convalescent Center. Nixon describes his experience as a military doctor while in Vietnam. He shares how he was later sent to setup the 12th Evacuation Hospital at Củ Chi Base Camp. Nixon discusses why he was sent home early on compassionate leave. His wife, Tamara Nixon, briefly speaks to the interviewer about her experience corresponding to her husband while he was serving in Vietnam. Nixon describes how he was sent to work at Valley Forge Army Hospital outside of Philadelphia, when he returned from Vietnam. Nixon shares his feelings about antiwar protestors and his sense of duty and pride to have served his country. Nixon returns for a second interview to discuss his experience with the VA hospital, exposure to Agent Orange and diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease.
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Denis R. O’Neill, Dartmouth College Class of 1970. He played baseball, soccer, and hockey varsity sports at Dartmouth, until senior year during which he only played varsity Hockey. O’Neill discusses political climate at time in Westport, Connecticut and his father’s political engagement and anti-war activism with friends such as Theodore Geisel [“Dr. Seuss”]. He pledged Chi Phi Heorot [now Chi Heorot], was a member of Casque and Gauntlet senior society. He discusses how being in a fraternity shaped his views of the war, something which Billy Smoyer’s (Class of 1967) death did as well: as a catalyst for more war protests. O’Neill talks about the accuracy of reporting by journalists versus the government and various perceptions on campus. He describes the Parkhurst Protest of the war, led by the SDS [Students for a Democratic Society]. O’Neill discusses the campus climate during the lottery and his exemption. After graduating, he served as a seaman aboard the S.S. Mobil Fuel, then became a folk singer. Then, O’Neill attended Boston University’s School of Journalism and wrote a memoire titled WHIPLASH: When the Vietnam War Rolled a Hand Grenade into the Animal House.
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Francis X. Oscadal, Librarian at Dartmouth College Library, 1982-2016. Oral history interview documenting his experience as a conscientious objector (CO) during the Vietnam War. Oscadal describes the process of becoming recognized as a CO, his reasoning for pursuing CO status, and his work as a military draft counselor. He discusses the educational and career paths that led him to his position at Dartmouth.
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V. Bruce Pacht, Class of 1967. Oral history interview documenting Pacht’s time as an anti-war protester, as well as his participation in the take-over of Parkhurst Hall. Pacht details his journey from Dartmouth College to Stanford University, the protest at Parkhurst, and life in the Wooden Shoe commune in Canaan, New Hampshire.
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Michael W. Parker. Class of 1964. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Parker describes his time at Dartmouth and his involvement with the Navy ROTC [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps]. He discusses how he participated in the Navy ROTC program throughout the summer. Parker describes how he was able to walk on to the Dartmouth ski team. He discusses his decision to postpone dental school to join the Navy and his experience being sent to Vietnam. Parker describes working on the staff of Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. Parker discusses Admiral Zumwalt’s leadership and the ways in which he believed Zumwalt had transformed the Navy. He discusses his work to control the Mekong Delta in Vietnam while aboard the USS Frigate Bird, performing mine countermeasures and swimmer defense operations. Parker details how the Navy developed riverine warfare during Vietnam. After his time in Vietnam, Parker explains how he attended dental school at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and remained in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He describes being offended by the antiwar acts that his fellow classmates participated in rather than attending class while a student at Tufts. Parker shares how he was sent back to the USS Frigate Bird after he completed dental school. He discusses his career after dental school which included teaching for three years with the Navy Officer Candidate School, four years in Scotland, and 11 years teaching for the Naval Postgraduate Dental School.
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Richard J. Parker, Class of 1968. Oral history interview documenting his experiences as an activist during the Vietnam War. Parker discusses his early interactions with national politics, his religious background, and his experiences with the civil rights movement. In particular, he describes his firsthand observations of the Watts riots in 1965, his work with the Dartmouth-Talladega Upward Bound program in Alabama in 1966, and his participation in campus protests. Parker discusses his time as a student at Dartmouth, including his involvement in Bones Gate, the crew team, Casque and Gauntlet, and the Dartmouth Christian Union (DCU). He recounts his initial attempts to obtain Conscientious Objector status with the Selective Service and his later decision to submit his draft card. Parker describes his participation in anti-war protests and his experiences campaigning for Eugene J. McCarthy during the 1968 presidential campaign.
