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Dartmouth alumnus Robert W. "Obie" Holmen, Class of '72, served in Vietnam between 1968 and 1970. In this oral history interview, he describes his early childhood in rural Minnesota and his journey to Dartmouth, initially as part of the Class of '70. In light of personal challenges, he took a leave of absence from Dartmouth and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968. First assigned as an infantryman in Charlie Company, 3rd battalion, 8th infantry, Obie was re-assigned into the Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit in the 75th Infantry Battalion Rangers. Finishing his service in December 1970, he returned to Dartmouth in January 1971 and graduated as part of the Class of ‘72 with a degree in History. He went on to receive a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Minnesota, pursued a career in law, engaged in theological studies, and became a freelance writer.
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Allan Campbell ’64 reflects on his Dartmouth experience, and the political climate during the early 1960s. After graduation, he attended Officer Candidate School and served four years in the Navy, working as a legal officer aboard the USS Essex. He describes the hierarchy aboard Navy ships, and the experiences of junior officers. While the Essex underwent repairs at Charlestown Navy Yard, Campbell discusses the public criticism he received while living in Harvard Square due to growing anti-war sentiments. After his service, Campbell attended Boston College Law School, and discusses spending his summers teaching at OCS. Following law school, Campbell built a career in corporate law. At the end, he discusses his trip to Vietnam in 2015 with fellow members of the
Class of ‘64, reflecting on his own understanding of the war and the legacy it has on his classmates and generation.
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Interview with David “Jake” Guest, Class of 1966. Guest discusses his life growing up in Hanover, where he attended Hanover High School and then Dartmouth College. Encouraged by Dean Thaddeus Seymour to take a few years off from his studies, Guest joined the Army and was deployed in Germany. Guest reflects on his growing disillusionment with the military and eventual discharge, which propelled him to travel Europe and the Middle East. Guest then discusses his return to Dartmouth and his involvement in anti-war activism. Finally, Guest details his experience with the Wooden Shoe Commune and his contributions to the Upper Valley community through organic farming.
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Joan Rachlin, born April 5, 1949, was among the first cohort of women to be educated at Dartmouth College. Her experience was marked by the political and social unrest of the 1960s and ‘70s surrounding the Vietnam War, women’s rights, and civil rights. Rachlin was a child of activist parents who encouraged her from an early age to get involved and stand up for the rights of others. As a result, she was among the few women participating in antiwar protests at Boston University and Dartmouth College. Later, Rachlin obtained her J.D. and continued her activism while practicing health, criminal, and civil rights law.
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Oral History Interview with Peter C. Sorlien for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. A member of the Dartmouth Class of 1971, Sorlien’s time at Dartmouth was heavily influenced by his involvement in antiwar activism against the Vietnam War. Arriving at Dartmouth in the fall of 1967, Peter enrolled in the College’s ROTC program, succeeding his brother, Cai Sorlien ‘67, who served in Vietnam in 1967-68. In his second term on campus in the winter of 1968, Peter became more skeptical of the War and began participating in the Antiwar Movement. On February 28, 1968, Peter protested on the Green in his ROTC uniform and was subsequently dismissed from the military program. Sorlien discusses what moved him to stand up against the war, coming back to a different Dartmouth after going abroad to France and Germany in 1970, and the lasting effects of the war on his outlook on life and institutions.
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Dennis Bidwell ’71. Oral History Interview for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Bidwell discusses his childhood in Denver during the 1950s and early 1960s. He then shares his Dartmouth experience through debauched dorm life, his emerging political awareness during a study abroad term in Bourges, France, his shift to majoring in government, his teaching as a Tucker Foundation intern in Jersey City, NJ, and his involvement in the antiwar movement, including with the Congressional lobbying group, Continuing Presence in Washington (CPW). He also describes watching the 1969 draft lottery, applying for Conscientious Objector (CO) status, and conflicts with his father over his CO application. Bidwell describes his post-graduation move to Boston, work in community organizing and education, and deferring his acceptance to NYU Law School in anticipation of alternative service. Bidwell describes his later career change to nonprofit funding and real estate philanthropy and his move to Northampton, MA. Finally, he offers final reflections on his activism and on healing familial rifts over the war.
