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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Christine Ricciardo Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Christine R. Ricciardo, Adrian Hill, and David L. Morse
Christine Ricciardo (DOB: September 7, 1962) enlisted in the United States Air Force on January 15, 1981. She served in Texas, Mississippi, California, Japan, Greece, Maryland, and Ohio. Ricciardo attended Administrative and Courier Training, and served with the Honor Guard. She retired from the Air Force on February 1, 2001 at the rank of E-6.
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Curtis Richardson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Curtis Richardson, Jonathan S. Granata, and Ashlie Hawes
Curtis Richardson (DOB: 12/28/1945) was drafted into the United States Army in 1965. He was stationed at Fort Ord, California. He was discharged from the Army in 1971 at the rank of Private First Class.
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William (Bill) Rickert Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
William E. Rickert, Adrian Hill, and Eric Wiete
William (Bill) E. Rickert (DOB: February 17, 1947) was drafted into the Army on June 22, 1969. He served with the 172nd Infantry Brigade in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. Rickert left the Army on June 20, 1971 having achieved the rank of E-5 Specialist 5.
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Allen C. Riley Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Allen C. Riley, Keturah Edwards, and David Berry
Allen C. Riley (DOB: July 18, 1942) enlisted in the United States Navy in October of 1961. He served during the Vietnam War on board the USS Missippilon and the YR-71 in the South China Sea. He left the Navy in July of 1967 having achieved the rank of BM3.
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Mike Rose Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Mike Rose and Jeniffer Seavey
Mike Rose (DOB: August 6, 1948) enlisted in the United States Air Force in October of 1967. He served in the 4258th Munition Maintenance Squadron at U-Tapao Airfield in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He was discharged in May of 1971 with the rank of E-5.
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Clifford A. Rosenberger Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Clifford Rosenberger and Adrian Hill
Clifford "Cliff" A. Rosenberger (DOB: April 23, 1981) enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard on July 23, 1999. He served with the 178th Fighter Wing and the 113th Fighter Wing in Springfield, OH and Washington, DC. Rosenberger was discharged from the DC Air National Guard on July 23, 2010 after achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. Cliff now serves as the Ohio Speaker of the House.
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Paul Ross Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Paul Ross, Terry Ramirez, James C. Mitchell Jr., and Jeffrey D. Briggs
Paul Ross (DOB: May 10, 1917) accepted a commission with the United States Army Air Corps (and later the United States Air Force) in May 1940. During his service, Ross served in both World War II and the Korean War. He served with the 376th Bombardment Group in Italy and Korea. Ross was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He participated in 35 missions during WWII. Paul Ross was discharged from the Air Force in 1965 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
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James R. Saunders Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
James R. Saunders and Eric Wiete
James R. Saunders (DOB: June 8, 1957) enlisted in the United States Army on March 15, 1975. Throughout his Army career, Saunders served with the 8th Infantry Division, the 11th Special Forces Group, the 56th Field Artillery Regiment, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 15th Psychological Operations Battalion, the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, the MiTT912 (Military Transition Team) IAG (Iraq Assistance Group), the 83rd Infantry Division in the Army Reserve. He served in Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Storm/Shield, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Saunders earned three Bronze Stars, four Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, one Air Force Commendation Medal, and five Army Achievement Medals. He retired from the Army on January 1, 2007 at the rank of Major.
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Vance Saunders Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Vance Saunders and Jeremy L. Tkach
Vance Saunders (DOB: October 21, 1955) enlisted in the United States Air Force on June 10, 1973. He attended Security Police School and became a military working dog handler. He left military service on June 30, 1993 at the rank of Captain. Saunders is an instructor in the Computer Science department at Wright State University.
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Stanley A. Schmieg Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Stanley A. Schmieg and Terry Ramirez
Stanley A. Schmieg (DOB: October 16, 1941) was drafted in to the United States Army on January 13, 1964. He attended Data Processing school and served with the 8th Infantry Division. Schmieg was stationed in Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Bad Kreuznach, Germany. For his time in the Army, Schmieg was awarded the Good Conduct Medal. Stanley was discharged on January 10, 1966 at the rank of Specialist E-5.
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Colleen E. Schoonover Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Colleen E. Schoonover, Adrian Hill, and Jonathan S. Granata
Colleen E. Schoonover (DOB: October 16, 1987), enlisted in the army in 2008. She served in the Afghan War as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Schoonover served with the 3rd Platoon, 5th Battalion, 3rd Regiment, and the 17th Fires Brigade.
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Lucas Schroeder Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Lucas Schroeder and David Berry
Lucas Schroeder (DOB: October 23, 1990) enlisted in the United States Army in 2012. He served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Schroeder was awarded the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He was discharged in 2016 with the rank of Specialist.
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Alecia Scriven Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Alecia Scriven and Ericka Carter
Alecia Scriven (DOB: August 28, 1966) enlisted in the United States Air Force in March 1987. Ms. Scriven served at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Wright Patterson Air Force Base as medical logistics personnel. She retired in 2010 having achieved the rank of Master Sergeant.
