Interview with Michael Adams, April 25, 2003

Partial Transcript: April 25th, This is a veterans interview for the Library of Congress of Michael Adams, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps having served with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about enlisting into the Marine Corps and why he chose to do that.

Keywords: Gene Snyder Federal Building; Louisville, Kentucky; Park Hill Projects; United States Marine Corps; Vietnam War; enlisted; physical examination

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); Park Hills (Ky.); Physical Examination.; Recruiting and enlistment.; United States. Marine Corps.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Partial Transcript: Alright where did you do your basic training.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about his experience with basic training.

Keywords: M-14 rifle; Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California; bronchial pneumonia; physical training

Subjects: Marine Corps Recruit Depot (San Diego, Calif.); Physical education and training.; Pneumonia.

Partial Transcript: And uh, after your completion of basic training, your first overseas duty assignment, if you could tell us about that?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about his experience training with the South Korean Rock Marines.

Keywords: Cambodia; Da Nang Air Force Base; Korean Marines; South Korea; Vietnam; Vietnam tunnel rats; jungle warfare; trenches; tunnel complex

Subjects: Cambodia.; Korea (South); Trenches.; Vietnam.

Partial Transcript: Let's go to Cambodia. Do you remember arriving there and what it was like?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about helicopter flight to Cambodia and Vietnam

Keywords: CH-47 Chinook; Cambodia; ammo; backpacks; company battalion; full combat squad; helicopter carrier; prisoner of war; rations; tents

Subjects: Ammunition.; Backpacks.; Cambodia; Military rations--United States.; Prisoner of war.; Tents.

Partial Transcript: From these helicopter flights into both Cambodia and Vietnam, could you tell us a couple of your most memorable experiences?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about his experience with combat.

Keywords: Korea; medevac; mortar fire

Subjects: Korea (South)

Partial Transcript: Now in addition to this one time, did you have other combat experience?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about his experience with American POW.

Keywords: Apache helicopter; Cobra gun ship; MIA; POW: American POW; Vietnamese; missiles; pilots

Subjects: HueyCobra (Helicopter); Missiles.; Missing in action--United States.; Pilots.; Prisoner of war.; Prisoner-of-war camps--United States.; Vietnamese.

Partial Transcript: Did you have any other successful POW extractions?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about his experience at the Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam.

Keywords: Cambodia; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Da Nang Air Force Base; Embassies; North Vietnamese; Thailand; Vietnam; briefing; casualties; mortar fire; snipers; suicide bombers

Subjects: Briefing, Military.; Cambodia.; Camp Lejeune (N.C.); Embassy buildings.; Mortar.; Snipers.; Suicide bombers.; Thailand.; Vietnam.; War casualties.; Đà Nã̆ng (Vietnam)

Partial Transcript: Go to a little bit lighter subject, how did you stay in contact with your family.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about what living conditions were like in Vietnam.

Keywords: C-rations; Camp Geiger, North Carolina; K-ration; MRE; Marine Reserves; Vietnam; honorable discharge

Subjects: Military discharge.; Military rations--United States.; United States. Marine Corps Reserve.; Vietnam.

Partial Transcript: Now we are doing this interview at St. Anthony's Soup Kitchen, what is your involvement with St. Anthony's?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about being homeless after the war and how he helped out at St. Anthony Soup Kitchen and eventually became a staff member.

Keywords: Marine Corps Reserves; St. Anthony Soup Kitchen; homeless; military

Subjects: Homeless veterans.; Military.; United States. Marine Corps Reserve.