Interview with Roger Parsons, Delbert Crank, May 19, 1985

Project: American Veterans: Vietnam War Oral History Project

  • Description
  • Play Interview
  • Rights & Request
  • Citation

Interview Summary

Roger Parsons discusses the circumstances under which he joined the Marine Corps and Crank discusses how he joined the Army. Parsons talks about his reaction to being sent to Vietnam and to his first rocket attack. Delbert Crank talks about his reaction to being sent to Vietnam and his experiences at Pleiku. Parsons discusses his experience in the artillery, and the morale in the Marines. Crank talks about his experience in the 20th Combat Engineers, his opinion of the Montagnard people, and living conditions in the field. They give their opinions of their commanding officers, and Parsons talks about harassment of a superior officer in his outfit with gas grenades. Crank talks about keeping in touch with folks back home. They discuss the reason why they thought the United States was in Vietnam, and their reaction to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. Crank discusses an experience at Firebase Blackhawk during which Vietnamese civilians were killed. Crank and Parsons give their opinions of the Vietcong and North Vietnamese regular army. They discuss their homecoming experiences and readjusting to civilian life. They discuss the attitude of veterans of other wars towards Vietnam veterans, and Crank discusses his involvement with the American Legion. They talk about the Vietnam Veterans bonus issue, and Crank gives his opinion of the effect war protesters and Jane Fonda had on the morale of the troops in Vietnam.

Interview Accession

1985oh111_vvk008

Interviewee Name

Roger Parsons

Delbert Crank

Interviewer Name

Terry L. Birdwhistell

George Herring

Interview Date

1985-05-19

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 be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Restriction

No Restrictions


access interview in full screen  

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

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.

Add this interview to your cart in order to begin the process of requesting access to a copy of and/or permission to reproduce interview(s). 


Parsons, Roger Interview by Terry L. Birdwhistell. 19 May. 1985. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Parsons, R. (1985, May 19). Interview by T. L. Birdwhistell. American Veterans: Vietnam War Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Parsons, Roger, interview by Terry L. Birdwhistell. May 19, 1985, American Veterans: Vietnam War Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.





You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.

Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7zpc2t7d99