Veterans' Voices

The Veterans' Voices Project is a combined effort by Wright State University’s Veteran and Military Center and local NPR station WYSO. Wright State Veteran students record video interviews of Veterans ranging from World War II to the current conflicts. These interviews are then stored in both The Library of Congress and Wright State University archives. All of the interviews are available for viewing at the Library of Congress and Wright State archives. Some of these interviews will be viewable on The Library of Congress website.

Another aspect to this project is our partnership with the local NPR affiliate WYSO. WYSO will be airing pieces for the national project known as “Veterans Coming Home.” These pieces will be about transitions and struggles that Veterans in the Dayton area have faced and overcome.

This project is conducted by Veterans, for Veterans. Many military service members have never told their story, this is their chance to do it. Recording and archiving these stories preserves them for future generations.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

Robert H Bready Jr. Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Robert H. Brady Jr. and Ericka Carter

Robert H. Brady Jr. enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in July 1980. Mr. Brady served throughout the Middle East and Europe through the 1980s. He was involved in the removal of the PLO from Beirut Lebanon. Mr. Brady was on board the USS Iwo Jima off the Lebanese coast during the 1983 Beirut bombing of the Marines barracks. He lost 241 friends and fellow marines. Mr. Brady left the Marine Corps in 1990 as an E-6 Sergeant.
Carlos Braziel Interview for Veterans' Voices Project

Carlos Braziel and Erika Mitchell

Carlos Braziel enlisted in the United States Air Force in September 1989. He attended basic training and technical school at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls Texas. He served as an electrical lineman at several bases before having the opportunity to receive an officers’ commission upon completing a bachelor’s degree. Mr. Braziel served as a civil engineer deployed to Qatar during the second Gulf War and also assisted with Hurricane Katrina Disaster relief. He retired from military service in 2010.
Oliver Brewer Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Oliver Brewer and Ericka Carter

Oliver Brewer enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1954. Mr. Brewer served with the 4^th Marine Brigade Headquarters in Okinawa and at Camp Pendleton in California. Mr. Brewer left the Marine Corps in 1957 with the rank of Corporal.
Harry Bright Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Harry Bright and Ericka Carter

Harry Bright enlisted in the United States Air Force in September 1965. He served at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand during the Vietnam War as an aircraft engine mechanic. Mr. Bright completed his service in 1968 having achieved the rank of Airman First Class.
Robert L. Brocklehurst Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Robert L. Brocklehurst and Jeremy L. Tkach

Robert L. Brocklehurst was commissioned into the United States Army Air Corps in September 1941. Mr. Brocklehurst was a pilot in the Army Air Corps during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska through 1943. He was in based in Okinawa Japan during the Korean War and later became Base Commander at Stewart Air Force Base in New York. Mr. Brocklehurst retired in 1968 having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Terry Burkert Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Terry Burkert, Ericka Carter, and Katie Bradshaw

Terry Burkert enlisted in the United States Air Force in December 1969. Mr. Burkert served in the Philippines, Taiwan and at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Mr. Burkert left the Air Force in 1973 having achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Jimmie Butler Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Jimmie Butler and David Berry

Jimmie Butler was commissioned into the United States Air Force in June 1959. Mr. Butler served with the 23^rd Tactical Air Supply Squadron at Nakhon Phanom in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He was involved in the secret war over Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and earned a silver star for his service. Mr. Butler retired from the Air Force in 1987 holding the rank of Colonel.
Thomas Carskadon Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Thomas Carskadon and Adrian Hill

Thomas Carskadon enlisted in the United States Navy in 1968. He served in Meridian, Mississippi, San Diego, California, and Vietnam and was assigned to the USS Midway. Carskadon was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Campaign Medal. Thomas Carskadon was discharged as a Petty Office 2nd Class.
Cheli Chappell Interview for Veterans' Voices Project

Cheli Chappell and Ericka Carter

Cheli E. Gibson-Chappell enlisted in the United States Air Force in May 1984. She was in the 57th Fighter Weapons Squadron based at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ms. Gibson-Chappell left the Air Force in March 1988.
Steve Christ Interview for Veterans' Voices Project

Steve Christ and Jeremy L. Tkach

Steve T. Christ was commissioned into the United States Air Force in August 1953. He became a pilot of a C-119 aircraft. He then served in Japan as part of a cold war reconnaissance mission known as Project Moby Dick. He and his crew retrieved balloons with cameras which had been floated over the Soviet Union. Mr. Christ left the Air Force in 1956 as a 1st Lieutenant.
Ralph Clary Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Ralph Clary and Wallace Daryl Crabb II

Ralph Clary enlisted in the United States Navy in November 1969. Mr. Clary served aboard the U.S.S. Lexington. Mr. Clary left the Navy in 1975 having achieved the rank of E-4.
Michael Cobb Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Michael Cobb and Ericka Carter

Michael Cobb enlisted in the United States Navy Reserves in 1959. Mr. Cobb was activated during the Cuban Missile Crisis and subsequently served at Christmas Island helping with nuclear and hydrogen bomb testing. Mr. Cobb left military service in 1964 having achieved the rank of E-4.
Julie A. Constable Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Julie A. Constable and Adrian Hill

