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100
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https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/85b20fcd21a4770ae303f58fecc92c7e.pdf
d474090e15b97704aa950c0da4f7b14d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project Collection
Alternative Title
Lone Sailor Collection
Subject
Veterans--Florida
Orlando (Fla.)
United States. Navy
Navy
Sailors--United States
Description
Collection of digital images and oral histories related to the former Recruit Training Center Orlando (RTC Orlando) for the United States Navy. The training center transformed raw recruits into highly effective sailors. This process took place over an intensive eight-week training period, commonly referred to as "boot camp." RTC Orlando occupied roughly one half of the former Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando), which was located at present day Baldwin Park, Orlando, Florida. Between 1968 and 1994, over 650,000 men and women graduated from RTC Orlando.
Contributor
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project</a>
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/24" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida.
Language
eng
Type
Collection
Coverage
Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida
Contributing Project
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project</a>
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">About the Project</a>." UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida. http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/.
"<a href="http://cfnavyleague.org/lone-sailor/" target="_blank">The History</a>." Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project. http://cfnavyleague.org/lone-sailor/
"<a href="http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/" target="_blank">The History</a>." RTC Orlando. http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/.
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank"><em>A Guide to Historic Orlando</em></a>. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Oral History of Michael Partain
Alternative Title
Oral History, Partain
Subject
Veterans--Florida
Navy
Orlando (Fla.)
Description
An oral history interview of Michael Partain (b. 1968), who served in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War Era. Partain was born at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on January 30, 1968. He enlisted in the Navy on January 2, 1988, but was disqualified due to illness on February 20. During his short service, Partain trained at Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando).<br /><br />This oral history interview was conducted by Amanda Hill on March 6, 2014. Interview topics include Partain's background, enlistment, basic training, advanced training at the Nuclear Propulsion School, the effect of the Navy's presence in Central Florida on the region, NTC Orlando, training, his illness and subsequent qualification, and life after leaving the Navy.
Table Of Contents
0:00:00 Introduction<br />0:00:29 Background<br />0:01:40 Enlistment<br />0:04:00 Naval Training Center Orlando and Nuclear Propulsion School<br />0:06:02 Naval presence in Central Florida<br />0:08:08 Illness and disqualification<br />0:11:18 Basic training, group mentality, and team-building<br />0:23:16 Social life and lessons learned<br />0:25:48 Routine, classes, and Uniform Military Code of Justice<br />0:28:48 Most difficult aspect of boot camp and proudest moment<br />0:31:50 Post-Navy life, breast cancer, and Tetrachloroethylene contamination<br />0:37:07 Lessons learned from the Navy<br />0:39:07 Legacy of NTC Orlando<br />0:43:25 Navy hospital<br />0:45:06 Closing remarks
Abstract
Oral history interview of Michael Partain. Interview conducted by Amanda Hill at Partain's home in Orlando, Florida, on March 6, 2014.
Type
Moving Image
Source
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/284/rec/1" target="_blank">Partain, Michael</a>. Interviewed by Amanda Hill, March 6, 2014. Audio/video record available. Item DP0014905, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Requires
<a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Adobe Flash Player</a>
<a href="http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp" target="_blank">Java</a>
<a href="https://get.adobe.com/reader/" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, Orlando, Florida.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/109" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project Collection</a>, UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Has Format
Digital transcript of original 47-minute and 17-second oral history: <a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/284/rec/1" target="_blank">Partain, Michael</a>. Interviewed by Amanda Hill, March 6, 2014. Audio/video record available. Item DP0014905, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Conforms To
Standards established by the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/vets/" target="_blank">Veterans History Projects</a>, Library of Congress.
Coverage
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Winter Haven, Florida
Recruit Training Center Orlando, Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Creator
Partain, Michael
Hill, Amanda
Publisher
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Contributor
Van Zandt, Carli
Date Created
2014-03-06
Date Modified
2014-09-01
Date Copyrighted
2014-03-06
Format
application/website
application/pdf
Extent
406 MB
223 KB
Medium
47-minute and 17-second DVD audio/video recording
23-page digital transcript
Language
eng
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Amanda Hill and Michael Partain.
Rights Holder
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Accrual Method
Item Creation
Contributing Project
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, UCF Digital Collections, University of Central Florida
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://cfnavyleague.org/lone-sailor/" target="_blank">The History</a>." Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project. http://cfnavyleague.org/lone-sailor/
"<a href="http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/" target="_blank">The History</a>." RTC Orlando. http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/.
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank"><em>A Guide to Historic Orlando</em></a>. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
Click to View (Movie, Podcast, or Website)
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/284/rec/1" target="_blank">Partain, Michael</a>
Transcript
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Today is March 6<sup>th</sup>, 2014. I’m interviewing Mike Partain, who served in the United States Navy. My name is Amanda Hill, and with me is [Carolyn] “Carli” Van Zandt running the camera. We are interviewing today Mr. [<em>laughs</em>] Mike Partain, as part of UCF [University of Central Florida] Community Veterans History Project and as research for the creation of the Lone Sailor Memorial Project. We are recording this interview at Mike’s home in Orlando, Florida.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Mr. Partain, will you please start off by telling us, uh, where and when you were born?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I was born at, uh, Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina in January of 1968.</p>
<p><strong>Hill <br /></strong>So your parents were in the service?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>And[?] my father was a [United States] Naval Academy graduate and a Marine Officer.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>In North Carolina?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, yeah, he served in the Marine Corps, uh, in North Carolina.</p>
<p><strong>Hill <br /></strong>And so what did your mom do for a living?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, my mother was a housewife. Uh, she’s a French Canadian from the providence of Quebec[, Canada], and they met when he was, uh, in the training crews at the Naval Academy.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Do you have any brothers or sisters?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I have one sister, uh, born in Bethesda Naval Hospital<a title="">[1]</a> in 1970.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>And growing up, where did you go to school?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, well, after my father, uh, resigned his commission from the Marine Corps, we moved to, uh, Central Florida—Polk County.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>How old were you when he resigned?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, four years old.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So you moved here pretty early?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yeah, I’ve been here pretty much all my life. This is—this is home. Uh, Camp Lejeune’s pretty much just a name on a birth certificate.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Were your par—were your—was your father involved in the Navy—the Navy at all when he moved here?</p>
<p><strong>Partain <br /></strong>No, no. He was out of the service by then.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Okay. So what did you do before you entered the Navy?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, I was a college student. Uh, went to Florida State University for my first year of college and, um, didn’t do too well my first year, and when my father got my report card, uh, he informed me that I was on my own.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>] Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>That’s why I joined the Navy.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So that’s why you joined the Navy.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Alright. So how old were you at that time?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, I was 19.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>19. So why the Navy? What…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, the—we’re a military family. My grandfather had, uh, served in the Marine Corps. Um, my father was in the Naval Academy and graduated 1966, and, uh, served in the Marine Corps of his commission. So going to the Navy was an opportunity. I, uh, saw a lot of different opportunities I can do in the Navy—pay for my education. That was my main thing was to get my college paid for, since, uh, I didn’t do too well my first year.</p>
<p><strong>Hill <br /></strong>What were you looking to study?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, actually, I went in to the Tampa MET [Military Entrance Test] center<a title="">[2]</a> for the, um, [<em>clears throat</em>]—for testing and did the ASVAB [Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery] test—scored very well—and they pulled me aside and asked me if I would take the nuc—nuclear test for Nuclear Propulsion School in the Navy, which I did and scored, uh, very high on that. High enough that the commanding officer of the MET center came to me and asked if I would sign an enlistment contract right away, and I said, “No,” and that I was—that I wanted to think about it first, because I wasn’t totally sure that I wanted to go into the military, and I made the mistake of mentioning my father being, uh—was a Naval Academy graduate, and he ended up calling my father, and, uh, the two of them got together, uh, and I didn’t have a chance. I ended up signing my enlistment contract about an hour later.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Wow, so pretty easy decision?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, yeah, it was. I mean I delayed my enlistment. This was in April 1987, when I was still, um—actually, uh, I had just got home from college and, um, I delayed my enlistment until January of 1988.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Why delay?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Just wanted to go in the winter months. I—I don’t like the summer. So I didn’t want to run around in the summer and do PT [physical training] in the summertime.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Makes sense.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>[<em>coughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So where did you attend boot camp?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, I joined the Navy to go see the world, and I ended up travelling about 45 miles north of where I lived and grew up in Orlando, Florida, at the Orlando Naval Training Center.</p>
<p><strong>Hill <br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>] Right. Were you, uh, looking to be trained then in a specific career at that point or were they looking to train you in a specific career?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yeah, I was accepted into the Nuclear Propulsion School for the Navy, and I had to complete my basic training and then A School after that, which were both, at that time—both housed at the Orlando Naval Training Center, uh, here in Orlando.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Can you tell me more about the nuclear propulsion?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, um, I didn’t get that far. Um, uh, basically, from my understanding with the school, once I completed, uh, basic, I was gonna go into A School at the Nu—uh, Nuclear Propulsion School, and—which, um, I—if I completed that, I did a six-year hitch as part of the contract, and if I completed the school, then I would have gone into the fleet as an E[nlisted Rank]-3, which would have been Petty Officer [<em>sniffs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Okay. So that specific school—what are they—what do they do?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, they train the engineers to run the, uh, nuclear propulsion systems for the Navy’s aircraft carriers, uh, and sub—uh, submarines that are nuclear-powered, and it’s a promising career path. It opens up a lot of doors. It was very tough. Academically, it was a very stringent program. If you failed, uh, out of the program, then you went into the fleet and served the rest of your hitch [<em>sniffs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What—what were you hoping to do with that?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, it was going to be a skill for me. Um, Open the doors, uh, to—you know, to have a trade and, uh, also go to college. Uh, my plan was to finish college, once I graduated—uh, once I completed my hitch in the Navy, and then take the expertise I had learned in the Navy, along with a—hopefully, a degree in nuclear engineering, uh, and go work in a private industry.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Okay. So then—so you began your training at NTC [Naval Training Center Orlando] in January of 1988?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Hill <br /></strong>Correct? Okay. So you were pretty familiar then with the region, right? [inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>As far as Florida? Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Yes, um, [<em>laughs</em>] so were you…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I joined the Navy and see world, and go right into my own back yard. So…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Right. Were you familiar with the Navy’s presence in Orlando already?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yes, I mean, I—growing up here, you know, the—growing up in Florida, especially, uh, at my age, and when the—the telltale signs of World War II are still all over Florida. Uh, Most of your airports are former Army or Navy Train—, uh, naval, um—Sorry. Most of your airports are former Army or naval training centers for the pilots during World War II, like Sebring [Regional Airport]. Even McCoy [Air Force Base] airfield, which is now the [Orlando] International Airport, was a training field, uh, during World War II. So, you know, there’s always been a military presence in Florida.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>How—do you remember how you found out about that presence?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>As far as—I mean, growing up, I mean, you see the bases. Um, you got NASJAX [Naval Air Station Jacksonville] up in Orlando.<a title="">[3]</a> You got [Naval Station] Mayport—I mean, sorry—NASJAX up in Jacksonville, and you got Mayport. You got Patrick Air Force Base, McCoy Air—I mean, uh, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.</p>