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Best Friends Forever: Two Veterans Find Strength in Service
Jeniffer Seavey and Will Davis
Jeniffer and Amanda met in the Army. Both experienced set backs then, but today they find strength in their friendship and service. Our Veterans Voices' series continues with Army veteran and Wright State student, Jeniffer Seavey of New Carlisle, and her BFF, Army veteran Amanda Murphy.
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Russell Seel Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Russell Paul Seel and Adrian Hill
Russell Paul Seel (DOB: December 18, 1939) enlisted in the Air Force on December 3, 1958. During his Air Force career, he served in 17 assignments, and earned 17 active duty awards, 12 commemorative awards (see additional files), and was nominated Airman of the Year in 1960 while at Altus AFB in Oklahoma. Seel served in Spain in 1961, Vietnam in 1966, Greenland in 1973, Thailand in 1974, and England in 1981. He retired as a Master Sergeant on December 31, 1984.
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Richard Seifried Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Richard Seifried, William R. Corkum, and Jeniffer Seavey
Richard Dwight Seifried (DOB: June 23, 1928) was drafted into the United States Army in 1950. He served at Fort Breckenridge, in San Francisco, Korea, and Japan. Seifried also took part in the Chinese Spring Offensive. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. Siefried was discharged as a Private First Class in 1952.
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Daniel M. Semsel Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Daniel M. Semsel, Adrian Hill, and Jonathan S. Granata
Daniel M. Semsel (DOB: September 6, 1969), joined the Air Force in January 1989 as a Commissioned Officer. He served in the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi War, and the Afghan War and was a part of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Semsel served in Saudi Arabia, Oklahoma, Nevada, Iceland, New Jersey, Arizona, Maryland, Panama, Hawaii, North Dakota, Missouri, Virginia, Afghanistan, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and most recently with the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal with valor, the Air Force Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Combat Action Medal. Semsel retired from the Air Force on May 22, 2013 as a Colonel (O-6).
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Jared Shank Interview for Veterans' Voices
Jared Shank and Ericka Carter
Jared W. Shank (DOB: April 23, 1984) enlisted in The United States Army in September 2002. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Shank left the Army in 2006 having achieved the rank of E-5 Sergeant.
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Joon Shim Interview for Veterans' Voices
Joon Shim and Ericka Carter
Joon K. Shim (DOB: April 14, 1978) was commissioned into the United States Army in February 2002. Until 2006 Ms. Shim was earning an M. D. at George Washington University and University of Massachusetts. Upon becoming a general surgeon she served two tours in Afghanistan as a combat trauma surgeon during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2015 she left the Army with the rank of Colonel.
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Jimmie Sistrunk Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Jimmie Washington Sistrunk, Adrian Hill, and David L. Morse
Jimmie Washington Sistrunk (DOB: January 7, 1944) enlisted in the United States Army on July 26, 1962. Sistrunk attended jump school and served in the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Armored Division in Germany. He was awarded the Parachutist Badge. Sistrunk was discharged from the Army on July 25, 1968, at the rank of Private First Class (PFC).
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Robert E. Sites Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Robert E. Sites, Jeniffer Seavey, and Robert A. Stucky
Robert E. Sites (DOB: February 16, 1928) enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on December 5, 1945. Sites attended Weather School at Chanute Field, Illinois, and Radiosonde School at Elmendorf Air Base, Alaska. He served on Adak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska as a Radiosonde operator as part of the US Air Corps Weather Service. He was discharged on December 4, 1948 at the rank of Staff Sergeant.
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Lillian Skowvron Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Lillian Skowvron and Jeremy L. Tkach
Lillian Skowvron (DOB: December 15, 1995) enlisted in the Air National Guard in August of 2014. She achieved the rank of E4 Senior Airman. She was a member of the 121st Civil Engineering Squadron. She received training in water and fuel system maintenance. Skowvron participated in the Operation Inherent Resolve. She was stationed in the city of Doha in the state of Qatar. Skowvron is working toward her degree in nursing at Wright State University.
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Charles Sleighter Interview for Veterans' Voices
Charles Sleighter and Ericka Carter
Charles W. Sleighter (DOB: August 19, 1941) was drafted into the United States Army in 1966. He was deployed to Vietnam during the Vietnam Conflict. Mr. Sleighter left the Army with the rank of Specialist E-4.
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Joseph R. Smith Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
Joseph R. Smith and Adrian Hill
Joseph (Joe) R. Smith (DOB: November 10, 1953) enlisted in the Army on May 27, 1953. He attended Officer Candidate School in 1979. Smith was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer's Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon. He retired from the Army as Major (04) on October 31, 1995.
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George W. Snook Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project
George W. Snook, Jeniffer Seavey, and Robert A. Stucky
George W. Snook (DOB: December 26, 1920) was drafted into United States Army Air Corps on October 12, 1942. He served with the 445th Bombardment Group and the 703rd Bombardment Squadron in England. Snook was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Victory Commemorative Medal. He left the Air Corps on September 30, 1945.