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Peter Hofman was born on November 12th, 1946 in Scarsdale, New York. Politically active at an early age, Peter worked for democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson, and was heavily influenced by the Ethical Culture movement. Peter has one younger brother, and his father was a member of the Dartmouth class of 1936. Mr. Hofman attended Dartmouth as a 3-2 student at Tuck Business School, graduating in 1969 (undergraduate Class of 1968). With a 1-A draft status, Mr. Hofman joined the Peace Corps MBA program in the summer of 1969. He trained in Escondido, California before going to Tacna, Peru in 1969. While there, Peter was assigned to work with the local branch of the government's economic development agency writing reports on a factory feasibility study. After this, Peter worked for the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture on a direct farm-to-market pilot project and market research of agriculture. After a catastrophic earthquake in 1970, Peter worked alongside US Marines doing relief work for the thousands affected. Since returning home from the Peace Corps, Peter has worked in the public sector largely in environmental work.
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Sherwood Guernsey ‘68 describes his childhood growing up in rural Schoharie, New York in a conservative and Presbyterian family. He discusses his family members’ politics and their influence upon him. He then discusses his positive high school experiences. At Dartmouth, Guernsey became interested in Spanish, and discovered a politically insightful group of friends and classmates. He describes his experiences with campus activism and his views of the Dartmouth community’s general attitude towards the Vietnam War and ROTC. After graduating cum laude, Guernsey moved to northern New Hampshire to teach, facing pushback for his progressive racial views. He later joined the Peace Corps with his wife in Panama. Afterwards, he attended Wharton School of Business and Antioch Law School before becoming a Massachusetts State
Representative. Guernsey concludes the interview by discussing work as a Peace Corps officer and his interactions with the Class of ‘68 at their 50th reunion.
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Matthew J. Friedman. Class of 1961. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Friedman describes his experience at Dartmouth highlighting that he was the first math-psychology major and how he was a good student. He discusses his strong feelings about not wanting to participate in the Vietnam War as he did not support the war. Friedman attended Yeshiva University graduate school for psychology. Friedman discusses how he feared being sent to Vietnam because of his expertise in pharmacology and how he would have to participate in chemical warfare. He went to Kentucky to the Addiction Research Center and describes meeting people who were opposed to the war and living an alternative lifestyle. He studied neuroplasticity and was later accepted to Mass General Hospital where he studied for two years. Friedman completed his third year as a resident at Dartmouth. Friedman describes what it was like to live in the Upper Valley as an organic farmer and antiwar advocate. Friedman did not want to leave the area after his studies were complete and accepted a position at the Veterans Affairs hospital and has worked there for 42 years. Friedman was on the cutting edge of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research and was asked by Congress to participate in a PTSD research project in 1984. He describes how the term PTSD came into common usage and its evolution within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Friedman explains how he became the Executive Director of the National Center for PTSD from 1989-2013. He concludes his interview by describing the future of PTSD research and care.
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J. Donald Cohon. Class of 1965. Oral history interview with the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Cohon describes his childhood in Hartford, CT, and later being sent to the Taft School. He shares his challenges as a Jewish student at an Episcopalian boarding school. Cohon also describes the challenges he experienced growing up with an alcoholic father. He describes his Dartmouth experience to be that of the “traditional Dartmouth man.” Cohon describes his many activities as a Dartmouth student. He was an English major, was president of the fraternity Chi Phi (later named Chi Heorot), was a member of the Dragon Society, and played lacrosse under coach Aiden H. “Whitey” Burnham. Cohon describes his experience teaching English to students in White River Junction as a practicum for his English major. Cohon discusses applying to the Peace Corps and the International Voluntary Services (IVS). He chose to go to Vietnam to teach English with IVS. Cohon describes becoming very interested in learning Vietnamese and was placed in a town called Vũng Tàu. Cohon shares that after Vietnam he moved to the High Hope Farm in Plainfield, NH. He explains how he lived there for a few months and then received his draft notice. Cohon discusses enlisting in the U.S. Army Security Agency where he learned Mandarin and was then sent to Taiwan. He shares that after the Army he attended University of Southern California for his graduate and Ph.D. work in clinical psychology. His post-doc work was completed at California Pacific Medical Center where he began his Vietnamese speaking psychology work. Cohon discusses the various work he has done in his career to support Vietnamese refugees and other refugees with settlement.