<p>Um, as a child growing up, um, the flight path for the Air Force, uh, fighters, to do practice bombing over in, um, Avon Park Bomber Range,<a title="">[4]</a> went over our house. After—every afternoon, we’d see [General Dynamics] F-16s [Fighting Falconfly] fly over and practice in Avon Park, and they’d come back, and sometimes they’d fly low, and, you know, you’d always see the military around growing up here.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Why do you think the Navy chose to locate a recruit training center in Central Florida?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, no idea, to be honest with you [<em>laughs</em>]. Um, I know during, uh—when a lot of military bases were here in Florida, or located here in Florida, because of the climate here allowed training year round, especially with the flying conditions. So—but as far as the Navy’s base in Orlando and the training center, um, I have no idea why they, uh, located it here.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>That’s fair. Uh, so how long were you at NTC Orlando?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, um, I arrived in January, uh,—I think it was January 2<sup>nd</sup>, 1988, and I went through the first part of basic training. I made it through about four weeks—almost my fifth week—into, uh, training at, uh, NTC Orlando, And I broke out in a rash. Um, One of the curious things is it was a rash that I was born with at Camp Lejeune. Um, and periodically through my life, whenever—like if I wore dry-cleaning clothes, or, thing—you know, was around chemicals and stuff, I’d break out. Well, I broke out in this rash, and they couldn’t figure out why or where it was coming from. Uh, because normally, I could control it, um, and it just didn’t want to go away.</p>
<p>So the Drill Instructor, [<em>clears throat</em>] um, sent me down to the infirmary—the—the naval hospital, and they held me there for, uh, about a week or so, and tried to figure out what was wrong. They finally came up and said that, uh, I was, uh—because of the rash, that I was going to be disqualified for my program…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Mmm.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, in the Nuclear Power School.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Did they know what it was at that point?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>No, uh, they just called it an “atopic dermatitis.” Uh, and they informed me that it made in ineligible to go to the Nuclear Power School. So I ended up, uh—they asked me if I wanted to stay in the fleet, but that meant chipping paint for the six years I was gonna be in the Navy. So I asked them to go ahead and send me home and, uh, end my enlistment at that point, which they, uh, gave me my uniform. I went home as an E3, so I dressed up in my Navy blues, and got my sea bag, and, uh, they sent me home, but, uh, [<em>clears throat</em>] the, um, wha—during that time that they told me I was going home to the time I went home, they put me in what they called a “medical hold company,” where it was—I was taken out of my training regimen, and then put into a, uh, barrack, where other people who had been medically disqualified—they kind of let us sit there for a while. It was about two weeks before they told me, uh, that I had my orders to go home, and that—that’s another—I’ll tell you about that later.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So what was it like when you found out that you had to leave the Navy?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, um, I mean, the—the, uh—it was a disappointment, because I really had looked forward into getting into the career. Um, I had volunteered to do submarine duty, which was an extra pay, and, um, you know, to me, this was going to be my livelihood. Something—a school and trade that I could pick up and, uh, um, learn, and spend—you know, be able to make a career for the rest of my life with. So I was kind of left with the, um, uh—you know, I ended up coming home, and having to refigure my life and what I was going to do, and I ended up, uh—actually I ended up going to work for [Walt] Disney World after that, and I worked at Disney World for three years while I put myself through college [<em>clears throat</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So let’s back up a bit…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>To when you first got to the—the base. Um, what were your first impressions?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, um, you know, it’s intimidating. I mean, you’re coming off civilian life, even though I grew up in a military—military family. Um, nothing prepares you for the shock of going into the world of, uh, you know—of—of the military. It’s a totally different experience.</p>
<p>Um, the first shock is your lose your individuality. Uh, and that was, uh—that was the hardest thing for me to get used to—is the fact that you had to assimilate yourself into their world and their program, and, um, you know, you lost the—the “me” part of yourself, for at least awhile.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Can you tell me more about that? What specifically caused those changes?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>[<em>clears throat</em>] Well, I mean, the first thing they do—they bring you in and you line up. Um, you know, they issue you a uniform, um, and it’s an assembly line. You’re given, uh, you know, your boots, eh, and all your gear, and you have to stencil your name on the gear and, uh—and your sea bag, and, um, and then they, uh, shave all your hair off. Uh, they, uh, you know—just going through that is, eh—it’s more—like I said, it’s an assembly line type of impersonal, um—uh, the impersonal, um, process, because, I mean, you’re—you’re moved from one place to another and, you know, you gotta, uh—eh, you just get to feel like you’re a cow sometimes, um, and, uh the other, you know—the other thing is the—as you go in and you’re all wearing the same clothes, you all look the same.</p>
<p>So everybody is the same, and that’s what I mean by “lose your individuality,” and, uh, then, you know, once you get into the barracks that begins the training process, which one of the first things they start doing is breaking down the individual and starting to form a unit. Because, you know, everybody—when everyone’s acting individually, you know—you have your own routines and stuff like that, and one of the first things [<em>laughs</em>] I remember—I knew this was going to happen, uh, because my dad had warned me, but, uh, everyone settled down for the night, and one of the first memories—and it was funny, because it just totally, uh, unnerved me—was, uh, I think, at about three o’clock in the morning, uh, the, uh—the DI [Drill Instructor] came in and threw the trash can down the barrack hall, making all kinds of rackets and screaming, “Get on the line! Get on the line!” And, um, I remember getting—getting up and, um, getting on the line in front of the barracks, and, you know, we’re in our skivvies and socks, and I’m sitting there shaking, and, um, I’m thinking, you know, <em>What the hell? What the hell have I done?</em> Because I don’t like getting up at three o’clock in the morning.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /> </strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I don’t think anybody really does, especially when someone’s screaming at you and throwing a—a metal trash can down the—down the barrack, uh, hallway, and if you don’t—the—the trash cans being metal, makes a hell of a lot of noise, especially in a barrack on a tile floor. So that was the—that was the first morning of recruit training, and, um, they had a lot of different things in store for us as we, uh, went through this process. So it was—some of it was humorous. Um, I knew the purpose of it, which was, you know, some people—some of the guys didn’t do well with it, but, you know, I kinda laughed with some of the stuff that they were doing.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So life in the barracks then—if everyone’s the same, how does that affect the group dynamic?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, I mean, you still have people that look out for themselves. That’s the big thing is, when you get people who just don’t—you know, they’re used to taking care of themselves and, um, not—not thinking as a community. Because the whole purpose of the training is to get you thinking beyond yourself, to work as a team, to work together.</p>
<p>Um, like one of the first things that happened, um, when we, you know—we had to march together and they had to form us together and started doing things, of course everyone’s going off in different directions. Um, and I remember one morning, we went out and did PT—running around. and, um, came back, and everything that everybody owned at the barracks, uh, including, uh, the mattresses, the actual bunk racks—everything was heaped up into this massive mountain in the middle of the barracks. and we all walked in and we’re just looking at this. You know, everything we had was in—in the middle of the barracks, and the, of course, the DI comes out screaming at us, you know, uh, “Get this shit together!” You know, “Get this place in order and get it squared up and you’ve got 15 minutes, and, I mean, eh, the—we all looked at each other like, <em>What the hell</em>? So everyone dove[sic] in and people were calling out names and, you know, “I’ve got such and such.” and we’re spreading[?] out trying to get the barracks back up, and of course, we didn’t do it in 15 minutes, which proceeded to have more pushups and things like that that we had to do, because of that. Uh, the—once we get it squared away, it happened again, and, uh, later on, when it happened again, we did get it done in 15 minutes.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Are there any other examples of training experiences that helped shaped your relationships with other recruits in your class?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, well, just—I mean, everything that we did. I mean, from the marching, I remember, um—uh, I didn’t—I don’t’ keep my step very well, so I had a hard time learning how to keep in step, and, uh, the guy next to me was trying to show me how to skip to keep back, you know—to get myself back into step. For some reason, I have no rhythm. So I just—I was just constantly out of step, and I would try to march on the outside, um—on the edge of the sidewalk, so that that way I wouldn’t be seen as much, but never failed. I always got called out for that, but one of the other things they had, uh—one morning, we had inspection and they called in all the, uh, company commanders.</p>
<p>The DIs came in and proceeded to rip the place apart, uh, while we’re standing there on the line. and they would come up to each recruit—and it didn’t matter how clean or how great you had your rack—your stuff stowed—there was always something wrong, and in my case, um, uh, I didn’t make my bed very well. Uh, and they ripped my sheet off, and the DI came up to me—I’m six-foot -two—and my DI was—I think he was probably five-foot-eight or—I mean, he would’ve done really well in the submarine. Um, But he came up to me and threw the sheet over my head, and was screaming at me and says, “You can’t make you’re fucking bed!” And he goes, “How old are you recruit?” “Nineteen, sir,” and he goes, “You are Casper the Catch Edge Ghost. You are to go around to each recruit in this command and walk up to them and raise the sheet and go, ‘Boo. I am Casper the Catch Edge Ghost.’ And put your sheet down and go to the next person. Raise your sheet and go, ‘Boo. I’m Casper the Catch Edge Ghost,’” and I had to do that the entire barrack for the, uh—for the company there, which I—you know, you can’t laugh, and I—inside, I’m laughing my ass off, because—I mean, to me, it’s hilarious, but if you laughed, it just makes it a lot worse.</p>
