American Veterans: From Combat to Kentucky, Student Veteran Oral History Project
Gallery (42 Interviews Total):
Philip McKenzie, March 11,…
Philip McKenzie joined the Tennessee National Guard after graduating from high school. In this interview he talks about growing up in eastern Kentucky,…Andrew B. Napier, January 28,…
In this interview, Andrew Napier, an Army medic from Richmond, Kentucky, discusses his experiences and how he helped those injured and KIA at an aid station. He…Stephanie Lynn Murphy, March…
Stephanie Murphy joined the Army Reserves in 1998 at seventeen, served as a surgical technologist in the Iraq War, and joined the Air Force as a medic after…Jonathan Patrick Herst,…
Jonathan Herst enlisted in the military in August 2001 after graduating from college. In this interview Herst discusses his experience as an airborne…
Ian Jennings Abney, February …
Ian Abney joined the United States Marine Corps right after graduating from high school. He is a veteran of the Iraq War and a University of Kentucky Student. …William Nathan Noble, January…
William Nathan Noble served four years active duty in the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman. He was deployed overseas three times while in service…Mark Tyler Scott, March 2,…
Tyler Scott joined the Army after graduating from Georgetown College in 2005 and served as an infantry officer in the 1st Brigade Combat Team (504th Parachute…Brandon Maurice Lawrence,…
Brandon Maurice Lawrence served one tour for the Army Reserves in Iraq. In this interview Lawrence describes playing football in high school and his decision…Ryan Dean Zimmerman, May 5,…
Ryan Dean Zimmerman graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point, served as a medical platoon leader in Afghanistan, and attended dental school…Joseph Tyler Gayheart, May 28,…
Tyler Gayheart joined the Marine Corps after graduating from high school. In this interview, Gayheart discusses growing up, his decision to become a Marine,…Noah Melgar, April 15, 2010
Noah Melgar joined the Marine Corps Reserves in 2005 after his freshman year in college. He is currently a military policeman in the Marine Reserves and has…Andrew P. Betson, December 8,…
United States Army officer, Andrew Betson, relates his background as part of an Army family, his education at West Point, and his two deployments to Iraq…Jeremy Adam Bowen, November …
Jeremy Bowen was born in Huntington, Virginia, but moved to Kentucky with his mother when he was a small child. He signed up for the Army during high school,…Annette L. Bickett, December …
In this interview, graduate student Annette Bickett talks about her experiences as a Marine Corps Air Support Officer. The daughter of a United States Marine…Clark Seaton Webb, January 19,…
In this interview, Clark Webb, a management major at the University of Kentucky, discusses his decision to enlist on the first anniversary of 9/11. He…Rebecca Stinsky, May 3, 2011
Rebecca Stinsky grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania and joined the Marine Corps as an air frames mechanic after high school. In this interview, she talks about…Eric Douglas Perry, April 25,…
Eric Perry grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky on his father's farm and enlisted into the Navy during his senior year in high school. In this interview he talks…John Calvin Buckley, IV, June…
John Buckley enlisted into the Army after graduating from high school to become an Army Ranger. In this interview he talks about his decision to join the…Travis Martin, June 3, 2011
Travis Martin served in the Army and did two tours to Iraq during Operation: Iraqi Freedom. In this interview, Martin talks about his upbringing and what…Bradley Johnson, July 8, 2011
Bradley Johnson enlisted in the Kentucky National Guard at eighteen and served in Iraq. In this interview, he talks about how 9/11 encouraged him to join the…Rocco Pepe, July 8, 2011
Rocco Pepe is from Paterson, New Jersey. He joined the Marines in 1976 at eighteen and later joined the Air National Guard in 1990. In this interview Pepe…James Owens, III, July 8,…
James Owens is from Harlan, Kentucky and served in the United States Marine Corps as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) Crewman. In this interview, he talks…Ryan Donahue, July 8, 2011
Ryan Donahue is a Navy veteran that served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and joined the Navy a few years after…Christopher Robinson, June 30,…
Chris Robinson, from Paint Lick, Kentucky, joined the National Guard at twenty-eight years old. He joined the Army to become a combat medic and deployed to…James Medley, September 16,…
James Medley joined the Marine Corps Reserves as a freshman at the University of Kentucky. Medley chose Military Police as his occupation and was stationed…Anne Katherine Jones, October …
Anne Katherine Jones grew up in a military family with each of her siblings connected to a military branch. She graduated from Asbury College and, in 2002,…Derek James Darlington,…
Derek Darlington is a student at the University of Kentucky and a marine corps veteran. He completed two tours of duty in the military, one in Iraq and the…Joseph Woodyard, June 5, 2012
Joseph Woodyard joined the Army directly out of high school and served as a Calvary Scout from 2000-2004. During this time his unit took one tour of duty in…Justin Prather, June 14, 2012
Justin Prather joined the Army in October 2004 where he toured in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an Aviation Operations Specialist. In this interview, Prather…Zachary Westerman, July 31,…
Zachary Westerman joined the United States Navy on September 15, 2003. Westerman discusses his reasoning for joining the Navy and not going to college when he…William Nathan Noble, January…
In his second interview for the project, William Nathan Noble discusses his service during four years active duty in the United States Marine Corps as an…Jesse Daniel Neack, December…
Jesse Neack is a veteran of the Iraq War, serving in the army. In this interview, he discusses his childhood, his family, his decision to join the army in high…Kenneth Aaron Fairchild, April…
Kenneth Aaron Fairchild is a National Guard veteran who served in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In this interview he discusses his decision to join the…Rob Royalty, May 8, 2013
Robert Royalty grew up in Nicholasville, Kentucky and joined the Navy as a missile technician after high school. In this interview, he talks about his decision…Zachary Stillwell, May 29,…
Zachary Stillwell grew up in Shelbyville, Kentucky. He discusses his service as an Army Ranger
and his deployment to Iraq, as well as his transition into…Steve Zahn, May 29, 2013
Actor Steve Zahn discusses his childhood in Minnesota, his transition into professional acting and a lifelong fascination with the military. Reflects on his…Sarah T. Ray, November 20,…
Serving two tours in Afghanistan, Ray discusses duties in the military police, training Afghan Uniformed Police, and returning to civilian life.Josh Wirfs, November 21, 2013
Tank crew member Wirfs discusses experiences in operation Iraqi Freedom, Camp Slayer, and adjustment to civilian life.Ryan Wielgus, April 28, 2016
Ryan Wielgus, at the time of this interview twenty-seven years old, details his journey to the University of Kentucky. Wielgus describes his upbringing, and the…