by Kay Pinkerton, volunteer contributor
Through the Veterans History Project (VHP), the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) invites you to listen to the stories of war.
Straight from the warriors’ mouths.
VHP is part of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center. It was created by the U.S. Congress, in 2000, as an oral history archive that collects and preserves first-hand interviews of America's wartime veterans.
The North Texas SAF team has now joined the Red Cross nationwide effort to recruit and train VHP interviewers to collect these stories. Spearheading the Red Cross local initiative is David Barton, VHP volunteer coordinator for the American Red Cross North Texas region.
“The Library of Congress approached us to help find people who were willing to go out and conduct interviews,” said Barton. “Our team has interviewed a number of veterans, including many who volunteer for the Red Cross. I’ve logged, I think, ten interviews since starting this.”
Barton said a growing number of local veterans have expressed an interest in sharing their stories. Due to the project’s popularity, his team is seeking to recruit and train more interviewers.
The Veteran’s History Project’s stated goal is to record 100,000 stories. The Red Cross is committed to helping the organization surpass that goal.
In addition to audio- and video-recorded interviews, VHP accepts original photographs and letters, diaries, maps, memoirs, and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts. The result is a priceless, historical archive of first-person interviews that will benefit present and future generations.
Brown Eyes Blue
When asked about a favorite interview, Barton recalled his meeting with Dr. Jim Nicholson.
Dr. Nicholson is a physician who lives in Greenville, Texas. In 2011, he was awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry in action while serving as a Korean War marine infantryman.
Sixty years ago.
Nicholson was part of a four-man rifle team. His primary job was to operate the deadly Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) portable machine gun. Called “Nick the BAR-man” by his George Company, 3rd Battalion 7th Regiment buddies, Nicholson was reportedly outstanding at his job.
The marines’ objective was to push back Communist North Korean and Chinese forces, thereby preventing them from forcing Communist rule upon the whole country.
Deployed to Korea in early 1951, Nicholson saw action ranging from Operations Killer and Ripper, which were geared to destroy the Chinese Communist People’s Volunteer Army, to the infamous Punchbowl, located in Korea’s Gangwon Province. It was there Nicholson received a tour-ending shrapnel wound.
Dr. Nicholson published a book, which chronicled his wartime experiences, titled George - 3 - 7th Marines: A Brief Glimpse Through Time of a Group of Young Marines. Barton read the book before his scheduled interview with Nicholson.
“The things he and his buddies went through. It’s a miracle he emerged alive,” said Barton.
He was especially intrigued about a passage in the book recounting cold-war battle in the midst of North Korea’s frigid climate.
“The Chinese soldiers were wearing these quilted outfits,” said Barton about the book’s passage. “Whether from perspiration or a bleeding wound, the moisture – mixed with the cold - would freeze the soldiers’ uniforms. They were so frozen, in fact, their bodies couldn’t move. But their eyes could. So with their brown eyes, the frozen Chinese soldiers would communicate to the marines’ blue eyes. And the blue eyes would reply to the brown eyes.”
No words were spoken. Or needed.
“Dr. Nicholson’s recollection of that event seemed almost poetic. So I marked the passage and brought the book with me,” said Barton. “When the doctor reached that point of the war in his interview, I stopped him. ‘Dr. Nicholson,’ I said. ‘You spoke about this experience in your book…about these Chinese guys being so frozen, they could only move their eyes. Would you mind reading it for me?’”
Barton handed the book to the doctor. When Nicholson finished reading the passage, Barton said, “I’ve read the only way you can kill in warfare is by dehumanizing.”
The doctor nodded.
“So how do you account for this?,” asked Barton, pointing to the book’s passage. “This is so intimately personal.”
“That’s a really good question,” the self-described country doctor replied. He paused a moment.
“I can compartmentalize.”
Volunteer or Share Your Story
Red Cross volunteer services to U.S. veterans date back to World War I and are consistent with the mission of its congressional charter. Red Cross support for the VHP demonstrates our commitment to veterans and to the historical importance of their recorded experiences.
If you have a story to tell or know someone who does, please call 214-678-4800. Volunteers are also needed to capture the stories. Visit RedCross.org for more information.
Showing posts with label Red Cross service to the armed forces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Cross service to the armed forces. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
BOOTS on at Red Cross
by Micaela Rosinski, intern contributor
During the summer months, I interned with the Red Cross communications team in Dallas. It was a great experience as I was able to tie my appreciation for nonprofits with my aspirations of becoming a public relations professional. Even better, I was able to connect my internship with another favorite nonprofit of mine, Boot Campaign.