<p>So I proceeded to do that, and, um, you know, they, uh—and to this day, I don’t make my bed [<em>laughs</em>], and it’s for—ever since then, I do not make my bed, but, um, I had to, um—I just, uh, —it’s one of those things that—it stuck with me, I guess, but, uh, stuff like that—I mean, we had, um, you know—people didn’t have their stuff stenciled right, so they to, uh—they made them fix that. Just little things, and going through and—this process: they come in and they work on people and break them down, and then start building back up as a team, and over time, start marching together and you start doing activities, um, and things like that to—to get to work together as a team, and, um—the people who are struggling, you start to see your leaders step up to help them and, you know, get them in line, because the ones that were having problems—then they started getting, you know, pressure put on them, because they weren’t, you know, keeping up. Like, you know, I learned how to march and, you know, thankfully learned how to skip to catch my step and would get myself back in line, but, uh, you know, there are some guys that struggle with that. They didn’t know how to do it or they were intimidated by it, um, and, you know, you start to work together, so that they can’t get you. Meaning—“they” meaning the drill instructors, and, um, that—that was the neat part to see—everyone start to coalesce together and work together.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>When—do you remember a specific moment or a specific activity that you really started to notice that team coalescing?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, I would say the, uh—we had one time, where[sic] we had a head inspection, and, um, no one liked cleaning the bathrooms, and it’s, you know—in the Navy, the head is your bathroom. So we had a head inspection and, um, you know, everyone pretty much—we knew what was going to happen if we didn’t get it clean. So everyone just dropped everything, ran in there, got it cleaned up, cleaned up, picked up. I remember, um, for some reason, I remember doing—clearing behind one of the toilets with a toothbrush—Not—and not one we were using, but one that we had assigned for cleaning and stuff—and trying to get everything out and spic and span, and, um, that was nice to see that, because, at that point, everyone, you know—everyone was working as a team, and, uh, um, the last part of the training was where you saw the—the team-building. Uh, unfortunately, I didn’t make it past, um, my fifth week, so I didn’t get to do some of the other stuff that they did—firefighting together and other things that I didn’t get to—get to participate in.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What would you pinpoint as some of those qualities that really helped bring the team together—that transformation?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, I mean, the, uh—the qualities is the—it’s the individual learning that they’re not the center of the universe, and that’s one of the things, uh—basic training in the military is to break down the individuality, to have people understand that, you know, you’re—you’re part of something, and the world doesn’t revolve around you. Uh, some people get it quicker than others. Those that do, do very well in the military. Some never get it, but, uh, that was one thing that, uh—that they, you know—everything was designed to do that. Uh, to do it to break down the civilian and then recast him as a—as person who could think in a military world, because, when it comes down to it, one, you now—in the military world, there is a chain-of-command—a hierarchy—and you are expected to follow orders, and there could be times that something could be going on, and you’re given an order, and, as a civilian, you might question it and be like, <em>Well, I don’t feel like doing that right now, and</em> you can’t do that in the military, because someone may tell you to do something, um, like shut a door and secure the door, because there’s a fire, and if you start arguing with them, then the fire might spread out beyond the compartment and—and jeop—jeopardize the ship and everybody on it. So part of the—that training is to get people to understand, you know, hey, there’s a time, you know—the time to be a civilian is when you’re off duty, but when you’re—when you’re on duty, you have your military bearing, you have—you follow it, and you, you know—you work for the good of the unit.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>When you were off duty, was there ever any sort of social life with…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Oh, when I was in training…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Amongst the recruits?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>No, no. There’s no liberty or leave—li—liberties really. There was no liberty, uh, in training. Um, the liberty took place when you graduated from boot camp. Um, so I did not get that experience. Uh, once—once I went into the medical hold company, and I stayed there, and, um, you know, that—that—once I got out, then I went home and that was it.</p>
<p>So, uh, one of the funny things that happened—um, my father and grandfather both sent in birthday cards for me, uh, while I was in training, and, uh—which normally wouldn’t be a problem, but they were being smartasses and they signed their card—they put in the address of the card—my father put down: “Captain Warren B. Partain, Jr., USNC” —I’m sorry—uh, “USNA class of ’66,” and, uh—and then my grandfather put, uh: “Major Warren B. Partain, Sr., USNC, retired,” and, um, the DIs, of course, got the letters and they called me up to the office, and, uh, you had to walk up to the office, you had to bang on the door and announce who you were, and then asked permission to enter in, and, uh, so I get into the office and, um, I see the birthday cards in my DI’s hand, and he goes, “So your father was a—was a ring banner?” And I knew right then what my dad had done.</p>
<p>The “ring banner” is a term—a derogatory term—for a Naval Academy graduate. So he goes, “Drop and give me 20.” [<em>laughs</em>] So—and he goes—of course, that wasn’t good enough, so I ended up doing like I think 60 or 70 pushups. Um, and of course, you know, that was because of what my grandfather and father had done, but, um, it was their amusement [<em>laughs</em>], but he wasn’t a mean guy. I mean, they started to like me. They’re not, um—it’s not like they’re sadists or anything like that—the drill instructors. They do it for a purpose, and then, you know. As you mature and things like that, you get to see what they’re trying to do and they really begin to teach you.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What would you say that purpose is [inaudible]? What were they trying to teach you?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, I mean, how to conduct yourself in a military fashion. A military bearing.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Like one of the things—one of the things I still remember is to make sure my gig line is straight. Um, you know, when you get dressed and, uh, get everything together, your buttons line up with your belt—the edge of your belt buckle and your—and your zipper, so you have what’s called a “gig line.” It goes straight up from—from your neck down to your crotch [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So what was daily life like as a Navy recruit?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, everything was structured. I mean, you got in the—in the training, you got up at a certain time, you ate at a certain time, uh, you PTed at a certain time, uh, You had training and different things, uh, at—at different, um—at different times, and then they put you to bed. So you had no choice. I mean, very little free time. The only time we really got free time was laying in the rack before you went to sleep.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Who did you interact with on a daily basis?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, well, they kept you too busy. so you talked to your, um—your, you know—your bunkmate and the people around you, but for the most part you’re doing what they—they put in classes and they teach, you know—they—one of the first things they start teaching you is the UCMJ for the Univer[sic]—Univerm[sic] —Uniform Code Military Justice, which is the rules and regulations of the Navy. You know, how to salute, when to salute, um, how to march, uh, what you can and can’t do, um, And just, you know—it’s an emersion into a different life style.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Who were—you said you were taking classes, so who were your instructors?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, just other, uh—other, um—sometimes they were other Dis, sometimes they were, uh, just other people on the base. Um, No one that I really remember specifically.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Okay. Do you remember any of your specific classes?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, like I said, most of it— like the UCMJ. One of the funny ones, uh—probably not appropriate for this, but it’s one of those things that stuck in your mind. We’re sitting there showing slides and talking about the UCMJ, and they had, um—they had this slide come up, and it was on a pink background. It had a sailor sitting down, and on his lap, he had a dog, and there was a big circle with a line through [<em>laughs</em>] it for no bestiality, and I about but laughing when I saw it.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>But they had—I mean, just stupid things like that, but, uh, the, uh, you know— when they start getting to the later weeks, like I said, they—[inaudible]—they—they’d have you march, and there was a lot of drill to get you to un—to get your body into the routines, and then later on, you start doing more class work, and, um, they, uh—like I said, they—they—one of the big things was firefighting. We are out doing firefighting duty, and then they have one a week, where you’re working KP [kitchen patrol] duty and stuff like that for the kitchen.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Uh, Could you clarify for me what, um—the acronym UCMJ?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>University[sic] Code of Mil—Universal[sic] Code of Military Justice. <a title="">[5]</a> It’s the law for the military. So the military has its own, um—basically its own judicial system, uh, that’s separate from the civilian one. So they administer their own laws, and, uh, courts, and everything. So, like if I did something wrong, then I could be, uh—they have what’s called a “captain’s mast” or “court-martialing.” and your—whatever infraction, then you’ll assess whatever penalty or—or, uh, punishment that they have.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So what was the hardest thing you remember doing at NTC?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>The hardest thing that I remember doing, um—I dunno. it was probably just the, um—I’m tempted to say—well, the—well, the thing that I didn’t like the most—that was hard or difficult for me—was in the military—medical hold company. Um, this—this was once they disqualified me from service. They put me in a limbo, um, where I didn’t know when I was going home. I didn’t know what was really going on, other than the fact that they were—they, uh—that I was being disqualified from the Navy, and they told me that, you know, it takes some time and it could take a couple days, a couple months. So I’m like, you know—no one likes to be in limbo, and they would have you do stupid stuff, Just to have you do it. Uh, like we went in to one barrack and we scrubbed the whole barrack with hand brushes, on our hands and knees, and it was just, um—stuff like that. That was, you know, trying not to get negged out. Um, that was the hardest thing for me.</p>
<p>I mean, to me, the training is easy. Um, you know, doing the physical activities, the running, uh, the marching, the learning. That was easy and it didn’t bother me. I mean, I enjoyed, um, the challenge of that. The hard part for me was when I realized that I was not going to be able to stay in the Navy, Having to wait, and then wait for the bureaucracy to process—process me out. Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Before we move on to that moment, um—because I do want to talk about that—can you tell me one moment where you felt really proud of your work in NTC?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, the—I think the proudest moment—I still have it—is, uh, my photograph. Um, they brought us in after we shaved us, and we’re all cleaned up, and they dressed us up, and they marched us in, and we took our photograph with the American flag behind us, uh, so we could send it home to Mom and Dad, and that to me was the proudest moment. Um, I—I still have that photograph. I have it on my Facebook page, and, um, I keep that, and, uh, you know—yeah[?]. It’s just a little snot-nosed kid in his little sailor’s uniform, but it—to me, that was something that I could show that hey, you know, I’m serving my country. I’m doing what’s right and trying to make, you know, things a little bit better than when I found it.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Did you send it home to mom and dad?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Oh, yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What’d they say?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I think, uh—I mean, ma—they wrote me back, and I had a girlfriend, at the time too, and she wrote me. I had letters from her, um, on a daily basis. I still got them, and, uh, the, uh—I’ve got a stack of letters about that thick that she wrote to—back and forth, and that was nice, you know, to have someone writing back and forth. It—it kind of killed the monotony. You’d look forward to—you know, that was you’re little piece of individ—individuality. You get your letter and mail call and—and to read that, and, uh—but yeah. I sent that home to Mom and Dad, and my girlfriend.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So when did you leave the Navy then?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yeah, I was, um—it was—I don’t remember the exact day, Um, but it was in February, uh, of ’88. It was roughly about two months after I’d got there. I think I served just under 60—60 days, or somewhere close to 60 days, and, um, basically they came in and told me to collect my gear, um, get my dress blues on, and they sent me home. See, when I enlisted, I enlisted, instead of as a, uh—um, going in as a seamen, I would have—when I completed everything, I would have come out as a, uh, Petty Officer—an E-3.</p>
<p>So, um, they allowed me to go home with a—with that uniform and that rank, which is kinda nice, you know? It was funny, ‘cause everyone else were[sic] being sent off, and I get my orders and am being put on a bus. They asked me if I wanted to go on a bus, or I think it was a train to Water Haven, and I said, uh, “Just drop me off at the airport.” I called my mom and dad and told them to come get me, because the airport’s, you know, 45 minutes from my parent’s house. Because a bus would have taken like 3 hours to get there. So I had them drop me off at the airport, and I played video games [<em>laughs</em>] for about two hours while I waited for my parents to come get me, but it was nice to, you know, walk around the airport in the—in my uniform and get home, and I saw my girlfriend in my uniform and that, uh—that’s always fun.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Um, so have you—what did you do once you left?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, well, once I was out of the Navy, I went back to college. Um, of course, the—my plan of having the Navy, uh, as a career and paying for my college that way kind of fell through. Um, I went to work for Disney World, and, uh, finished my AA [Associate of Arts] degree, and then transferred up to Florida State University and married my girlfriend, and I completed my degree up there, and, uh, you know, worked my way through college.</p>
