Interview with Roger Parsons, Delbert Crank, May 19, 1985

Partial Transcript: Roger why don't we begin with you and find out where you're from and, uh, a little bit about you before you, uh, went into the military.

Segment Synopsis: Roger Parsons and Delbert Crank introduce themselves. Parsons and Crank each tell their respective stories leading up to the Vietnam War. Crank talks about being in the National Guard prior to the war and being called up in the reserves in 1967. Parsons talks about being drafted in 1968 but deciding to go early.

Keywords: Army Reserves; Childhood; Children; Kentucky National Guard; Marriage; National Guard; Training; Transportation; Vietnam-era drafts

Subjects: Draft.; Fort Knox (Ky.); Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States; Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Partial Transcript: Roger, when you went in to the Marines in, uh, uh--tell me about going to Vietnam.

Segment Synopsis: Parsons talks about his training at Parris Island, South Carolina before being deployed to Vietnam. He talks about his first impressions, and being assigned to a fire base on Hill 10. Crank describes his arrival in Vietnam, his first assignment, and arriving at his base camp in Pleiku.

Keywords: Engineer Hill; Fear; Jungle warfare training; Parris Island (S.C.); Pleiku (Vietnam); Pleiku Air Base (Vietnam); Rotation; Safety

Subjects: Basic training (Military education); Morale; Vietnam War, 1961-1975.; Weapons.

Partial Transcript: Roger, tell me about your, your day-to-day activities.

Segment Synopsis: Crank and Parsons describe their day-to-day responsibilities in the military, and what they also did in their off time. Parsons describes the conditions that he lived in during his time in Vietnam.

Keywords: Army Corps of Engineers; Bridges; Building; Climate; Combat; Combat infantry tactics; Construction; Destruction; Duties; Environment; Fire bases; Houses; Living conditions; Logistics; Power plants; South Vietnamese; Travel; U.S. Army; Villages; Work ethic

Subjects: Artillery.; Civilians in war.; Montagnards; Morale.; United States. Army.; United States. Marine Corps--Military life; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American; Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Partial Transcript: What about your all's impressions of how the war was being run

Segment Synopsis: Crank and Parsons speak about their opinions of their commanding officers and discuss how poor officers affected morale. Crank talks about his correspondence with his family back home.

Keywords: Cassette tape recorders; Christmas; Emotional maturity; Emotions.; Family; Homesick; Homesickness.; Military leadership; Newspapers; Olive Hill (Ky.); Rebellion

Subjects: Correspondence.; Morale.; Officers; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American; Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Partial Transcript: You know, uh, engineering unit though, they're, they're probably more closer together than what other units is cause, you know, as I said there was eighteen of us.

Segment Synopsis: Crank talks about the closeness within his unit of engineers. Parsons talks about prostitution in Vietnam. Crank talks about his interactions and experiences with the Montagnard people of South Vietnam.

Keywords: Army Corps of Engineers; Barter system; Closeness; Construction; North Vietnamese; Prostitution; Relationships; Reliance

Subjects: Montagnards; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion; Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Partial Transcript: What were your reactions to the memorial when you went a couple weeks ago?

Segment Synopsis: Crank talks about his reaction to seeing the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. He and Parsons discuss their feelings on how politicians should have handled the war.

Keywords: Causes; Conflicts; Emotions; Memorials; Politicians

Subjects: Politics and war.; Strategy.; Tactics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Social aspects.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States; War memorials.

Partial Transcript: Any particular experiences that stand out in your memory now looking back on it?

Segment Synopsis: Crank talks about an incident in which South Vietnamese civilians were killed by mines, a memory that he says bothered him for years afterward. Parsons talks about an elderly man who was injured. Crank tells a story about an encounter with some Vietnamese soldiers.

Keywords: Enemy; Fire Base Blackhawk; North Vietnamese; South Vietnamese

Subjects: Civilians in war.; Claymore mines; Massacres.; Politics and war.; Strategy.; Tactics; Viet Cong; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Children; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: As your time in country was getting short, did, did you start to worry more or were you just relieved at the time getting shorter or did it make you even more cautious as...

Segment Synopsis: Parsons talks about coming home and adjusting to military service in the United States, which he says differed from his time in Vietnam. Crank talks about coming home and returning to work, and the difficulty of readjusting to civilian life.

Keywords: Adjustments; Cautious; Employment; Family; Fort Lejeune (N.C.); Homecoming; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (N.C.); Military service

Subjects: Culture shock.; Military life.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Social aspects.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States

Partial Transcript: Delbert tell me a little bit about, uh, getting involved in the American Legion post here and, and, and, uh, the, the number of Vietnam Veterans that are--that have been involved in this post.

Segment Synopsis: Crank talks about his involvement with the American Legion, working for the Olive Hill post, and how he was treated differently as a Vietnam veteran. Crank and Parsons talk about how Kentucky has treated its Vietnam veterans, and how they feel about the public opinion of the Vietnam War.

Keywords: Combat stress; Disrespect; Jane Fonda; Kentuckians; Labels; Members; Morale; Resentment; Soldiers; Treatment; Veterans Bonus; World War II

Subjects: American Legion.; Fonda, Jane, 1937-; Korean War, 1950-1953--Veterans; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Social aspects.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States; War memorials.; World War, 1939-1945--Veterans.