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Dartmouth alumnus Andrew Paul, Class of 1960, describes growing up as the child of Hungarian immigrants in New York City at the beginning of WWII; his transition to Dartmouth; and his experiences during the Cold War and after both as a soldier and a civilian. He discusses his involvement with the Army ROTC program at Dartmouth and his commissioning upon graduation as an officer in Army Intelligence. He served first as an instructor at the Army Intelligence School at Fort Holabird, Maryland, and then three years on active reserve in the 2nd Special Forces Group (Airborne), a unit with a then Cold War mission. After finishing parachute training, Paul served first as a Team leader and later as Company Intelligence Officer. During this time, Paul also completed a Masters Degree in foreign service from Georgetown University. He also served on the security team on the presidential campaign of then candidate Senator Barry Goldwater. After leaving Special Forces at the end of 1965, Paul began a civilian career in marketing, public affairs, and lobbying. He was also a political consultant to a major supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces. A substantial portion of this interview covers Paul's impressions of the Vietnam war and its political aspects both from a military and civilian aspect.
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Vietnam veteran and Dartmouth alumn James Payne ‘68
describes his experience in Vietnam and his perception of the socio-political climate of the time. Payne further discusses his stance on the conflict as well as his perception of the Vietnamese while on-ground.
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Joseph C. Picken III. Dartmouth College Class of 1965 and Tuck Class of 1966. Oral history interview for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Picken describes growing up in Ames, Iowa. He explains how he discovered Dartmouth and his arrival to campus. Picken describes wearing a freshman beanie, playing freshman lacrosse, rowing for the crew team, and road trips to other colleges. Picken discusses what the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) program was like on campus and during his summer trainings. He describes how he would find ways to skirt the rules during his NROTC trainings. Picken describes Dartmouth campus culture and the climate on campus as the war was building up. He discusses flight training school in Corpus Christie, Texas. Picken describes his experience with the Tuck School of Business 3-2 program, and how different it was than his undergraduate experience. He describes how he paid for his second year of Tuck by working as a computer programmer for Chase Manhattan Bank, writing software on the time-sharing system. Picken explains being assigned to the USS Arneb out of Norfolk, Virginia. He describes his time spent on the USS Goldsborough in the Philippines as an auxiliary engineer. He discusses how the ship was given a Navy Unit Commendation award because of their involvement in the war. Picken shares a memory of his fraternity brother David L. Nicholas, Class of 1966, who was on the Goldsborough with him and was later killed in action. Picken describes life on the ship and the details of his position. He discusses his later post as a commanding officer and the amount of responsibility he had in that role. He describes the difficulty of communicating with his family and friends while on board the ship. Picken discusses his return to Hanover in a position at Creare LLC, his work as a “turnaround” guy, and his return to a Ph.D. program and work as a professor. Picken shares his belief that everyone should be required to serve in the military or a public service position and how much he gained from his experience in the Navy.
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Vietnam veteran and Dartmouth alumn David E. Prewitt ‘61 describes his experience in Vietnam and his perception of the socio-political climate of the time. Prewitt further discusses his stance on the conflict as well as his perception of the Vietnamese while on-ground.
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Vietnam veteran and Dartmouth alumn Burton C. Quist ‘68 describes his experience in Vietnam and his perception of the socio-political climate of the time. Quist further discusses his stance on the conflict as well as his perception of the Vietnamese while on-ground.
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Juanita F. Ramsey-Jevne, wife of William Jevne Class of 1966 and Tuck 1967. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Ramsey-Jevne begins by sharing her experience growing up in a home with a schizophrenic mother. She describes her experience marrying a Vietnam veteran many years after the war ended. Ramsey-Jevne discusses how she never felt like a part of the Army but very much served the country by supporting a Vietnam veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Ramsey-Jevne shares how being a wife or family member of a veteran feels like her years of service are not recognized.
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Arnold E. Resnicoff. Class of 1968. Oral history interview documenting his career at Dartmouth, his experience in the Vietnam War, and his 25 years of service as a Rabbi in the Navy. Resnicoff was a drama major, was in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and participated in the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) on campus. He spent his junior year abroad in Israel on a kibbutz and participated in a language immersion exchange program in France during his senior year. While in Vietnam Resnicoff was assigned as the Jewish lay leader to his unit and befriended the Episcopal chaplain who encouraged him to pursue a career as a rabbi. Resnicoff attended the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and reentered the Navy as a Rabbi where he worked for 25 years. One of his assignments was to the U.S. 6th Fleet during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. He gave the opening prayer for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, November 13, 1982.