<p>Made me appreciate my education a lot more, and, uh, one of the things ironic things and—that happened—and it kind of comes back full circle with NTC Orlando—um, seven years ago, I was diagnosed with, uh, male breast cancer. Oddly enough, my birthplace was extremely contaminated with, um, drinking water—I mean, uh, solvents in the drinking water, and one of those solvents is called Tetrachloroethylene, which is used in dry-cleaning, and it’s linked to breast cancer. Um, whenever I was a child growing up, I would break out into the rash I told you about, because—well, shortly after I was diagnosed, I went back, and I remembered my experience at NTC Orlando, and the fact that I had broken out in this rash after, uh, I had gotten on base. So I looked up the base, and like Camp Lejeune, NTC Orlando was declared a Superfund<a title="">[6]</a> site, um, uh, partly because of the Tetrachloroethylene dumped from the base drycleaner, which was located right next to the barracks, where I was housed as an enlisted, uh, sailor, uh—seaman—in, uh—in 1988, and the base was actually closed down in 1995, um, and listed in—into the Superfund site at that time, which, uh—it’s one of those odd things that I always wondered about is: how bad was the base contaminated? Because, soon as I got home, the rash that I had broken out with, while I was in training, cleared up</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Hm.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Without any—within days of being home, and, uh—and it never broke out like that again, like I did when I was on base, and [inaudible]—when I rented on base, I was fine, and, uh—so it’s one of those things that makes you wonder, and my understanding is that the—the, uh, base drycleaner—he said they had been dumping this chemical on the base and it was a plume of it that actually stretched underneath the recruit training barracks, like I said, and ended up, I think, in Lake Druid—is where the chemicals were coming out.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Did—was there ever any cleanup measures taken?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I don’t know. I didn’t look into that. I’ve been tied up with the Camp Lejeune issue since then, but one of these days, I’d like to go back. I’d heard some things that had happened here, but I didn’t follow the—the end results of, um, NTC Orlando after that. I know they closed the base down and I think the developed it—part of it as a private community.<a title="">[7]</a> And I heard there were some problems here, but, uh, you know, like I said, I didn’t really follow—follow up on it, but I thought I would mention it.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Did you keep in touch with anyone from the base?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Uh, one of the guys I enlisted with, um, actually, was a high school friend of mine. We both went into the Nuclear Power School together. Um, His name is Alex, and he was actually, um, accepted into the United States Naval Academy, like my father, and he still presently serves in the Navy. I believe he’s a Commander or a Captain now. I do not know his rank. I haven’t—I haven’t kept up with him the past couple of years, but I think he’s a commander. but he did serve—uh, he’s—he’s still serving, and, uh, actually got an appointment to the Naval Academy, which is one of—one of the things I was hoping to do myself.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Uh, so one of the things you mentioned earlier is that, um, the Navy teaches you that you’re a part of something larger.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Would you say that that’s something that you feel you’ve carried on to the [inaudible]?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, growing up in a military family, it’s always been indoctrinated into me for that. Um, Like I mentioned, I, you know, became involved in the Camp Lejeune issue mainly, uh, because, you know, I realized what had happened to me wasn’t unique, and I felt a responsibility to speak out and help the other Marines and families, which I’ve been doing for the past seven years. So, I mean, that’s—growing up in a military family, um, you know, you—it just—it’s service, God, honor, country. I’m mean, that’s the way I was raised, and when you go into the service, you’re taught God, honor, country.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Are there any other values or characteristics, um, of the Navy that you think transferred to the rest of your life, as well?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>No, I mean, the God, honor, country is[sic] primarily the core principles with which I’ve tried to guide my life.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What would you say is the most valuable lesson you learned during your time at the Navy?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, probably, never give up. You know, you always—you always keep moving forward and just, you know, never give up.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Can you remember a time while you were, um, in training that you felt like giving up, but didn’t?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, got lonely. I mean, left my girlfriend behind and, uh, there was a time where—yeah. I was thinking, <em>Okay. I’m going to be doing this, going off at sea for six months, and I don’t know if I like that, and</em>, you know you just—you look back and say, <em>Well, why did I join?</em> I joined because I wanted to get an education, I wanted to get a trade, and, you know, the Navy’s going to provide that, and, you know, you—you quickly overcome those things. Feelings are temporary [<em>sniffs</em>]. Good and bad [<em>sniffs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What do you think the lasting legacy of NTC Orlando or the Navy’s presence in Central Florida has been?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, the, um—for me—and understanding what I have come across, because of my, you know—because of the issue with breast cancer—it—unfortunately, I mean, NTC Orlando’s gone. Uh, it’s no longer there. The vestiges are still here, but what the Navy left behind underground, that is going to be here for years to come, and that’s something that really has not been addressed in a great deal with the community. Um, And sadly, that—in the end, that becomes the Navy’s legacy—is not for the good things they did, but for, you know, the irresponsibility for leaving toxic chemicals behind.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What actions would you like to see taken to resolve those issues?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, well, I’m not familiar totally with the issue to—to see what they’ve done. I know, as part of the bra—uh, Superfund site, they’re required to cleanup. Um, to what extent they’ve cleaned up, I don’t know. Uh, there’s a lot of different laws and, uh, different, um, procedures in place, but, in the end, you know, that—that’s something the Navy, um—well, I don’t know what to say on that. Sorry. I got distracted. The ADHD [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder] is killing me here.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>] That’s alright. That’s alright.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>But[?]…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Um, so…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>It’d be—it would be nice to have…</p>
<p>[<em>phone rings</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>We have a phone distraction here.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>It would be nice to have…</p>
<p><strong>Partain <br /></strong>Hm?</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>You were saying…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Okay. It would be nice to have an independent, um, historical analysis of what, you know—what the Navy did and exactly what the Navy legacy is. I mean, the—the infrastructure of the base is gone. Um, what’s left is the land that they owned on the base, and what did they leave behind on that land? and how will that affect the community? And sadly, you know, u, what was not cleaned up by the Navy, uh, will be there for some time to come and, you know, somebody’s gonna have to pay that cost.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So how do you think uh,—how is the NTC—well, you talked about how the base has changed. What about the region? Um, Central Florida as a whole. How do you think it’s been impacted since the base closed?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, the, um—I mean, the base itself, um, wasn’t a, uh, mega base, like you would have, say, with, um, Mayport Naval Station up in Jacksonville. Um, It had an impact on the community, uh, but not, you know—there wasn’t aircraft being serviced, um, there wasn’t[sic] ships and, you know, the contractors to work the ships and things, you know—servicing the ships or what have you. It’s a training center. So, uh—and I would say there was an economic impact. To what degree it was, I don’t know.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>kay. Um, what do you think visitors would like to see or be reminded of when they revisit the site of the base? The [inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, I haven’t been back since I left, and, um, I’ve driven by it a couple of times. Uh, there was a gaming store called Enterprise 1701 near the base, where I used to get my board games. That was a hobby I had, and I—it would be nice to go back and see the site, uh, of where the base was, and maybe something commemorating that it was here, and, uh, I am curious to go back and see and see—and see exactly what is there, uh, and what’s left, and what they’ve done with the, uh—with the base and the Superfund site stuff, ‘cause there’s[sic] things that I’m aware of because of my involvement with Camp Lejeune and being on Camp Lejeune, that, you know, when you go on base, you look at things, and unless you know what you’re looking at, you don’t know what it is. So I’m kind of curious to see what’s there on the base.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Did you ever go back?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>No.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>I understand that the old naval hospital is the VA [Veterans Affairs] hospital now.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Now…</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>So I’d be curious to see that.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Were you ever at that hospital?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Yeah, that’s where I was…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>That’s where you were disqualified.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Disqualified from service. They sent me to that hospital. I remember marching by myself with a chip, um, going down to the hospital, and, you know—and then, they were really puzzled, um, by what was happened with me. Matter of fact, I later got my me—my medical records from the Navy, and, uh, they were really puzzled why I broke out, because it was all over my arms and my face and was a blood red rash, and, um, they could not figure out what it was, and, uh, they kept asking all kinds of questions. They—they’re like, “Well, you had this when you si—when you signed up,” and I’m like, “Well, I was born with this, but it’s never been a problem like this,” and they said, “Well, how did you get passed recruit training or the recruit indoctrination and all that?” And I said, “Well, I wasn’t breaking out.” I said, “This is something that—normally, it comes and goes.” At the time, I thought it was, you know—in the wintertime, I’d break out or if I wore dry-cleaning clothes, and I thought, at the time, that it may have been the clothes—the polyester rubbing against my skin doing it. I had no idea that it could be anything else.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Because it would—I mean, I didn’t find out about what had happened to me at Camp Lejeune until, uh, 2007, which is 20 years after I joined.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Um, what was it like in the—the hospital—In the Navy hospital?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, just you’re standard, you know, ultra-clean hospital. Nothing—nothing special.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Nothing special? Okay. Uh, well, is there anything else you’d like to share about your Navy experience?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um…</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Anything you think I missed or we didn’t talk about?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>No, I mean, it’s, like I said, the—I mean, for young people, the Navy—and in the military, in general, uh,—presents a lot of opportunities. You know, it’s not perfect. I could mention the contamination problem, with something present in the military especially during the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, but, you know, for young people, it’s an opportunity to start your life, to pick up something, uh, unique, to learn, and more importantly, it—it builds a sense of self-discipline inside you. ‘Cause it’s very easy to forget that, you know, there’s more to the world than just you, and serving in the military is productive. I mean, it—it gives you a respect for yourself, respect for others, respect for your country. Um, and, you know, it’s something that, you know—I think everyone should do as a citizen of this country, and, uh—I mean, that’s just, um—there’s a lot of positives that come out of it. Now, the leadership of the military—that’s another story.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>What’s next for you?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Um, well, I’m 46, and, um, uh, for me, um, I worked my career, raised my children, and, uh, I’m going back to get my Master’s [degree] in history, and I’m actually going to be writing about and doing research with, uh, contaminated military bases, uh—is my—my career until I retire.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>So your experience has really shaped where you’re headed?</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Well, the, um—more my birthplace. The, uh—Because of what happened to me, uh, before I was born at a military base, but, you know, NTC Orlando is one of those curious things that, once I put two and two together, I looked at it, and eventually, I’ll do the research on it and—and learn what happened there, but right now, my focus is other places.</p>
<p><strong>Hill<br /></strong>Well, thank you so much for your time.</p>
<p><strong>Partain<br /></strong>Oh, you’re welcome.</p>
<div><br /><div>
<p><a title="">[1]</a> Officially called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[2]</a> United States Military Entrance Processioning Center Tampa.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[3]</a> Correction: Jacksonville.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[4]</a> Correction: Avon Park Air Force Range.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[5]</a> Correction: Uniform Code of Military Justice.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[6]</a> Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[7]</a> Baldwin Park.</p>
</div>
</div>
airports
Amanda Hill
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
ASVAB
atopic dermatitis
Avon Park
Avon Park Air Force Range
basic training
boot camps
breast cancer
captain's mast
Carli Van Zandt
Carolyn Van Zandt
CERCLA
cold war
colleges
Community Veterans History Project
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
contamination
court-martial
CVHP
dermatitis
DI
disqualifications
Drill Instructor
E-3
education
engineering
engineers
Enlisted Rank 3
enlistment
Enterprise 1701
environmental cleanup
F-16
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
gig lines
higher education
Hill, Amanda
hospitals
illness
illnesses
inspections
instructors
Lake Druid
Lone Sailor Memorial Project
LSMP
MacDill AFB
MacDill Air Force Base
marching
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
McCoy AFB
McCoy Air Force Base
medical hold company
memorials
MET
Michael Partain
military code
military education
Military Entrance Processioning Center
Military Entrance Processioning Center Tampa
Military Entrance Test
military justice
military training
monuments
NAS Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Training Center Orlando
NS Mayport
NTC Orlando
nuclear engineering
nuclear power
nuclear propulsion
Nuclear Propulsion School
orlando
Petty Officer
Polk County
recruit training
Recruit Training Command
recruits
ring banner
Seaman
special training
Superfund
Tetrachloroethylene
toxic chemicals
toxic cleanups
U.S. Air Force
UCMJ
Uniform Code of Military Justice
universities
university
veterans
Warren B. Partain, Jr.
