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.

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Anthony Heiland for the Veterans' Voices Project

Anthony Heiland and Ericka Carter

Anthony Heiland enlisted in the United States Army in August 2016. Mr. Heiland was deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Heiland was instrumental in establishing the Veterans League student organization and the Veteran and Military Center at Wright State University. Mr. Heiland has achieved the rank of sergeant and remains active in the Ohio Army National Guard.
Orville Henderson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Orville Henderson and Ericka Carter

Orville “Ed” Henderson enlisted in the United States Air Force in December 1970. Mr. Henderson served with the 56^th Security Police Squadron in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand during the Vietnam War. Mr. Henderson left the Air Force in 1978 having achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Dan Hendrix Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Dan Hendrix and James Hale

Dan Hendrix enlisted in the United States Air Force in January 1965. He received medical training and served in the 903^rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron in Viet Nam during the Vietnam War. His squadron entered combat zones to facilitate prompt removal of wounded. He was at the Battle of Dak To and the Battle of Khe Sanh. He left the Air Force in February 1969.
Dianne Hickey Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Dianne Hickey, Eric Rood, and Jeremy L. Tkach

Dianne Hickey enlisted in the United States Air Force in November 1991. She served as a Russian linguist in Misawa, Japan, and as an instructor of Russian at the Presidio in Monterey, California. She was a daily intelligence briefer for the Air Force Chief of Staff at the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attacks. She achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel and served as a United Nations Liaison Advisor in Tbilisi, Georgia. She left military service in January 2017.
VFWs Look to Attract Younger Veterans

Adrian Hill and Will Davis

Veterans of Foreign Wars, or more commonly known as VFWs, began in 1899, when veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection founded local groups to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. Today, there are over 6,700 VFWs worldwide. But like many fraternal organizations, the future of the VFW depends largely on its ability to attract younger members.
Vietnam Veteran Finds Comfort in Horses, Helps Others Vets Cope

Adrian Hill and Will Davis

Vietnam veteran, William Goforth, knows firsthand the challenge of returning to civilian life after a difficult deployment. He found comfort in horses, and now finds purpose in sharing his discovery with Post-9/11 veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Buell Hoagland Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Buell Hoagland, Anne Moore, and Bradley Wang

Buell Hoagland joined the US Air Force on April 27, 1942. Hoagland served in Europe during World War II. His plane was shot down over Belgium during a spy mission. He was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War to the a prison camp in Barth, Germany. The Russians liberated the Barth prison camp in May 1945. Hoagland left the Air Force on August 5, 1946 after achieving the rank of Captain.
Lawrence Hone Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Lawrence Hone and Jeniffer Seavey

Lawrence Hone enlisted in the Merchant Marines in May 1944. Hone served on the hospital ship USS Larkspur (later the USS Bridgeport) and the USS General C. C. Ballou, a transport ship. During his service, Hone was on a ship that got torpedoed in the Arctic Circle, as well as on a ship that got hit by a mine and towed to Naples. He was discharged on January 1, 1949 at the rank of 3rd Engineer.
James Hoover Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

James Hoover and Ericka Carter

James M. Hoover was commissioned into the United States Air Force in May 1969. Mr. Hoover served with the 56^th Security Police Squadron at Nakhon Phanom in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Mr. Hoover retired from the Air Force in 1989 having achieved the rank of Captain.
Donald Hudson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Donald Hudson and Ericka Carter

Donald Hudson enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Mr. Hudson served at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona as an ejection seat mechanic. When he left military service in 1972 Mr. Hudson had achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Richard Hughes Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Richard J. Hughes and David Berry

Richard Hughes joined the United States Air Force. He attended Air Force Officer Training School in San Antonio, TX being commissioned in December 1989. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He participated in the Persian Gulf War, Iraq War, and in the aftermath of 9/11. Hughes was stationed in the continental United States, Iraq, Southwest Asia, Pakistan, Columbia, and Libya. Hughes left active duty in 2010. At the time of the interview, he was working as the Chief of Strategic Planning, Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Frank Jackson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Frank Jackson and David Berry

Frank Jackson enlisted in the United States Air Force in October 1967. Mr. Jackson served at Nakhon Phanom in Thailand and George Air Force Base in California during the Vietnam War. Mr. Jackson left the Air Force in 1971.
Michael E. Jackson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Michael E. Jackson and Adrian Hill

