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Fall 2014 Internship Class Podcasts (coordinated by Jessica Taylor and Matthew Simmons): Veterans History

Fall 2014 interns produced podcasts on veterans history. Image from Stephen Dodd, donated to the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.

University of Florida Digital Collections Archive

march 2014 ufdcTo date, 50+ oral history podcasts are available on the University of Florida’s Digital Collections website, including final projects for the entire Spring 2011, 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014 and Fall 2014, intern classes, as well as the Summer 2013 seminar and original SPOHP podcast series, released in 2009. Browse the following highlights for more information, and visit the UFDC to download the many available series.

To access information about individual podcasts, scroll through the UFDC collection. Podcasts below are from the Fall 2014 internship class. Podcasts are 15 minutes or less to facilitate easy access to local history for students, teachers, and the general public.

“To Be an Infantryman in Vietnam” (created by Christian Wanamaker) 5:57

Vietnam War veteran Stephen Dodd (VWV-107) reflects on his tour of duty in Vietnam in 1969. He served as an infantryman in the 25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi Province, Vietnam, where he volunteered as a “tunnel rat” and received two Purple Hearts. Topics include life in a combat zone, the Cu Chi Tunnels, and coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“Race, Masculinity, and Marine Indoctrination” (created by Maria Fuentes) 04:58

World War II veteran Bill Cross (WWII-150A) reminisces on his decision to enlist and the reaction of his family.  He served on the 4th Marine Division and fought on the Pacific front. Cross discusses the Marine ideology and its usefulness on the field of battle.

“Conquering Fear as a Civil Rights Activist” (created by Steven Houston) 07:06

Joseph Smith (MFP-181) reflects on the terror and uncertainty facing members of the Civil Rights Movement in 1964. He also discusses the role that resident Mississippians like Fannie Lou Hamer played in giving activists courage and support.

“Things He Carried: Leaving Behind Trauma during World War II” (created by Virginia Hamrick) 04:58

World War II veteran Russ Furnas (WWII-249) describes his experiences in the European Theater. He examines what he has kept from the war: awards, his bible, and his memories. He discusses how he has overcome the pain of coping with these memories.

“World War II: A Navy Man’s Perspective” (created by Caitlyn Ross) 04:54

This podcast explores the life of Navy man Donald Mandeville (WWII-250), specifically the typical duties of ships supplying the troops in World War II. Mandeville touches on the joy experienced during the end of the war, and his view of the war in retrospect.

“World War II: An African-American Man’s Perspective” (created by Jasmine Reynolds) 02:46

Sollie Mitchell (AAHP-357) discusses his diverse roles as a clerk, soldier, trainer, and supply person in an African-American unit stationed in the Pacific. After the service, Mitchell became a Pullman Porter and an extremely active member of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters.

“Philip Rudnicki: Vietnam and What Americans Don’t Know” (created by Lester Bruce Hunt) 07:25

This podcast discusses the everyday effects of political machinations and intelligence policies in Washington, D.C.—particularly during the Nixon Administration—on the American soldiers and POWs during the Vietnam War. In this podcast, Philip Rudnicki (VWV-105) and Hunt together raise important and timely questions about the civilian oversight of the military, the treatment and tactical role of POWs, and the role of counterintelligence in twentieth-century war zones.

“Crawling Through Coffee Grounds”: The Visceral Experience of Iwo Jima (created by Arielle Heinke) 06:11

World War II veteran Robert Gasche (WWII-144) and SPOHP intern Arielle Heinke take us minute-by-minute through an American soldier’s traumatizing experience at the Battle of Iwo Jima. After the battle, Gasche grappled with the loss of thousands of young people and several of his own friends, guilt over his own survival, and the nonstop terrorizing images of the two-week battle.

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