Warren B. Partain, Sr.
water contamination
Winter Haven
World War II
WWII
-
https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/f46cf5a2404c7eb68d0b59a14abed0b5.pdf
9eb48241393ef6f196ce80e01028d51d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project Collection
Alternative Title
Lone Sailor Collection
Subject
Veterans--Florida
Orlando (Fla.)
United States. Navy
Navy
Sailors--United States
Description
Collection of digital images and oral histories related to the former Recruit Training Center Orlando (RTC Orlando) for the United States Navy. The training center transformed raw recruits into highly effective sailors. This process took place over an intensive eight-week training period, commonly referred to as "boot camp." RTC Orlando occupied roughly one half of the former Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando), which was located at present day Baldwin Park, Orlando, Florida. Between 1968 and 1994, over 650,000 men and women graduated from RTC Orlando.
Contributor
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project</a>
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/24" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida.
Language
eng
Type
Collection
Coverage
Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida
Contributing Project
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project</a>
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">About the Project</a>." UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida. http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/.
"<a href="http://cfnavyleague.org/lone-sailor/" target="_blank">The History</a>." Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project. http://cfnavyleague.org/lone-sailor/
"<a href="http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/" target="_blank">The History</a>." RTC Orlando. http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/.
<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank"><em>A Guide to Historic Orlando</em></a>. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
Barnes, Mark
Interviewee
Clark, Jeffrey Edward
Location
Shriners Temple, Maitland, Florida
Original Format
1 Hi-8 Digital (DAT) audio/video recording
Duration
33 minutes and 16 seconds
Bit Rate/Frequency
9980kbps
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Oral History of Jeffrey Edward Clark
Alternative Title
Oral History, Clark
Subject
Orlando (Fla.)
Navy
Sailors--United States
Veterans--Florida
Description
An oral history of Jeffrey Edward Clark, former member of the U.S. Navy. This interview was conducted by Mark Barnes at the Shriners Temple in Maitland, Florida, on May 6, 2014. The interview was conducted as part of the UCF Community Veteran's History Project (CVHP) and background research for a memorial honoring the former Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando).<br /><br />Clark served in the Navy from 1985 until 1989. He attended recruit training in Orlando and also went to apprenticeship school at the base. He was a Signalman Petty Officer Third Class, Enlisted Rank 4, aboard the USS<em> Richard E. Byrd DDG-23</em>, which operated in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Upon leaving the Navy, Clark returned to Orlando and attended the University of Central Florida.
Table Of Contents
0:00:30 Biographical background<br />0:02:53 Decision to join the U.S. Navy<br />0:04:03 Attending boot camp at NTC Orlando<br />0:10:35 Naval training and assignments following boot camp<br />0:13:50 Apprenticeship school versus boot camp<br />0:17:25 Types of additional training offered at NTC Orlando<br />0:21:15 Shipboard Experiences<br />0:23:25 Life after the Navy<br />0:26:15 Lasting memories of naval experience<br />0:31:05 Legacy of NTC Orlando
Abstract
Oral history interview of Jeffrey Edward Clark. Interview conducted by Mark Barnes at Shriners Temple in Maitland, Florida.
Type
Moving Image
Source
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/270/rec/1" target="_blank">Clark, Jeffrey Edward</a>. Interviewed by Mark Barnes. UCF Community Veterans History Project. May 6, 2014. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Requires
<a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank"> Adobe Flash Player</a>
<a href="http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp" target="_blank">Java</a>
<a href="https://get.adobe.com/reader/" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/109" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project Collection</a>, UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Conforms To
Standards established by the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/vets/" target="_blank">Community Veterans History Project (CVHP)</a>, Library of Congress.
Coverage
Flagler Palm Coast High School, Palm Coast, Florida
Military Entrance Processing Center, Jacksonville, Florida
Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida
Ponta Delgada, Azores Islands, Portugal
Daytona Beach Community College, Daytona Beach, Florida
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Creator
Barnes, Mark
Clark, Jeffrey Edward
Publisher
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/UniversityArchives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>, University of Central Florida Libraries
Contributor
Hazen, Kendra
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Wiggins, Leanne
Orleman, Andrew
Date Created
2014-05-06
Date Copyrighted
2014-05-06
Format
video/mov
application/pdf
Extent
2.38 GB
189 KB
Medium
33-minute and 16-second Hi-8 Digital (DAT) audio/video recording
18-page digital transcript
Language
eng
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Mark Barnes and Jeffrey Edward Clark, and published by the University of Central Florida Libraries <a href="http://library.ucf.edu/UniversityArchives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>.
Rights Holder
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact <a href="http://library.ucf.edu/UniversityArchives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.
Accrual Method
Item Creation
Contributing Project
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Barnes, Mark
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalCollections/" target="_blank">UCF Digital Collections</a>
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida, Special Collections and University Archives</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://www.lonesailorfl.com/" target="_blank">The History</a>." Navy Memorial of Central Florida. http://www.lonesailorfl.com/.
Rajtar, Steve. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/70911136" target="_blank"><em>A Guide to Historic Orlando</em></a>. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
"<a href="http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/" target="_blank">The History</a>." RTC Orlando. http://rtcorlando.homestead.com/.
Click to View (Movie, Podcast, or Website)
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/270/rec/1" target="_blank">Oral History of Jeffrey Edward Clark</a>
Has Format
Digital transcript of original 33-minute and 16-second oral history: <a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/270/rec/1" target="_blank">Clark, Jeffrey Edward</a>. Interviewed by Mark Barnes. UCF Community Veterans History Project. May 6, 2014. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Transcript
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Today is Tuesday, May 6<sup>th</sup>, 2014. I'm interviewing Jeff[rey Edward] Clark, who served in the United States Navy. My name is Mark Barnes, and with me working the camera is Kendra Hazen. We're interviewing Mr. Clark as part of the UCF [University of Central Florida] Community Veterans History Project, and as research for the creation of the educational wall for the Lone Sailor Memorial [Project]. We are conducting this interview in Maitland, Florida.</p>
<p>Mr. Clark, will you please just begin by telling us your name, where you were born—where and when you were born?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Sure. my name is Jeffrey Clark, and I am originally from East Hartford, Connecticut. I was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 31<sup>st</sup>, 1968. And in 1983, my family moved to Florida—to Flagler County in Palm Coast, where I attended Flagler Palm Coast High School.</p>
<p>And then I did drop out of high school at the age of 17, and joined the Navy shortly after my 17<sup>th</sup> birthday, where I went through the Orlando Naval Training Center here.<a title="">[1]</a> Upon completion of my active duty, I returned to—I did obtain my GED (General Educational Development) while I was in the Navy. And then upon completion of my active duty, I did graduate from DBCC—Daytona Beach Community College—and then transferred and graduated at UCF. Major in economics and a minor in political science.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Do you have any brother or sisters or parents you want to tell us about?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Sure. I have two sisters and both of them still reside here in Flagler County in Florida. And then my parents are still alive and live in Flagler County as well. My father—I come from a military family. sort of on the—<em>Forrest Gump</em> movie, I believe, where Lieutenant Dan has an ancestor that had fought in every major American war back to the colonial period. And I have that same line or lineage as well. Goes back to the <em>Mayflower</em> on my father's side.</p>
<p>My father served in the Navy and went through Bainbridge, Maryland, for his boot camp, and then was aboard an aircraft carrier—the USS <em>Chiwawa</em> CV40. And my grandfather—his father—served in World War II. Uh, he was in the Army and was stationed in the Philippines.</p>
<p>And then on my mother's side—my mother is also from—both my father and my mother are from Connecticut, as well. And my mother's side of the family—they were Italian immigrants. my grandfather immigrated in the 19—well, both my grandparents immigrated from Italy to the U.S. in the 1920s. And then when they were younger, obviously—and my mother was born in 1945 and my father was born in 1939.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>And did you join the Navy for any particular reason?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Actually, that was a bit of an interesting story. Now, one time, when I was around eight or nine years old, I filled out this application to inquire about the Navy out of a magazine or something like that. And, obviously, you could tell that a child wrote it. Well my father took it as a joke and mailed it in, and I always wanted to join the Navy for—I don't know, because I enjoyed history and my father was in the Navy. So my father mailed this application form in to send information about joining the Navy, and I received this letter from a captain in the Navy that said, you know, “Sorry,” you know, “but you're too young.” And he gave me a couple posters and some other items to say, “Here's some stuff to help you keep thinking Navy, and when you're old enough,” you know, “please come back." Well, pretty much came back at the minimum age possible, and I always wanted to join the Navy when I was a child. I think it was that TV commercial—“It's not just a job. it's an adventure.”</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>So was the Navy a must for you?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Pretty much. yeah. <em>[air conditioning unit comes on]</em></p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>So you said you attended boot camp in Orlando?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>In Orlando, at the Naval Training Center.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>And was that by choice, or did they just tell you where to go?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Um, I would like to think it was by choice, because when I joined in this February—and having lived in Florida and being accustomed to the warm weather—I told the recruiter that I would go into the Navy now, if I could go to Orlando or San Diego, and not Great Lakes. Because there were three facilities for boot camp in the Navy—Great Lakes, San Diego, and Orlando, at that time. And I remember my father was very anxious. He said, “Well, you're going to go in now,” you know, “take him.” But somehow—luck, I would presume—I went through Orlando.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>We'll come back to this, but what were you trained to do for the Navy? What was your job? Or your jobs?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Initially, when I went in, I was a basic seaman recruit to do basic shipboard tasks, such as, you know, chipping paint and painting. and in the boats and bay field, sort of basic deck board duties. However, during the course of the time, I did become a signalman, which was communications and navigation, primarily with Morse code, with flashing lights—semaphore, as well.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Semaphore?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>In the flags. And that “A” school by the way. If I had entered the Navy as a signalman instead of a basic seaman recruit, the training for the Signalman School was here in Orlando, as well, at the Naval Training Center.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>We're going to circle back through your life as a recruit, and then we'll circle back through your life as a sailor. So when you first got to—your first day off the bus, so to speak, you know, what were some of the biggest adjustments you had to make going through?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Alright. I'm going to take a step back from the bus over to the Orlando Naval Training Center, since we're in the state of Florida. I'll keep us in the state of Florida. So, when you enter the military, you go to your recruiting office and you complete all that, and they, I presume, do the background checks—similar—probably similar to any new employment process, if you're hiring somebody.</p>
<p>So one of the key things after you go through that, you have to go through what they call the “MEPs center”—Military Entrance Processing facility—and that was in Jacksonville. And up there you get an initial physical, and they determine if you're—kind of the final step—if you're worthy enough to go on active duty. So I went through that in Jacksonville, and I remember going through there and, for some reason, I had thought that I was not going to enter the Navy until the summertime. And this one naval chief overheard me say that, and he said, “What did you say?” And I said, “I’m not going on active duty until the summer.” I say, “I get to go home, you know, after I go through the MEPS process today.” and he said, “Oh, no you’re not. You’re going in tomorrow morning, and I’m going to personally see to it.” I guess I was talking out of line.</p>
<p>So anyways[sic], we rode a bus from Jacksonville—and I remember I had to call my parents and say, “I’m not coming home.” [<em>laughs</em>] It was kind of sudden and quick. So we rode a bus from Jacksonville. and of course, we didn’t even take [Interstate] 95 and [Interstate] 4. It was like going on a Greyhound. I think it took about five hours to get there, because, you know, we went down, you know, [U.S. Route] 17, and then through Palatka, and all the back roads through there to get to Orlando. So we made it there, and they drop us off at the bus—at the bus area.</p>