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Anthony (Tony) Thompson, Dartmouth Class of 1964, enlisted in the US Army in 1963 after taking a hiatus from college on the recommendation of his dean. He went to Vietnam to support US military advisory operations there during 1963-1964. He spent six months rotating in and out of A Loui and Tabat in the A Shau valley. During the latter part of his deployment he was attached to the decorated ARVN 1st regiment, which operated near the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam. He witnessed the destruction of that unit in a battle in March of 1964. He earned a bronze star and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. In the interview, Thompson discusses the executions of civilians and prisoners that he witnessed in Vietnam. He also talks about criticism he faced from antiwar students after he returned to Dartmouth, and how this prompted him to move off campus. He eventually left the United States and spent several years in the more congenial environment of Australia, before returning to Vermont to work in business in the 1990s. Finally, Thompson discusses his current perspectives on the war and his disagreements with those who say that it was not worth fighting.
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Ivars Bemberis. Class of 1964. Oral history interview for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Born in Latvia, Bemberis discusses his childhood in German displaced persons’ camps as a result of World War II. He describes his journey to the United States and the influence of his mother and father on his world outlook. At Dartmouth, Bemberis reflects on his college years through the lens of being a student on scholarship. He explains his transition from undergraduate to graduate school to officer basic training at Fort Belvoir. Bemberis describes civil affairs school and his deployment to the 41st Civil Affairs Company in 1967. He details his assignment to Edap Enang Resettlement Camp, and reflects on the connection between his experience as a displaced person and his refugee work. Then, Bemberis shares his experience returning home to his wife and young son. Finally, Bemberis shares how his Vietnam service continues to facilitate his ability to forge connections.
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Dartmouth alumnus David Aylward, Class of 1971, describes his childhood as the son of a Foreign Service officer with postings in Japan, Burma (now Myanmar), Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Washington, D.C. The interview includes his impressions of the Vietnam War as a child and young adult, his introduction to political activism as a high school student, and his involvement in antiwar protests and political organizing as a student at Dartmouth College, as well as his stint as Editor-in-Chief of The Dartmouth during 1970-1971. After graduation, Aylward worked for the presidential campaign of George McGovern and served as a junior staffer in McGovern’s Senate office before receiving a law degree from George Washington University Law School. He went on to pursue a career in law, entrepreneurship, and healthcare consulting and joined the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
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Peter Werner, Dartmouth Class of 1968 (father Class of 1934), was born in New York City on January 17, 1947. Werner had an older sister and one younger brother, Tom, who later founded the Carsey-Werner Television company. Werner attended St. Bernard’s Boys School for elementary school before going to Hotchkiss Boarding High School. Growing up attending the movies regularly, Werner fell in love with film, which he would later study at Dartmouth and work in professionally. While at Dartmouth, Werner was a member of the Dartmouth Film Society, filmed athletic events, and taught a course on film through the Dartmouth Experimental College. Werner, like many students, became more politically active while at Dartmouth and notably attended the pro vs anti-war silent standoff on the Green in the Spring of his junior year. A member of SDS, Werner helped organize a walkout during a Jacob Javits speech for the 1968 Dartmouth commencement. After graduating, Werner served with VISTA [Volunteers in Service to America] for a year. Trained under Saul Alinsky, Werner worked briefly in Dayton, OH, before being transferred to inner-city Detroit, MI, where he helped organize activities for children and lived among them. Continuing to the American Film Institute after a period of filmmaking in Vermont, Werner successfully directed the Oscar-winning film “In the Region of Ice” (Best Short Film, Live Action 1977), influenced heavily by personal experience while working in VISTA. Peter has since been a prolific and successful director, and he teaches film in Los Angeles today.
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Neal Stanley ‘64 describes his traditional childhood growing up in New Jersey. He goes on to talk about his experiences in ROTC at Dartmouth College, and then discusses becoming a second lieutenant and attending airborne training. He describes his experiences as a communications platoon officer in Nuremberg, Germany, and talks about how he dealt with the complexities of discrimination and conflict among other soldiers he was stationed with. He then discusses his attempt to resign his
post, and his eventual assignment to Vietnam just after the Tet Offensive. Stanley then recalls several anecdotes, detailing his interactions with other officers and with Vietnamese culture and people, as well as his experience with clandestine operations in Cambodia. He then discusses his difficulties transitioning back into civilian life. He concludes by talking about his current perspective on the war, his post-military career path, and the importance of Dartmouth in his life experiences.
