Date: 2005 / Collection: Veterans of the Valley / Unit: Collections - TAMU

Date:: 2005-12-07
Main contributors:: Mullins, Brent
Summary:: Brent Mullins, Museum of the American GI, Collector (Interviewed Dec. 7, 2005) Brent Mullins is a collector and his collection of war and military memorabilia is vast. So vast in fact that it now fills a museum in South College Station called the “Museum of the American GI”. In addition to the show with Brent, is a second radio feature on Brent’s generous gift to friend and veteran Ed Eyre, a veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Brent took Ed back to Iwo Jima as a thank you for his service and for the volunteer work Ed did in restoring many of Brent’s vehicles and other war machines.

Date:: 2005-03-01
Main contributors:: Oliveras, Rick
Summary:: Rick Oliveras, Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed March 1, 2005) Rick Oliveras was involved in intelligence during the Vietnam war. He specialized in photo intelligence interpretation. Rick Oliveras is a long time officer and supporter of the VFW post in Bryan Texas.

Date:: 2005-12-15
Main contributors:: Opersteny, Charles
Summary:: Charles Opersteny, Air Force, Korea (Interviewed Dec. 15, 2005) Charles Opersteny is one of the driving forces of the American Legion Post 159 in Bryan Texas. That is his passions in his post military career. He served at the old Bryan Air Force Base during the years of the Korean War.

Date:: 2005-04-27
Main contributors:: Pardo, Bob
Summary:: Bob Pardo, U. S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed April 27, 2005) Bob Pardo of College Station was an F4 Phantom pilot during the Vietnam war. He obviously has many stories to tell of his service. But the one story that stands above all is the story known as "Pardo's Push". Enough said. You can Google it or listen to him tell the story here. It is an incredible one.

Date:: 2005-04-13
Main contributors:: Reid, Vic
Summary:: Vic Reid, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed April 13, 2005) June 18th, 1972 , as a member of the 16th Special Ops Squadron of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai AFB in Thailand, Col. Vic Reid was flying his 44th Aerial Combat Mission over the A Shau Valley in South Viet Nam. That was also the first Father’s Day he would observe as a Dad. The celebration would have to wait and very nearly did not happen at all. It was the night his AC-130 Gunship’s wing was shot off. The next 18 hours, he’ll never forget.

Date:: 2005-08-03
Main contributors:: Rothermel, James
Summary:: James Rothermel, U.S. Navy Seabees, WW II (Interviewed Aug. 3, 2005) World War II could not have been fought, much less won, had it not been for the work of the Navy Seabees, the Construction Battalion. They were builders -- airstrips, bridges, piers and everything from hospitals to Quonset Huts...even builders of bomb shelters. Company C Painter First Class James Rothermel was stationed on perhaps the ultimate hotspot of the Pacific at Guadalcanal as a member of the 14th Seabees. He’s a retired educator and a mainstay of development of the Washington County Veterans Memorial in his hometown of Brenham, Texas.

Date:: 2005-07-13
Main contributors:: Schultz, Raymond
Summary:: Raymond Schultz, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed July 13, 2005) There was a common thread among veterans that runs particularly through those we call the greatest generation, following their brave service to our country came a long career of labor, supporting their families, earning their retirement. For 25 years, Bryan's Raymond Schultz was a plumber at Texas A&M until his retirement in 1985. We salute those years of his youth, when as a member of the 547th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapon Battalion, he found himself on the final march through Europe, attached to and following behind Gen. George S Patton. Yes, whether it was in the movies or old newsreels, we all are familiar with Patton's 'blood and guts' speeches to his troops as he led the 3rd Army in that final push. Sgt. Raymond Schultz was there listening. It's just one of his memories of his nearly 4 years of service in the United States Army.

Date:: 2005-04-20
Main contributors:: South, Randy
Summary:: Randy South, U.S. Marines, Gulf War (Interviewed April 20, 2005) January 16, 1991, is a day few of us should ever forget. We were glued to our televisions watching the invasion of Kuwait. It was the start of Operation Desert Storm and Randy South was there as a mortarman, with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.

Date:: 2005-04-06
Main contributors:: Thompson, Eddie
Summary:: Eddie Thompson, US Navy, World War II (Interviewed April 6, 2005) At age 97, Eddie Thompson was the oldest veteran interviewed on KAMU's Veteran's of the Valley. His life spanned both World War I and World War II. He joined the Navy in 1942 at age 35. He served in the Pacific on the deck of the USS Birmingham. He was on the Birmingham at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was also on board May 4, 1945, when a Japanese suicide plane hit next to Eddie Thompson's cabin. Eddie Thompson was the uncle of KAMU host, Sharon Colson.

Date:: 2005-10-10
Main contributors:: Voelkel, Tyson
Summary:: Tyson Voelkel, U.S. Army, Iraq (A&M Class of ‘96) (Interviewed Oct. 10, 2005) Tyson Voelkel was a proud soldier of the 82nd Airborne, a graduate student at the George Bush School of Public Service, who also taught at West Point in 2007. It was a quick path from Texas A&M Corp of Cadet Commander to Iraq, Company A commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. He was a paratrooper. His unit attached to the Army's 1st Armored Division, working for a time in the Al Rashid district of Baghdad. He was there for two tours.. Today Tyson Voelkel is the Executive Director of the Texas A&M foundation.

Date:: 2005-09-07
Main contributors:: Youngkin, Bill
Summary:: Bill Youngkin, U.S. Army, Vietnam (A&M Class of 69) (Interviewed September 7, 2005) Bill Youngkin was a Texas A&M Yell Leader his senior year. He was a U.S. Army Transportation Specialist in Vietnam in 1971 and 1972. Bill Youngkin talks about his service but also his passion for honoring other veterans through his weekly column in the Bryan/College Station Eagle, "Brazos Valley Heroes".

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