“I can understand him so much more now as an adult but as a child it was very hurtful.” Edited by Rebecca Werner. Transcript for Because I Can Forgive So my mom and my birth father divorced when I was a baby. My birth father came back from Vietnam with a severe case of PTSD […]
veteran
Part 3: Get Out into the World
“Marine Corps was a decision based on my desire to want to provide for my family.” Part 3 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for Get Out into the World The best or […]
Residential Segregation and Racial Inequality
“…central obstacles for black Americans seeking to make their way in post-war America.” Historian Heath Carter discusses how post-war policies and practices (including the G.I. Bill, redlining, and restrictive covenants) created a Northern Jim Crow. Transcript for Residential Segregation and Racial Inequality So for people to understand 21st century Gary, I think they really have […]
Remember Where You Came From
“You can never forget who you are.” Transcript for Remember Where You Came From I say to my grandkids all the time, you can never forget who you are, but you have to remember where you come from. You know what the WPA is? It was a work program that Roosevelt set up for people […]
Military Vibe
“You realize the strength of your mind…just by convincing yourself of how strong you are.” Edited by Thu Nguyen. Transcript for Military Vibe When I was in high school, there was a group of recruiters that came to school and there was one from every branch and I just remember the soldier that was there […]
More Than a Way Out
“Like a priest to a church, I wanna do my part…I want to serve my country.” Produced by Perry Lerit. Transcript for More Than a Way Out I went into the army at the age of 17. I was still in high school when I signed up, they would have a delayed entry program. So, […]
Battle Scars
“To see somebody else struggling and to be able to lend a hand or lend an ear—that’s living a diaconal life.” Produced by Rebecca Werner. Transcript for Battle Scars I wanted to be a twenty-year man more than anything in this world. However, you get battle scars as you go along. I do have all […]
Lineage
“‘Dad’s going to play Army.’ That’s what they would say.” Produced by Rebecca Werner. Transcript for Lineage My impression of the military probably comes from my family. Members of the family have been in every major conflict since, like, almost the beginning. My dad, most recently, was a Vietnam veteran before he passed away. My […]
Defining Moment
“I had a mother tell me, ‘Bring my boy home safe.’” Produced by Rebecca Werner. Transcript for Defining Moment At the time that 9/11 kicked off, I was working as a civilian police officer. Like the rest of the country, that impacted me greatly. Just getting my mind wrapped around that, “Wow, we’ve been attacked.” […]