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Jim Smith was born on April 5th, 1946 in Norfolk, VA. Smith’s father graduated from the Naval Academy in 1940 and later worked in the rocket division at Chrysler. Growing up, Smith traveled around the country due to his parents’ work. Attending Dartmouth as a member of the class of 1968, Smith went to the “Confront the War Makers” march on Washington in November 1967. After graduation, Smith joined the Peace Corps briefly before being injured in Hawaii in a car crash and being medically discharged in August of 1968. On February 14th, 1969 Smith enlisted in the Army and went through basic training, infantry OCS, Airborne School, and Ranger School in Fort Benning, GA. Arriving in Vietnam in October 1970 and remaining there until October of 1971, Smith was an infantry rifle platoon leader in the First Cavalry Division operating in Binh Long, Phuoc Long, and Tay Ninh provinces along the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon. While there, Smith worked on interdiction of enemy forces along the Ho Chi Minh trail. After returning home, Smith became a lawyer and resides today in North Carolina.
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James (Jim) Payne was born on December 31st, 1945, in Cleveland Ohio. Payne grew up in Cleveland Heights, before moving to Akron for high school. Payne became the first member in his family to attend college when he matriculated at Dartmouth College as a member of the class of 1968. While at Dartmouth, Payne studied English and was a member of the Palaeopitus Senior Society, as well as the Foley House fraternity, where he hosted several teach-ins. As a student, Payne co-founded the Dartmouth Experimental College, based upon a similar concept at Berkeley University. Payne, through Palaeopitus, attended an Ivy League consortium conference to make a statement on the limiting of the graduate school deferment for draft-eligible adults. In the summer after graduation, Payne worked with the Neighborhood Youth Corps in Hindman, KY helping to teach and procure job opportunities for impoverished youth. Payne stayed for several months before moving to Cleveland, OH. There, Payne helped to administer a family health clinic, serving about 30,000 residents and funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity. Continuing to law school at the University of Minnesota, Payne became an environmental lawyer and has lived in Minnesota since.
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Vietnam veteran and alumn William Couser describes his experience in Vietnam and his perception of the socio-political climate of the time. Couser, who served as a physician for the Army’s 1st Air Cavalry Division, further discusses his stance on the conflict as well as his perception of the Vietnamese while on-ground.
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Oral history interview with Mark Battin '68, Dartmouth alum who went on to serve in the Peace Corps after graduation. Battin discusses his experience as a college student during the Vietnam War and his perceptions of the political climate at the time.
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Oral history interview with Dartmouth alumnus Russell Andrews '68, MED ‘78, who served in the Peace Corps in Micronesia after graduation. He later received a doctorate in human development from Harvard University before returning to Dartmouth to attend medical school. Afterwards, Andrews served for two years (1979-1981) as a US Army Flight Surgeon in South Korea and Natick, MA. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Stanford University and went on to a career in neurosurgery that included private practice and faculty positions at several universities. He also acted as a medical advisor for the NASA Ames Research Center for 25 years. In this interview Andrews discusses his experience as a college student and young adult during the Vietnam War and his perceptions of the political climate at the time.
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Eagan, Jeff Interview Abstract:
1. Growing Up in Milwaukee, WI
2. Dartmouth Experience and Growing Political Consciousness
3. Occupying Parkhurst and Finding Activism
4. Post-Grad Career in Community Organizing and Environmental Policy
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De Regt, John Interview Abstract:
1. Childhood and Coming to Dartmouth
2. Navy ROTC and Campus Political Climate
3. Serving as Gunnery Officer on the USS Sarsfield
4. Service in the Mediterranean
5. Teaching and Civilian Life
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Cross, Lon Interview Abstract:
1. Growing Up in Independence, MO
2. Time at Dartmouth
3. Joining the Army and Basic Training
4. Choosing to be a Ranger
5. Serving in Korea
6. Later Posts, Teaching, and Retirement
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Cooper, Douglas Interview Abstract:
1. Childhood in Ohio and Time at Dartmouth
2. Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI
3. First Tour on the USS Morton and the “Third” Gulf of Tonkin Incident
4. Second Tour
5. Law School and Civilian Life
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Lenehan, Michael Interview Abstract
1. Early Childhood
2. Time at Dartmouth
3. Basic Army Training and AIT
4. Artillery Service in I Corps
5. Post-War Life and Final Thoughts