Michael E. Jackson entered the Air Force as a commissioned officer on November 7, 1968. He was a pilot with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron during Vietnam, where he served at Camp Eagle, Hue, Phu Bai, and Đà Nẵng. Jackson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, 9 Air Medals, and several others. He served as Command Pilot on over 200 combat missions. Jackson retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) on August 31, 1991.
Jeffrey Johnson Interview for Veterans' Voices Project

Jeffery Johnson, Ericka Carter, and Nick Dux

Jeffery Andrew Johnson joined the Army National Guard in 1987 as a pharmacy officer. In 1992 he joined the United States Air Force as Chief of Pharmacy Training. Mr. Johnson was deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. He also served in Japan, Alaska and Colorado. He retired from the military having achieved the rank of Colonel.
Kim Johnson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Kim Johnson and Ericka Carter

Kim Johnson enlisted in the United States Air Force in March 1968. Ms. Johnson served six presidents on the presidential air crew aboard Air Force One. Ms. Johnson retired from the Air Force in 1994 having achieved the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.
Mortenous Johnson Interview for the Veterans' Voices

Mortenous Johnson and Ericka Carter

Mortenous A. Johnson enlisted in the United States Air Force in the early 1980s. Mr. Johnson served in the first Gulf War. He was awarded several medals including the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award and was nominated twice as one of the Twelve Outstanding Airmen of the USAF. He left military service in 1993.
Paul Johnston Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Paul Johnston, Adrian Hill, and Jeremy Dobbins

Paul Johnston served in the United States Air Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Johnston served in the Air Force ROTC at the University of Arizona, and was later stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Thomas Jones Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Thomas G. Jones and Jeniffer Seavey

Thomas G. Jones was drafted into the United States Army in 1943. He served in World War II in New Guinea, and the Philippines. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal, and more. He was discharged in 1946 having obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Timothy Jones Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Timothy M. Jones and David Morse

Timothy M. Jones enlisted in the United States Navy in 1998. He served at the Marine Corps Air Station in Hakone Japan. Jones was awarded the Volunteer Service Medal and the Overseas Service Medal. He was discharged as a Petty Officer, Third Class (E-4) in 2000.
Robert Joseph Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Robert Joseph and Ericka Carter

Robert Joseph enlisted in the United States Army in September 1966. Mr. Joseph served with the Army Security Agency in Korea, Ethiopia and Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Mr. Joseph left the Army in 1970 holding the rank of E-4.
Curtis Kane Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Curtis T. Kane, David L. Morse, and Keturah Edwards

Curtis Kane enlisted in the United States Navy in 1983. He attended Airman Apprenticeship School in San Diego, CA. He was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS America in the Hanger Bay Division working as an aircraft handler and firefighter. He was also on the USS Nassau working the flight deck. He left the service in 1989, became a civilian firefighter, and joined the Army National Guard followed by the Navy National Guard. Curtis served during the 1986 Libyan Operations, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Fred Karabaich Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Fred Karabaich and Adrian Hill

Fred Karabaich enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in January 1942. Karabaich was stationed at the 13298th Army Air Base in Missamari Assam, India. He worked as radio operator and repairman in India, China, and Burma (now Myanmar) during World War II. Karabaich was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. He was discharged on October 3, 1945 at the rank of Sergeant.
Harold Karschner Jr. Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Harold Karschner Jr. and David Morse

Harold “Wayne” Karschner enlisted in the United States Air Force in February 1972. Mr. Karschner served at Chʻing-chʻüan Kang Air Base in Taiwan. Mr. Karschner left the Air Force having achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Robert Keller Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Robert Keller and Ericka Carter

Robert Keller enlisted in the United States Air Force in May 1969. Mr. Keller served with the 374^th Airlift Wing at Chʻing-chʻüan Kang Air Base in Taiwan during the Vietnam War. Mr. Keller left the Air Force in 1973 having achieved the rank of E-4 Sergeant.
Art Kemp Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Art Kemp and Jeniffer Seavey

Art Kemp enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1943. He served in Polebrook in the United Kingdom. Kemp was a tail-gunner in a B-17G and he shot down an FW 190 and an ME 109 on the Meseberg Raid. Kemp was discharged as a staff sergeant in 1945.