a project!!

[dragonlady7]

Earlier I posted about how I had done a project that began with interviewing my father about his service in Vietnam (in Pleiku and Kontum, 1968-1969, with the IV Infantry Division). I had wanted to work on and expand that project.
I emailed my sister, currently a captain of Ordnance with the III Infantry Division in Ft. Stewart, GA, and asked her if I could interview her the same way-- first on the specifics of what she has actually done, when, and then on more subjective questions like why did she join, how does she feel about what she has done so far, what does she think about what she will be called upon to do.

She e-mailed me back this morning:

  I would love to add information about my experiences to your project - they're quite different from Dad's but that's the nature of it, I think.

She'll be up to my parents' house for Thanksgiving, and will have given it all the thought she can spare beforehand, and will also get her photos together. Her experience should be immensely different from Dad's: 1) she served in the Army in peacetime, posted in Germany, before this business all started; 2) when she was in Iraq, she was with her newly-engaged fiancee, a military policeman who just happened to be stationed nearby both in Germany and Iraq-- that would have to change one's view of wartime-- 3) when Dad came home people spat on him, but people used to stop my mother in the street and thank her for Katy's service, and the local town government sent Katy care packages, the seventh-graders were her pen pal, and when she came home the town clerk wouldn't even let her pay for her marriage license. And last, but not least, 4) she's a woman, in an Army with an unprecedented number of women, and she (having spent a great deal of time as a personnell officer) is well-acquainted with the host of issues and confusing problems that brings.

So, I am quite pleased (excited even!), and am looking forward immensely to readdressing this project.

Comments

[crakor.livejournal.com]

It's amazing the difference between the reception troops received following Vietnam and those received following the first gulf war and forward.

My dad got yelled at coming home from Vietnam. It's probably one of the most painful memories in his life. That's why during the first gulf war one of our neighbors gave him a yellow ribbon in thanks for his military service, he got it framed and keeps it on his desk everyday

[spacellama.livejournal.com]

How generous that she's agreed to be interviewed! You know, you might think about turning this project into something publishable, maybe in a book as well as the Web. I think, especially with the generational and vastly different experiences, a lot of people would (and probably should) read their story.

Whether you decide to share it on a broad scale or not, though, this project is a beautiful gift for your family.