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Riggs, William Interview Abstract:
1. Childhood and Memories of the Cold War
2. Time at Dartmouth
3. Getting Drafted into the Training Aids Division
4. Support of the Antiwar Movement
5. Completing Service and Final Thoughts
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James M. Rini. Class of 1964 and Geisel School of Medicine Class of 1966. Oral history interview for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Rini describes his experience as a student at Dartmouth. He describes himself as very focused on academics and was called a “dirty booker.” Rini describes participating in crew, the Newman Club, and the ROTC [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] Mountain Winter Warfare Unit. Rini discusses his transition as a Dartmouth undergrad to the medical school. Rini shares that he graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1968, completed his residency at Cornell University Medical Center in New York City, and his internship was at the University of Minnesota. He discusses his transition to the Air Force in 1972 after he completed his medical training. He describes being sent to Langley Air Force Base and then to Udorn Royal Air Force Base in Thailand. Rini describes his time in Thailand as being boring with little to do. He describes a few medical emergencies he managed while in Thailand. Rini describes his return to Andrews Air Force base. Rini discusses in detail a few incidents that occurred with another officer named Ferguson, who was stationed in Thailand with him. He discusses his experience traveling to Vietnam years later with fellow classmates from the Class of 1964.
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Jeffrey L. Rogers, Dartmouth College Class of 1966. Rogers’ father was friend to Richard M. Nixon and secretary of state under his administration. At Dartmouth he played intramural sports, was the president of his fraternity, majored in History, and was a Senior Fellow. He talks about the spirit of activism surrounding the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war while at Dartmouth. Rogers attended Harvard Medical School but dropped out after the first year. He applied to Officer Candidate School [OCS] in the Navy to avoid being drafted into the Army while still serving. Rogers did well in OCS and trained in navigation. In Vietnam, he served as a navigator, an officer of the deck, and a landing signals officer aboard the USS Repose, a hospital ship. Rogers describes the ship and the operations aboard. For his second year of active duty he was stationed in the Pentagon. Afterwards he attended Yale Law School, a part of the class of 1973, where he befriended the Clintons. He then became a manager of an office in Portland, Oregon and retired as a lawyer in 2004. Rogers obtained a master’s degree in counseling, becoming a mental health counselor. He currently works as a counselor with combat vets, specifically focusing on PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. Rogers discusses Watergate, government, recent wars, and returning to Vietnam in 2004, with his son.
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Gary M. Rubus. Class of 1967. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Rubus describes his childhood and family connections to the military. He describes spending his summers in high school working on a farm in Nebraska. Rubus describes joining the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, participating in the Psi Upsilon fraternity, playing lacrosse, and studying Russian language and literature while a student at Dartmouth. Rubus discusses his pilot training at Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring, Texas and his F-4 qualification program at George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. Rubus discusses his desire to become to best fighter pilot he possibly could during his time in training and during the Vietnam War. He describes his arrival to Thailand at the Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in February of 1969. He shares how his first tour was focused on attacking ground targets in Laos, southern North Vietnam, and occasionally South Vietnam and Cambodia. Rubus describes the psychological difference between a ground combat fighter versus an aerial combat fighter. He shares that the closest he got to hand to hand combat was when he was the last U.S. Air Force pilot to have an aerial fighter-on-fighter victory of with a cannon. Rubus describes a time when he was shot down on a combat mission. He describes returning to Dartmouth while on rest and recovery and feeling very unwelcome. He details what it was like to attend the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course and his experience becoming a flight instructor. He describes being deployed to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. He shares his experience during the Vietnam War as being highly focused on the work rather than why or how the country was involved in the war. He explains how this focus had an impact on his personal life, and began questioning his involvement in the Air Force. Rubus describes how he ended up working as the Air Force attaché for four years at the Embassy of the United States, Moscow. He shares his role in establishing relations between the US Air Force and the Russian Air Force. Rubus discusses his retirement from the Air Force in 1998 and his work with Lockheed Martin.