Boot Campaign is a nonprofit organization created in Texas and serves as an outlet to show appreciation for our troops, and raise awareness and funds to help troops with challenges they face when returning home. All this is done by simply “getting your boots on.”
When I spoke to the communications team about Boot Campaign, they immediately suggested I get our regional CEO, T.D. Smyers, involved. Intrigued, I found his biography on the Red Cross website. Wow. T.D. was a four-year track letterman at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, earned multiple awards and began a career in naval aviation, eventually leading to his reception of the Legion of Merit for his leadership of Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. In 2009, the Chisholm Trail Chapter of the Red Cross recognized Smyers as the Military Member of the Year.
In addition to his military success, he holds degrees from Annapolis and the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
T.D. talked to me each time he walked by my desk, offering a friendly smile and a hello. I took the opportunity to explain my desire to photograph him in a pair of Boot Campaign military boots and how he could help this organization.
Taking the photos was great. He was intrigued to learn more about Boot Campaign’s mission and how wearing boots was helping. After the completion of the photos, he bought the boots!
Bringing it full-circle, Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces also provides military members and their families with various outlets of support. Red Cross links military families during emergencies, provides emergency financial assistance and resiliency training, supports wounded warriors and military hospitals, and more.
Want to help both organizations? Here are some ideas to get started!
For more information about Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, visit redcross.org. Join T.D. at the Veteran's Day Parade in Fort Worth on Monday starting at 10am.
During the summer months, I interned with the Red Cross communications team in Dallas. It was a great experience as I was able to tie my appreciation for nonprofits with my aspirations of becoming a public relations professional. Even better, I was able to connect my internship with another favorite nonprofit of mine, Boot Campaign.
Boot Campaign is a nonprofit organization created in Texas and serves as an outlet to show appreciation for our troops, and raise awareness and funds to help troops with challenges they face when returning home. All this is done by simply “getting your boots on.”
When I spoke to the communications team about Boot Campaign, they immediately suggested I get our regional CEO, T.D. Smyers, involved. Intrigued, I found his biography on the Red Cross website. Wow. T.D. was a four-year track letterman at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, earned multiple awards and began a career in naval aviation, eventually leading to his reception of the Legion of Merit for his leadership of Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. In 2009, the Chisholm Trail Chapter of the Red Cross recognized Smyers as the Military Member of the Year.
In addition to his military success, he holds degrees from Annapolis and the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
T.D. talked to me each time he walked by my desk, offering a friendly smile and a hello. I took the opportunity to explain my desire to photograph him in a pair of Boot Campaign military boots and how he could help this organization.
Taking the photos was great. He was intrigued to learn more about Boot Campaign’s mission and how wearing boots was helping. After the completion of the photos, he bought the boots!
Bringing it full-circle, Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces also provides military members and their families with various outlets of support. Red Cross links military families during emergencies, provides emergency financial assistance and resiliency training, supports wounded warriors and military hospitals, and more.
Want to help both organizations? Here are some ideas to get started!
- Buy Boot Campaign boots! In addition to the money benefiting the organization, they are a great way to spark a conversation when people are confused as to why you are wearing military boots with civilian clothes.
- Volunteer for the Red Cross while wearing your boots. Take it a step further and become a Service to the Armed Forces volunteer!
- Donate blood to the Red Cross in boots. Considering donating this Veteran's Day, in honor of those who have served our country!
For more information about Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, visit redcross.org. Join T.D. at the Veteran's Day Parade in Fort Worth on Monday starting at 10am.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Calling Young Artists! Help Us Design a Holiday Card For Our Military Members!
Each year the American Red Cross provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans. And each winter, we deliver holiday cards from thousands of Americans to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world, thanking them for their service and wishing them a happy holiday season.
Here in North Texas,
we’re about to kick off our 2013 mail campaign & we need your help! We’re
looking for talented young artists, 10 and younger, to design the perfect
holiday card for our service members. Card designs should fit on a 5.5x8.5 card
cover.
Got a great card design
to bring holiday cheer to our troops? Mail or drop off your entry to our Dallas
Chapter at:
ATTN:
Communications/Holiday Mail For Heroes
American Red Cross
4800 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75235
American Red Cross
4800 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75235
- Card design
- Name
- Age
- Hometown
Deadline for entries is October 4. Thanks for your help!
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