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

John Pollard Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

John Pollard and David Berry

John Clayton Pollard enlisted in the United States Air Force in August 1969. Mr. Pollard served with the 56^th Combat Support Group stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Mr. Pollard left the Air Force in 1973 having achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Tera Pollard Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Tera A. Pollard and David L. Morse

Tera A. Pollard enlisted in the United States Navy on July 24, 1991. She separated from the Navy on January 12, 1995 and reenlisted on November 3, 1995. Pollard served with the Naval Security Group in Misawa, Japan and Kunia, Hawaii. For her service, Pollard was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award. She also served as a legal assistant to a Japanese Officer for one year of her service. Pollard was discharged from the Navy on November 15, 1999 at the rank of Petty Officer Second Class (E-5).
George Portteus Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

George Portteus and Katie Bradshaw

George Portteus enlisted in the United States Army in November 1961. Mr. Portteus served in Kanghwa-Do Korea with the Army Security Agency. He left military service in 1964.
Derek Pridemore Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Derek Pridemore, Keturah Edwards, and David Berry

Derek Pridemore enlisted in the United States Navy in 2001 and graduated from boot camp two days after 9/11. He was stationed at Norfolk, VA, NSA Bahrain, and the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He served during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pridemore was Supply Officer and achieved the rank of E4 when he was discharged in 2005.
Fredrick L Pumroy Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Fredrick L. Pumroy and Jeremy L. Tkach

Fredrick L. Pumroy was commissioned into the United States Air Force in July 1964. Mr. Pumroy received his pilot wings in 1965 and flew many combat missions during the Vietnam War in various types of aircraft including AC-135’s and OV-10’s. He retired from the Air Force in 1985 having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Matthew Purkey Interview for Veterans' Voices Project

Matthew Purkey and Jeremy L. Tkach

Matthew Purkey enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in October 2006. He served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Purkey left the Marine Corps in 2012 having earned the rank of E-5 Sergeant.
Rodney Reinertson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Rodney Reinertson and Katie Bradshaw

Rodney Reinertson enlisted in the United States Army in 1983. Mr. Reinertson served with K Company, 158^th Aviation Regiment during Operation Desert Storm. Mr. Reinertson left the Army in 1992 with the rank of E-4.
Christine Ricciardo Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Christine R. Ricciardo, Adrian Hill, and David L. Morse

Christine Ricciardo 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.
Curtis Richardson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Curtis Richardson, Jonathan S. Granata, and Ashlie Hawes

Curtis Richardson 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.
William (Bill) Rickert Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

William E. Rickert, Adrian Hill, and Eric Wiete

William (Bill) E. Rickert 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.
Allen C. Riley Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Allen C. Riley, Keturah Edwards, and David Berry

Allen C. Riley enlisted in the United States Navy in October of 1961. He served during the Vietnam War on board the USS Mispillion and the YR-71 in the South China Sea. He left the Navy in July of 1967 having achieved the rank of BM3.
Robert Robinson Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Robert Robinson and David Berry

Robert Robinson enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in October 1942. Mr. Robinson served with the 13^th Air Force, 307^th Bombardment Group in the Pacific Theater during World War II where he performed maintenance of high and low altitude radar bombing equipment. Mr. Robinson left the army in 1946 with the rank of Sergeant.
John Rogers Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

John Rogers and David L. Morse

John Rogers was commissioned into the United States Air Force in July 1967. Mr. Rogers served with the 37^th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in Đà Nẵng during the Vietnam War. Mr. Rogers Left the Air Force in 1975 having achieved the rank of Captain.
Mike Rose Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Mike Rose and Jeniffer Seavey

Mike Rose enlisted in the United States Air Force in October of 1967. He served in the 4258^th 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.
Clifford A. Rosenberger Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Clifford Rosenberger and Adrian Hill

Clifford "Cliff" A. Rosenberger 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.
Paul Ross Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Paul Ross, Terry Ramirez, James C. Mitchell Jr., and Jeffrey D. Briggs

Paul Ross 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.
Barry Rowland Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Barry Rowland and David L. Morse

Barry Rowland enlisted in the United States Air Force in February 1969. Mr. Rowland served at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base Thailand (KNP) during the Vietnam War where he worked on aircraft guns for A-1 Skyraiders. While there he took part in the Son Tay prison raid operation in 1970. Mr. Rowland also served at Đà Nẵng Air Base, Nellis AFB and Tahkli RAFB in Thailand where he was involved in the Linebacker II bombing campaign. Mr. Rowland left the service in 1973 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Jeffrey Sands Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Jeffrey Sands and David Berry

Jeffrey E. Sands enlisted in the United States Force in June 1969. Mr. Sands served with the 456^th Munitions Maintenance Squadron in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand and Đà Nẵng, Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Mr. Sands left the Air Force in 1973 with the rank of Sergeant.
Terrance Sarul Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Terrance Sarul and David Berry

Terrance Sarul enlisted in the United States Air Force in July 1970. Mr. Sarul served with the 18^th Special Operations Squadron in Đà Nẵng and Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam during the Vietnam War where he was a gunner in 120 combat missions over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Mr. Sarul left the Air Force having achieved the rank of E-5 Staff Sergeant.
James R. Saunders Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

James R. Saunders and Eric Wiete

James R. Saunders 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.
Vance Saunders Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Vance Saunders and Jeremy L. Tkach

Vance Saunders 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.
Thomas Schmall Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Thomas Schmall and David Morse

Thomas Schmall was commissioned into the United States Air Force in February 1971. Mr. Schmall served at Nakhon Phanom Air Base in Thailand during the Vietnam War with the 56^th Special Operations Wing where he earned several medals and a letter of commendation. Mr. Schmall left the Air Force in 1981 with the rank of Captain.
Stanley A. Schmieg Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Stanley A. Schmieg and Terry Ramirez

Stanley A. Schmieg 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.
Colleen E. Schoonover Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Colleen E. Schoonover, Adrian Hill, and Jonathan S. Granata

Colleen E. Schoonover, 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.
Lucas Schroeder Interview for the Veterans' Voices Project

Lucas Schroeder and David Berry

Lucas Schroeder 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.