Julie A. Constable entered the Air Force as a commissioned officer on July 24, 1983. She was part of the Medical-USAF Nurse Corps and was stationed at Keesler AFB in Mississippi, Dyess AFB in Texas, MacDill AFB in Florida, RAF Lakenheath in England, Eglin AFB in Florida, and Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. Constable retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel on August 1, 2007.
Dave Cottrill Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Dave Cottrill and Jeffrey D. Briggs

C. David "Dave" Cottrill was sworn into the United States Air Force on June 3, 1973. He served as an Air Force Chaplain in several locations, including Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, Ankara Air Station, Turkey, Scott AFB, Illinois, Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Cottrill served in Operation Desert Storm. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Cottrill left the Air Force on June 3, 1993 after achieving the rank of Major.
Gary Craig Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Gary Craig and Ericka Carter

Gary Craig was commissioned into the United States Air Force in May 1962. Mr. Craig flew many missions during the Vietnam War while stationed in Thailand. Mr. Craig was forced to bail out during one mission spending several hours in a village before being rescued. He retired from the military in 1984 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Dennis Crouch Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Dennis E. Crouch and Adrian Hill

Dennis E. Crouch was commissioned into the United State Air Force on August 11, 1962. He attended pilot school and served in multiple locations including Tinker Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma, Wurtsmith AFB in Michigan, Vance AFB in Oklahoma, Edwards AFB in California, Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, and the Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base, Laos, and Vietnam. Crouch participated in missions over the Laotian section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal. Crouch was discharged from the Air Force in October 1989 at the rank of Colonel.
Alexander Cwiekalo Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Alexander Cwiekalo and David Berry

Alexander Cwiekalo enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1966. He served in Texas, New York, Indiana, Italy, Germany, Nebraska, Belgium, Hawaii, Ohio, Saudi Arabia, New Mexico, and South Korea. Cwiekalo was assigned to the National Aerospace Intelligence Center, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In total he had thirteen consecutive years of joint/international command assignments.
Roberta Cwiekalo Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Roberta M. Cwiekalo and David Berry

Roberta M. Cwiekalo was enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1967. She served at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana during the Vietnam Era. Cwiekalo was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal. She was discharge as a Sergeant in 1971.
Natalie D'Alessandro Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Natalie D'Alessandro and Jeniffer Seavey

Natalie D'Alessandro accepted a commission in the United States Air Force on May 24, 2004. She served with the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron and the 552nd Air Control Wing in Florida, Oklahoma, and Ohio. D'Alessandro participated in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and was awarded the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaves, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal. D'Alessandro left the Air Force on March 1, 2012 at the rank of Captain.
Hugh Daley Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Hugh Daley and Ericka Carter

Hugh J. Daley enlisted in the United States Navy in December 1960. Upon leaving the Navy in 1964 Mr. Daley finished high school then graduated from nursing school. He was then commissioned into the United States Army in 1970. Mr. Daley then served in the United Stated Navy Nursing Corps. Mr. Daley left military service in 1973 with the rank of lieutenant.
Leonard Davenport Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Leonard Davenport and Ericka Carter

Leonard Davenport enlisted in the United States Army National Guard in September 1950. Mr. Davenport served in the Korean War and later joined the Army and was in Germany with the 1402 Combat Engineer Battalion. During his military career Mr. Davenport worked on the Titan I missile and at the Pentagon. Mr. Davenport retired from military service in 1985 having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Tommy Davis Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Tommy Vance Davis, Eric Wiete, and Adrian Hill

Tommy Vance Davis enlisted in the Marine Corps in December 1977. During his time in the Marine Corps, he was part of the 1st Marine Division, attended Sea School, and served in Desert Storm/Shield. Davis served throughout the world, including Cuba, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Twenty Nine Palms in California, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and the USS Missouri. He retired from the Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant (E-6) in March, 1998.
Richard Dickey Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Richard Dickey, Ashlie Hawes, and Amanda Watkins

Richard Dickey enlisted in the United State Navy in 1952. Dickey served on the USS Cadmus and in Bainbridge, Maryland and Norfolk, Virginia. He left the Navy in 1956 at the rank of Seaman.
Michelle Dixon Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Michelle Dixon and Ericka Carter

Michelle Dixon enlisted in the United States Air Force in October 1979. Ms. Dixon served with the 26 Tactical Air Command at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Ms. Dixon left the Air Force in 1983 having achieved the rank of Senior Airman E-4.
A WWII Veteran Shares his Stories in Person, via Social Media

Jeremy Dobbins and Will Davis

Jim "Pee Wee" Martin, an World War II Army Veteran, parachuted into Normandy on the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion at the age of 93. Jim was in the now famous 506th parachute infantry regiment featured in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. He was nicknamed “Pee Wee” because he was the lightest man in the unit. At the end of the war, Jim returned to Xenia to build a house, raise a family, and live a modest life. But when Jim got online and connected with social media, his popularity reached celebrity status.