<p>And then you kind of get indoctrinated where you come in and you start to, initially—so the initial shock was like, “Wow. this is for real.” But you still had your civilian clothes and you still had your hair. And so—and then that way you—you got your assignment, you know, where your—what your company you're going to be, what building at the Orlando Naval Training Center would be your home for the course of boot camp. And then the next day was kind of, you know—the first couple days were kind of intrigue, you know—kind of getting indoctrinated. And you go through a health screen, you go through and get your hair cut, and your clothes and all that assigned, then you begin your boot camp.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Do you have anything that stands out from your time?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong> Oh yes. Yeah. definitely. So, for example—and at this time I obviously had more hair than I do now—but I was very proud of my hair. You know, “pretty boys,” as they would say in the Navy. and when I got my head shaved, I didn't look at myself in a mirror for about five or six weeks. I remember I would feel it and be like, <em>Oh</em>. And luckily they didn't have mirrors or anything in the boot camp berthing area—you know, the living area. So I made a purpose not to look at myself. That was the biggest, biggest shock.</p>
<p>The other shock that I had was I was going to have to learn how to fold clothes, because—kind of like out of a movie, where, you know, my mommy is able to wash, fold, and put my clothes away for me. But that changed, and I had to learn how to fold clothes.</p>
<p>But I was a baseball player in high school and very physically active, so the physical nature of boot camp that everybody thinks about—the physical activity was really not an issue for me. I was already in pretty good shape from playing baseball and other physical activities.</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Do you have any memories from when you graduated? Did your folks come down?</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Yes. As part of the process, there was a graduation ceremony. And, like, my family, including my father's parents—my grandparents—came down and they went to the graduation ceremony, and they were able to get a tour of the facility. And it’s like a parade ground, and they set up these bench area bleachers. and the families were able to watch us do our Pass and Review and hear the speeches from the—from Captain Nice, who was the Recruit Training Center commanding officer and NCS (National Call to Service) conductor of ceremony. Then afterwards, everybody went home.</p>
<p>But, you know, we were able to meet up and, you know, it was good for my family to be there to see that. And that was, you know, an equivalent of like a high school graduation. I would say very similar, but you know dressed in military and military ceremony.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>When you graduated from boot camp, what was your next assignment?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Sure. upon graduating boot camp—boot camp lasted about eight and a half weeks. I actually entered active duty on February 26<sup>th</sup>, 1985, and then boot camp officially started March 1<sup>st</sup>. And, as I mentioned, those first couple of days were, you know, getting your hair cut, and getting your clothes, and getting indoctrinated.</p>
<p>And then when I graduated, I started—I continued at the Orlando Naval Training Center. They did have additional training schools there. The one I went to is—when I entered the Navy, I entered the Apprenticeship Training Program. and that was open to individuals who wanted to focus on more of a general—kind of like a liberal arts, if you want to call it that—to compare it to college. So there was a Seaman Apprenticeship, a Firemen Apprenticeship, and an Air Apprenticeship.</p>
<p>And then once you completed that training, then you would get assigned to a permanent duty station. So seamen went in to, you know—were eligible and did a cross-range of duties, such as, in the boatmen mate field, which is the deck duty. And then airmen, you know, went and supported, you know, aircraft either on carriers or as part of a detachment. And firemen kind of could go on ships, because they were the ones who worked down in what we called “the pit”—the boiler room and the engine rooms where the boiler technician rates and the machinist mates ran that. So I went through the Seaman Apprenticeship Training program.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Were there certain classes you had to take, or do you know about the classes from the various—from the three places you just—the three schools you just described?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Yes. So basically how the Orlando Naval Training Center was set up is you kind of had—there were—if I remember—I think there were 10 buildings—10 or 12 buildings. And it was set up very, you know, military-style. On one end, you had sort of—and they were called—I forget what they were called. But there's like Building One, Building Two, etc. So on each end was kind of like the administrative offices, and then in between and in sequential order on each side, I think there was[sic] 12. There was[sic] 2 on the end, and five this way and five that way. And then on one side—and, in the middle, there was a divider, like a road that went through the middle. And on one side was strictly where boot camp was conducted. and on the other side is where the schools were conducted. They were the living quarters basically, or “berthing areas,” as they’re called in the Navy.</p>
<p>And so I went through the Seaman Apprenticeship Training. It was a series of classroom training and on-the-job training. They did the USS <em>Blue Jacket</em>, which was there—which was a training, you know—simulation of a ship and so we would go perform for seamen apprenticeship training. You know, how to tie knots, how to tie up the ship, how to raise flags, and other things associated with the Seamen Apprenticeship. And then the fireman did similar things, where, you know, they went in and simulated what jobs they would do once they went to the fleet. And that apprenticeship training was approximately four weeks for that.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>How would you describe the relationship between your instructors on that side versus your instructors on...</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Sure.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>The recruit side?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>On the recruit side, the boot camp, you know, was very strict. Very boot camp. very structured. You know, very military. You know, “controlling” is—I guess, would be a way to describe it. You know, your day was fully planned. You, you know—we woke up at four<sub> A.M.</sub> We went, you know—we did some initial drills and then we have our set breakfast time. You know, Company 101’s breakfast was from say 5:00 to 5:30.</p>
<p>You came back, you washed up, you know, brushed your teeth—whatever. Then you had set criteria of everyday what you would do. And most of it was practicing marching for your graduation ceremony, as well as other, you know, stuff that was boot camp related. You know, physical activity, swimming, firefighting drills that everybody needs to know for the military, and other basic stuff.</p>
<p>Now this was a little bit more specialized, and it was, like I said, classroom and on-the-job training. I would say that there was a bit more freedom. It was like a 9-to-5 job. You know, you woke up, you started class at eight o'clock, you had lunch from 12 to 1, and you were free to go do what you want.</p>
<p>In addition, I guess the big thing was—you were free on the weekends to go do whatever you wanted. Whereas in boot camp, you know, you were in boot camp and you were not allowed to leave. The only time that we left boot camp was after six weeks, we were granted what they called a “restricted liberty,” where it was kind of like an elementary school field trip. You know, like SeaWorld or [Walt] Disney [World], or somewhere like that. And it was very restricted. And, you know, it was covered.</p>
<p>And then you had an unrestricted liberty, like the week before you graduated, and that’s where you could stay within the city of Orlando, and kind of go anywhere you want and you had to be back at a certain time. And I guess a story for this would be—everybody—all the instructors and the officers—would say South OBT [Orange Blossom Trail] is off limits, because it’s kind of a dodgy area. But of course, where does everybody go? South OBT.<a title="">[2]</a> So that’s pretty much where unrestricted liberty went.</p>
<p>And then, like I said, during the apprenticeship training you were free to do[sic] on the weekend. and then I used to go home, you know. My mother would come pick me up or my father would come pick me up, and I’d visit my friends on the weekend, and then I had to be back Monday morning by eight o’clock to go to class. So it didn’t really matter, but I’d usually come back Sunday night, because we were still living in our living quarters. I guess the way I’d compare, you know, is boot camp was kind of like, you know, elementary school and high school. Very structured, very strict, limited. And apprenticeship training was more like college, where, “Hey, this is what you got to do,” you know, “Here's your times. the rest of that’s up to you.”</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Now you had—when you said you were living there, did you guys have apartments almost when you were an apprentice?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>No. It was very—it was the same as what we had in boot camp. You know, the same structure. So basically it was an open area, like a barracks, and it was for enlisted. Now, officers tended to have the equivalent of more like the hotel or a small apartment, and they would usually share that with one other officer, depending on their rank. But general enlisted—and this even continued into the Navy with various living quarters on ships—whether you were enlisted or if you were chief, which was a senior enlisted person—kind of like middle management. Where if you were an officer, different living quarters. So it was an open area, and it had bunk beds and lockers for you to store your stuff. It was the same as in boot camp.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Now, outside of the schools—the training schools—the command schools that you went to—do you have any recollection of the other schools that maybe were offered at the base?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Um, yes. from what I recall, because, as I went—during my time in the Navy, I went on, and—they call it “striking out”—I don't know why they call it that, because it’s actually a win ,you know—but basically, you get to move on from sort of a general, seaman apprenticeship-type role to a more specialized one. And I became a signalman, which was the shipboard flags communications and navigation, as well as communications with flashing lights via Morse code and semaphore. And the Signalman School was here in Orlando.</p>
<p>And also—and then—so basically the school structure was as follows. You had the generalists, the Apprenticeship Training Program that I talked about that I went through. Then you had “A” schools, which was[sic] schools that were for a specific job in the Navy, whether you were a storekeeper, a signalman, or, you know, something like that. Then there were also “C” schools, and “C” schools were for very specialized skills which normally required and extended enlistment period, such as six years active duty.</p>
<p>And so, during that time, people were kind of classified based on what their enlistment was that they signed up for. There were the 3-by-6s, which meant you were three years active and then six years of inactive reserves. Or IRR, right—“Inactive Readiness Reserves” I believe is the military term. There were 4-by-4s—and I was a 4-by-4—which meant four years active, four years inactive. And then there were the 6-by-2s, which were the specialty folks who went to extended training. They were six years active and then two years inactive reserves. Unless, of course, if they re-enlisted on active duty, then they would continue.</p>
<p>And the key thing about “C” school was that, once you completed about a two-year classroom/on-the-job training program, you automatically became an E[nlisted Rank] 4—a petty officer third-class. We used to call those people “boot camp thirds.” Because, like, as you go through, you know, you'll be an E-1, E-2, E-3, and then E-4. whereas these guys automatically got credits, basically like college, you know—you got some free credits. So there were some “C” schools here, including the Nuclear Program was here, and the Signalman School was here, and I think—no. The Storekeeper School was in Mississippi. that wasn’t here. But from what I remember, Apprenticeship Training, Signalman, and there was, like, Fire Control Technicians, Radar Schools.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Any other—anything else you think about—life off of base, special to base?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>I guess just kind of life on the base. There was Navy Exchange, so if you were a retired naval person—and Florida accumulated a lot of, you know, a lot of retirees and a lot of military retirees, because of the history with Sanford and Orlando—so the Navy Exchange store was there. So if you were active duty or if you were retired military, you could do your shopping. In certain cases, get things a lot cheaper than out in the regular market.</p>
<p>Other than that, it was pretty much, from what I remember, just a training facility. I remember there was a high school on—right on the outside of the base. Seemed like—sometimes we would joke like we were kind of in prison, you know, and you could see the freedom on the other side. I remember, you know, like we would be marching on the grinder and doing all these drills, and you'd look over and see these high school kids running track and field, or, you know, something like that at the high school, and you're thinking we're in prison, but…</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>When you left Orlando, you boarded a ship?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Yes. Upon completion of my apprenticeship training course—a little bit more of the story here is I had a chief petty officer. I forget his name, but you received your orders where you went to go, and I was always kind of joking around a little bit with the chief. And sure enough, where I get stationed, but the same ship he had come from to the Orlando Naval Training Center. so I remember he told me it was going to be tough, and that he was gonna—he arranged to have me go to the USS <em>Richard E. Bird</em> TDG-23—guided missile destroyer—ported out of Norfolk, Virginia. And that's where I went. And, interesting enough, this chief I then met years later when I was attending UCF and I was working at NationsBank—now Bank of America. He was a customer in there, and I remember him when he came in. we chatted and caught up, and he was living out by UCF at the time, and he was a customer at the bank.</p>
