Interview with Anthony "Tony" Gasbarro, September 13, 2023

Interview Summary

Anthony "Tony" Gasbarro served as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in the Dominican Republic (DR) from 1962-64 and in El Salvador from 1996-98, both in Forestry. He is the 2003 winner of the Lillian Carter Award for outstanding service by PCVs aged 55 and older, and the John F. Kennedy award for the RPCVs who contributed most to their communities. He discusses training for the DR at the University of Washington that focused heavily on American values and the American political system and Outward-Bound training in Puerto Rico. He discusses political violence in the DR, Dominicans’ reaction to the JFK assassination, a rocky start to his service and ultimately helping start a forestry school and English language training he provided. He discusses rejoining the Peace Corps upon retirement, training foresters in El Salvador, and after completion of service setting up a Peace Corps Master’s program at the University of Alaska/Fairbanks and a teacher exchange with El Salvador.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (US) Dominican Republic (Country of Service) Forestry (Peace Corps program) 1962-64 (years of service) El Salvador (Country of Service) Forestry (Peace Corps program) 1996-98 (years of service) Lillian Carter Award (award presented by the National Peace Corps Association for outstanding service by PCVs aged 55 and older) John F. Kennedy award (award presented every 5 years by the Peace Corps recognizing members of the Peace Corps community who have made exceptional contributions toward realizing the mission and goals of the agency) Cuban missile crisis (historical context) JFK assassination (historical context) leftist Dominican president Juan Bosch (historical context) Vietnam War and the military draft (historical context) Peace Corps training (at the University of Washington, at Camp Crozier in Arecibo, Puerto Rico for the DR and in Guatemala for El Salvador ) San Juan de La Maguana (town in which he was stationed in the DR) La Montañona (town in which he was stationed in El Salvador).

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.