There was a change in pace for the focus of this week. Efforts, preparation, and practice centered around a story day at the nursing home Lutheran Towers. This visit included conducting oral histories with a group of elderly military veterans. The experience there was rewarding and helpful in not only increasing my skillset, but also in making connections with the local veterans' community here in Orlando. I learned many important lessons through this event.
During last week's meeting we learned that we would be conducting the story day on Friday the 7th. Both Dr. Gannon and Jessie were able to provide helpful resources for review. Having prior experience with oral histories, I referred to my past notes and set of questions. However, there was a key difference with the experience in Lutheran Towers. Typically, before an oral history interview the veteran completes a bio data sheet. This sheet allows me to tailor the questions to the veteran's experience. For example, if they are a younger student veteran then I would not have to worry about asking clarification on if they were drafted or not. Additionally, I would have some sort of summary of their service in the military. But due to the older age of the veterans and their varying schedules it was decided to fill in the information on site. This would mean that I had less time to tailor the questions. Also, I would not know who exactly I was interviewing and what conflicts they served in. Though this was nerve-wracking at first, I soon began to view it as a great way to practice. There is no guarantee that all oral histories will proceed in the same routine manner. Therefore, it is imperative to know how to think on my feet and improvise if the situation calls for it.
Thus, with these conditions in mind I made sure just to review more general things like how to operate the Zoom session. I also thought about how to best fill out the bio data sheet with them in a way that would not cause interview fatigue before the actual interview. After these preparations I was excited to arrive at Lutheran Towers on Friday. Upon entering we were guided to a common area room where each interviewer had a corner to set up a table and chairs for their interview. After setting up, I was provided with my veteran to interview. He was an 80 year old man who had spent all of his service in the Navy. I began by introducing myself and collecting the necessary information for the biodata sheet. From this process I was able to see he had a lengthy service of around 20 years and served during the Vietnam War. He discussed with me his many poignant memories throughout this time ranging from him meeting his wife all the way to him meeting life long friends. He recalled the more unique aspects of his service like getting to fly VIP passengers for his assignments. These assignments also allowed him to see different wonders around the world. He reminisced being enthralled by flying over the lush, sprawling Yosemite state park. Another time he recounted enjoying places in the Pacific like Japan and the Philippines. Additionally, he shed a light on powerful moments in American history as he described his stunned disbelief when the assassination of JFK was announced. I felt humbled to hear his experiences and facilitate in him memorializing them.
Once the interview was finished I thanked him once more and finished the remaining protocols for the oral history interview. Following this I reflected on how the interview as a whole went. I believe that things flowed well even though I did not have the usual time to prepare. There were some things that I wish I had asked more about such as the culture he experienced abroad and more about his time after the military. Moreover, it was at times hard to keep the timeline of his service clear. I tried my best to pose clarifying questions that would reiterate the timeline for the recording. Despite these small concerns, I believe the interview as a whole was insightful and provided a great overview of his accomplishments and feelings throughout his diligent service. I look forward to more future story days with VHP where I can enhance my abilities, but more importantly learn about the experiences of various veterans.
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