<p>But I caught my ship and I remember it was in the middle of deployment, towards the tail end of the North Atlantic—NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] cruise. And I remember I had received my orders and I had to go there, and I had all my airplane tickets. They arranged and all that. And I looked on there and I'm like, <em>Where is this place called Ponta Delgada? </em>And there was no Internet in 1985, so I had to go look in the encyclopedia, and it was in the Azores Islands—Portuguese islands in the Atlantic Ocean. I remember I flew from Orlando to New York, and then caught airport to Lisbon[, Portugal], and had a couple night’s stay in Lisbon overnight, and then caught the flight to Ponta Delgada, where I caught my ship. And I still remember the first people I met, who I'm still in contact with today, on board my ship. Gary Hayne[sp], Kurt Kiesden[sp], and Alan Welch[sp] in particular, because I was assigned to deck division, and I was assigned to them.<a title="">[3]</a> And then from there, you know, I was assigned to the ship and that became my permanent duty station that I stayed at for the remainder of my term—three years and eight months.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>So you left the Navy when?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>In February ’89. Four years active duty, and then served in the inactive reserves, which just meant if there's a call up, then you were subject.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>What did you end up doing when you left the Navy?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Okay. When I left the Navy, I started attended Daytona Beach Community College, which I think is now Daytona State College or something. and so I stayed in Flagler County and just did kind of odd jobs. I worked in a warehouse, primarily while I went to DBCC. And then I started working in the bank as a bank teller and then a sales and service rep[resentative].</p>
<p>And that actually worked out well, because, at the time, with the state, you could complete your first two years at a community college, then automatically transfer into any of the Florida state university system campuses. So I transferred to Orlando, because I worked at the bank it was quite an easy transfer to move over. So I started UCF in the Fall of ’93, after graduating from DBCC in the Spring of ’93. And then I graduated in Spring of ‘95 from UCF.</p>
<p>And also, I guess, during the—some other good things—when I became a basic seaman apprenticeship and I was assigned to the deck division on board, besides just chipping paint and doing all the deck stuff, the favorite thing—and I still remember it today, and it was one of my favorite things—you know, I barely had my driver's license—but at age 17, I qualified as a helmsman, and I drove the ship. I was at the wheel, and I qualified to run the ship's engines—the lee helm. and I used to stay on lookout watch. So here I was at 17 years old—and I actually saw a video on YouTube, like a Navy video, and it shows, like, the 22-year-old guy says, “Yeah. this is my job.” He says the same thing.</p>
<p>And I still remember to this day how to take the helm. You would go up—if you were to take the helm—let’s just say you’re at the wheel now—now I would walk up to the—well, I would first come to you and say, “Hey, what’s[sic] the coordinates? Where do you steer and where do you check in?”And that’s sort of the numbers from the compass of where—what direction you were going. I’d collect that, I’d go check what the speed was in knots, and then I would go up to the Officers’ Deck and salute, and he would say, “Officer of the deck, request permission to take the helm, steering course 225, checking 222 starboard unit, starboard cable, all engines ahead standard, 17 knot.” And the officer on deck would reply back and say, “Relieve the helm.” Then he would go over and then I would—I would take over. Yeah. it’s cool.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Well I was getting ready to ask you, what were some of your favorite memories of the...</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Oh, okay. alright. That’s a great one.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Do you have another one there that...</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Oh. Yeah. There’s[sic] plenty of them—and then really anything you tend to do, you know, in your life, it’s really about the people. And, you know, made some great friends. Still in contact with a lot them today. And lessons learned, you know, as a young kid—17 to 21, while I was in the Navy. And there’s a lot of memories, you know, of growing up doing stuff.</p>
<p>And I guess another thing is—I was always kind of a prankster a little bit, and I used to come home on leave for spring break, so I could be with all my friends. And we'd go to Daytona [Beach] and all that. One time I went off-base and I got—the senior chief, Senior Chief Moses, who was in charge of deck division, who I worked for—his plan was, you know, you had to look like a sailor. He was very strict with inspections. Well, one time I was trying to sneak and I went off-base and I got what he would call a “pretty-boy haircut.” So I came back and sure enough someone told on me and he personally walked me down to the ship’s barber and butchered me or whatever.</p>
<p>And so, as a retaliatory, I decided next day, <em>I’m going to go put some red mousse in my hair and go stand inspection in front of him.</em> Big mistake [<em>laughs</em>]. I remember he walked up to me, put his face in my face, and he goes, “Take your hat off, punk.” And he was this Texas—Texan guy. Big Texan guy. I took it off and I was smiling, and I wasn’t smiling much after that. He told me I had exactly two seconds to wash that “expletive” out of my hair or he was going to personally shave my head. [<em>laughs</em>] Let’s just say I jumped down the forward hatch and had the stuff out pretty quickly. [<em>laughs</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>This kind of ties into this whole project that we’re doing and you mentioned it, but you made a lot of personal friends. You’re still in contact with them?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Yep. Yeah. Out on Facebook. They're all in on Facebook. We have our ships—we have a page of our ships, and so a lot of us connected through there, but even before that there was like a newsletter and some reunions that go. Because I was on an older ship that was commissioned in the early 60s and then decommissioned shortly after I left in 1990. So, you know, there’s[sic] 30 years of history pretty much with my ship that I was on. So the reunions—you have 30 years of people who served on board. So it’s quite large and extensive.</p>
<p>And then I always try to make the effort to visit some of the folks. I travel extensively for my current job, and if I go to a city where one of those guys are, you know, we always try to meet up. And a lot of them are kind of joking when, you know, I first got connected with them, say on Facebook, and they say, “I can’t believe you’re this corporate guy in a suit. You’re the last guy we would have thought as a corporate guy in a suit.”</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Is this your first trip—you've been back to Orlando since?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Oh, yeah. And actually, I guess after I finished the Navy, I graduated from UCF, and then worked locally in Altamonte [Springs] at the Kirchman Corporation, which was a banking software company. And then I worked for Pro Systems in Maitland. and then I went to—on an assignment to Luxemburg in Europe. I was there for a couple years. and then I came back and I was on a project in San Francisco[, California]. And then—then this was 2001.</p>
<p>So basically the time scale goes from exited active duty in ‘89, college until ‘95, Kirchman Corporation and Pro ‘96-‘97, Luxemburg from ‘98 to 2001, and then San Francisco for about a half a year. And then I came back to Maitland, and was working in Maitland and lived in Apopka from 2001 ‘till 2005, when I moved to Atlanta[, Georgia], and I've been in Atlanta since 2005.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>What do you think about all of the changes of the area that used to be the base?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>You know, it’s kind of somewhat sad. There’s really nothing left there. Karla Novak was a personal friend of mine from when—from UCF days—gave me a tour around the Lone Sailor Foundation and the plans for that. And she showed me where the statue is going to be, you know, we’re kind of—both her and I went through there. So we were thinking this is—and she says, “Well, this is the old grinder.” and she was saying, “Remember we’d go over here and have to do these drills?”</p>
<p>Well, now it’s this open grass area. or over there is the housing where our berthing area—but now Baldwin Park is there. So it’s somewhat sad to think that—and I'm kind of one that—I like to preserve history. I wouldn’t want to say you have to preserve the base as-is, but you know, I think how important and how many lives, you know, were shaped, such as mine, going through boot camp. You know, going from being a kid to being an adult basically. you know, that there’s really not much left there.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Well, what do you think the legacy of the base is?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>I would say the legacy of the base is going to be, you know, the individual experiences of the people that really went through there. I mean, there’s not much left to see of, you know—what was left there, what was done. It was, you know, a training facility, classroom, and on-the-job training basically. You know, so there’s not much left as far as what you think of the Navy. You know, ships or aircraft or weapons or anything like that. I really think it’s about personal experience. And everybody had a different experience. You know, what they went through there.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>As a returning sailor, what would want to see if you returned back to the area to see the memorial? I mean, what would resonate with you?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>I think some pictures, you know, of the facility itself, you know. Kind of like, if you went into a museum, you like to see this was Orlando Naval Training Center was here from 1968 ‘till 1992, or something like that. Here’s the pictures and, you know, kind of what, you know—like for my boot camp book—went there, you know. There’s[sic] pictures in there that show the activities and kind of what went on there, and everything’s changed from, you know—boot camp is probably similar, but there’s a lot of changes, you know.</p>
<p>And I think preserving the history and at least showing that, while we can—would be, you know, a good thing. You know, to show there with the Lone Sailor—the Lone Sailor is a great thing to—to reflect their—well, I think any memorabilia or, you know, pictures that show at one point in time this is what was here and quantify it. You know, x-number of people went through during this time who were the commanding officers, you know, kind of like any similar memorials or stuff like that.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>That’s about all I have. Is there anything that we missed that you’d like to add or a story you'd like to share?</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>I think I pretty much covered everything. You know, that was my time here in Orlando at the Naval Training Center for boot camp and then kind of post activities. So I think we've pretty much covered the full spectrum of your questions there, so.</p>
<p><strong>Barnes<br /></strong>Okay. Well, thank you very much.</p>
<p><strong>Clark<br /></strong>Thank you. I'm glad to help.</p>
<div><br /><div>
<p><a title="">[1]</a> The Orlando Naval Training Center will occasionally be referred to throughout the interview as “NTC Orlando.”</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[2]</a> South OBT refers to a portion of U.S. 441, known as Orange Blossom Trail in parts of Orlando, Florida.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[3]</a> Note that names are spelt as they sound and may not be accurate.</p>
</div>
</div>
active duty
Air Apprenticeship Training
airman
airmen
Apopka
apprentices
apprenticeship schools
Apprenticeship Training Program
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlantic Ocean
Azores Islands
Bainbridge
Baldwin Park
Bank of America
bank tellers
Barnes, Mark
basic seaman recruits
berthing areas
boot camp
boot camps
chief petty officer
chief petty officers
Clark, Jeffrey Edward
Community Veterans History Project
Company 101
CVHP
Dan Taylor
Daytona Beach Community College
DBCC
deck divisions
deployment
E-1
E-2
E-3
E-4
East Hartford, Connecticut
Enlisted Rank 1
Enlisted Rank 2
Enlisted Rank 3
Enlisted Rank 4
Facebook
Fire Control Technicians
firefighters
fireman
firemen
Firemen Apprenticeship Training
Flagler County
Flagler Palm Coast High School
Forrest Gump
Greyhound
guided missile destroyers
Hayne, Gary
Hazen, Kendra
helmsman
helmsmen
I-4
I-94
immigrants
Inactive Readiness Reserves
inactive reserves
Interstate 4
Interstate 95
IRR
Italian immigrants
Italians
Kiesden, Kurt
Kirchman Corporation
lee helms
Lieutenant Dan
Lone Sailor Foundation
Lone Sailor Memorial Committee
Lone Sailor Memorial Project
Luxemburg
Maitland
Mayflower
Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Squadron
MEP
Military Entrance Processing
Morse code
Moses
NationsBank
NATO
Naval Training Center Orlando
Navy Exchange
Navy Memorial of Central Florida
Nice, France
Norfolk, Virginia
North Atlantic
North Atlantic Squadron
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Novak, Karla
NTC Orlando
Nuclear Program
OBT
officers
Orange Blossom Trail
Orleman, Andrew
Palm Coast
Petty Officer
Petty Officers
Philippines
Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Pro Systems
Radar School
recruit training
recruits
sailors
sales representatives
San Francisco, California
Seaman Apprenticeship Training
seamen
semaphore
service representatives
Shriners Temple
signalman
Signalman School
signalmen
Storekeeper School
U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 441
U.S.S Richard E. Byrd DDG-23
UCF
University of Central Florida
US-17
US-441
USS Bluejacket
USS Chiwawa CV40
USS Richard E. Bird TDG-23
veterans
Welch, Alan
Wiggins, Leanne
World War II
WWII
YouTube
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Vietnam War Collection
Alternative Title
Vietnam Collection
Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Veterans--Florida
Description
The Vietnam War was a Cold War Era "military conflict." The war was originally waged between Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The United States became involved as a preventive measure to combat communism. The date of the war has been disputed, but a study in 1998 by the Department of Defense definitively put the start of the Vietnam War as November 1, 1955.
The first combat military troops 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade didn't arrive until 1965. With the arrival of the combat troops came the first traditional battles of combat fighting in the war. During the Vietnam War, not only did American military go into battle with and for South Vietnam, the military also trained members of South Vietnam to fight alongside during the war. Peace talks were attempted, with France moderating, beginning on May 10, 1968. These talks were unsuccessful and lasted over three years.
The longest battle of the Vietnam War began on January 21, 1968 and didn't end until the U.S. reclaimed Route 9 on April 8, 1968, 77 days later. While the military conflict ended in April of 1975, it was a long process towards reunification and redevelopment as a country. The conflict left Vietnam in both political and economical ruins.
Contributor
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/24" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida.
Language
eng
Type
Collection
Coverage
Vietnam
Contributing Project
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a><span>, UCF Digital Collections, University of Central Florida</span>
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a><span>, UCF Digital Collections, University of Central Florida</span>
External Reference
<span>"</span><a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">About the Project</a><span>." UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida. http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/.</span>
Herring, George C. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5126110" target="_blank"><em>America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975</em></a>. New York: Wiley, 1979.
"<a title="American Experience" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/timeline/tl3.html" target="_blank">American Experience</a>." Public Broadcasting Company. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/timeline/tl3.html.
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
Lanza, Ettore M.
Interviewee
Friedman, Paul H.
Location
Coral Springs, Florida
Original Format
1 audio/video digital recording
Duration
28 minutes and 40 seconds
Bit Rate/Frequency
127kbps
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Oral History of Paul H. Friedman
Alternative Title
Oral History, Friedman
Subject
Navy
Veterans--Florida
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Gulf of Tonkin
USS Forrestal (Aircraft carrier)
Description
Oral history of Paul H. Friedman's military service in Vietnam during the Vietnam War (1961-1975). Friedman was born on August 28, 1946 in Rockway Beach, New York. In 1966, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the U.S.S. <em>Forrestal</em> G Division, which engaged in combat operations in the Gulf of Tonkin. Friedman achieved the rank of Petty Officer, 3rd Class. He was injured in the 1967 fire that devastated the <em>Forrestal</em> and killed 134 of his shipmates. Friedman ended his service on November 19, 1967. During his service, he received the National Defense Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal. This oral history interview was conducted by Ettore M. Lanza in Coral Springs, Florida on March 21, 2011.<br /><br />The Vietnam War was a Cold War Era "military conflict". The war was originally waged between Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The United States became involved as a preventive measure to combat communism. The official date of the military conflict is November 1, 1955 and ending in April 1975. The date of the war has been disputed, but a study in 1998 by the Department of Defense definitively put the start of the Vietnam War as November 1, 1955. The first combat military troops 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade didn't arrive until 1965. With the arrival of the combat troops came the first traditional battles of combat fighting in the war. During the Vietnam War, not only did American military go into battle with and for South Vietnam, the military also trained members of South Vietnam to fight alongside during the war. Peace talks were attempted, with France moderating, beginning on May 10, 1968. These talks were unsuccessful and lasted over three years. The longest battle of the Vietnam War began on January 21, 1968 and didn't end until the U.S. reclaimed Route 9 on April 8, 1968, seventy-seven days later. While the military conflict ended in 1975, it was a long process towards reunification and redevelopment as a country. The conflict left Vietnam in both political and economical ruins. <br /><br />While the U.S. military was fighting overseas, Many American citizens protested the war at home. Demonstrations took place across the country with the most famous one being at Kent State University in Ohio. While this is the most well known demonstration it was not the first. Americans questioned the U.S. involvement in the war throughout.
Abstract
Oral history interview of Paul H. Friedman. Interview conducted by Ettore M. Lanza in Coral Springs, Florida.
Table Of Contents
00:00 Intro
1:00 Where/when he was born
2:10 Parents/relatives/friends in military?
5:35 Reason he joined Navy/boot camp
8:15 USS Forrestal
8:45 Ship details
9:55 Destinations
11:45 His onboard occupation
13:15 Fire begin
17:35 Shrap metal in his foot
21:10 Fire subside
22:35 Trip back home
25:20 Reflections/book
27:00 Outro
Creator
Lanza, Ettore M.
Source
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/VET/id/52" target="_blank">Friedman, Paul H.</a> Interviewed by Ettore M. Lanza. UCF Community Veterans History Project, DP0011885. March 21, 2011. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Publisher
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/UniversityArchives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>, University of Central Florida Libraries
Date Created
2011-03-21
Date Copyrighted
2011-03-21
Contributor
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Conforms To
Standards established by the Veterans History Project, Library of Congress, <a href="http://www.loc.gov/vets/">http://www.loc.gov/vets/</a>.
Format
video/mp4
Extent
87.4 MB
Medium
28-minute and 40-second digital audio/video recording
Language
eng
Type
Moving Image
Coverage
Rockway Beach, New York
Gulf of Tonkin
Coral Springs, Florida
Spatial Coverage
40.586736, -73.81157
19.151389, 107.384722
26.2667, -80.2667
Temporal Coverage
1946-08-28/1966-07-19
1966-07-19/1967-11-19
1967-11-19/2011-03-21
Accrual Method
Deposit
Rights Holder
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact <a href="http://library.ucf.edu/UniversityArchives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/.
Contributing Project
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Morris, Alisha
Digital Collection
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalCollections/" target="_blank">UCF Digital Collections</a>
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida, Special Collections and University Archives</a>
External Reference
"American Experience." Public Broadcasting Company. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/timeline/tl3.html.
Burlage, John D. "The Forrestal Fire." America's Navy. http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=73.
"USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59)." The Virtual Wall: Vietnam Veterans Memorial. http://www.virtualwall.org/units/forrestal.htm.
Moïse, Edwin E. <em>Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War</em>. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996.
Freeman, Gregory A. <em>Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It</em>. New York: William Morrow, 2002.
Herring, George C. <em>America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975</em>. New York: Wiley, 1979.
External Reference Title
"<a title="American Experience" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/timeline/tl3.html" target="_blank">American Experience</a>"
"<a href="http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=73" target="_blank">The Forrestal Fire</a>"
"<a href="http://www.virtualwall.org/units/forrestal.htm" target="_blank">USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59)</a>"
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/34477141" target="_blank"><em>Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War</em></a>
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48014770" target="_blank"><em>Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It</em></a>
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5126110" target="_blank"><em>America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975</em></a>
Click to View (Movie, Podcast, or Website)
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/VET/id/52" target="_blank">Friedman, Paul H.</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="http://digitalcollections.net.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/92" target="_blank">Vietnam War Collection</a>, UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Requires
Multimedia software, such as <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/" target="_blank">QuickTime</a>.
Audience Education Level
SS.K.A.1.2; SS.K.A.2.4; SS.K.C.2.1; SS.1.A.1.1; SS.1.A.2.1; SS.1.A.2.2; SS.1.A.2.4; SS.1.C.3.2; SS.1.C.2.1; SS.1.C.2.2; SS.1.C.2.3; SS.1.C.2.4; SS.2.A.1.1; SS.2.C.2.2; SS.2.C.2.4; SS.2.C.2.5; SS.2.C.3.2; SS.3.A.1.1; SS.3.C.2.1; SS.4.A.1.1; SS.4.C.2.2; SS.4.C.2.3; SS.5.A.1.1; SS.5.C.2.5; SS.6.W.1.3; SS.7.C.2.2; SS.7.C.2.3; SS.7.C.4.1; SS.7.C.4.2; SS.8.A.1.1; SS.8.A.1.5; SS.8.A.1.7; SS.912.A.1.1; SS.912.A.1.6; SS.912.A.6.10; SS.912.A.6.13; SS.912.A.6.14; SSS.912.A.6.15; SS.912.A.7.10; SS.912.A.7.11; SS.912.A.7.17; SS.912.C.2.3; SS.912.C.4.2; SS.912.W.1.3; SS.912.W.1.6; SS.912.W.8.4; SS.912.W.9.4
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Ettore M. Lanza and published by the University of Central Florida Libraries, <a href="http://library.ucf.edu/UniversityArchives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>.
Date Issued
2012-03
boot camp
enlist
fire
Friedman, Paul H.
G Division
Lanza, Ettore M.
National Defense Medal
Petty Officer
Petty Officer 3rd Class
Petty Officer Third Class
survivor
third class
Vietnam Service Medal
West Pac