80th Division Veterans Association
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Note: There are more than 150,000 documents, images, and pages on this 80th Division site. Many of the Morning Reports, General Orders, Unit Histories, and Miscellaneous Reports are scanned as PDFs. Some of these reports are difficult to read. Google indexers can't convert many into searchable text. Your results will not pick up every Report that is on the site.

Oral Histories

THE MISSION

These Oral Histories come from a variety of sources. Some are Documents, some are Audio Interviews, and others are Video Interviews. They are "organized" by Division / Regiment / Battalion / Company. We thank everyone who has contributed to this collection, including:

  • Lowell Silverman (Delaware's World War II Fallen project). Lowell is a historian based in Delaware and is currently compiling biographies for the American troops from Delaware who made the ultimate sacrifice.

  • 80th Division Veterans Association interviews by COL(ret) Grant Porter. During the 2001 80th Division Veterans Association Annual Meeting in Hampton, VA (August 24-25, 2001), COL(ret) Grant Porter sat down with several 80th Division WWII Veterans and recorded their stories. This project was carried through by MG(ret) John P. McLaren and COL(ret) Brydon Jackson. These extraordinary interviews of the men who fought with the 80th Division during WWII will never be forgotten.

  • WW2 Fallen (80th Infantry Division Soldiers)
    WW2 Fallen 100 is a project honoring the fallen of World War II soldiers on their 100th birthday.

  • Robert Leach is a historian based in Ohio and preparing narratives for all names on the county World War II memorial, several of which include soldiers from the 80th Division.

  • Library of Congress, Veterans History Project Service - 80th Infantry Division Veterans interviews by various sources.

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War I

  • THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES MEMORIAL PROJECT
    The Online Museum and Research Center on the History of the US in the First World War. B. Clark Byrnes is the founder of the American Expeditionary Forces Memorial Project. Clark is a collector and researcher of WWI photographs, diaries, letters, and individual level records.

  • 318th Infantry Regiment (Company F) - WWI Re-enactment
    Excellent web site providing tons of information about the 318th Infantry Regiment during WWI.

  • The Doughboy Foundation works in partnership with the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission, helping to envision, build, and enhance our nation's new World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. Below is a list of 80th Infantry Division WWI veterans featured on the site. Note that this link is to the main search; type in the soldier's name to get to their narrative oral history. Be sure to have your computer volume turned up.

    • Pvt Cary F. Jarratt, Company A, 318th Infantry Regiment
    • Pvt Andrew A. Capets, Company C, 313th Machine Gun Battalion
    • 2nd Lt. Joseph Miller Duff, Jr., Company D, 313th Machine Gun Battalion
    • Pvt James Milo Miller, 314th Field Artillery Regiment

  • Diary of William A. Livergood
    A Tale of a Soldier who Served the World War in France.

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - 80th Infantry Division Units

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - 317th Infantry Regiment

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - 318th Infantry Regiment

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - 319th Infantry Regiment

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - 305th Combat Engineer Battalion

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - 305th Medical Battalion

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - Field Artillery Units

80th DIVISION ORAL HISTORIES - World War II - Miscellaneous

  • Opa's Story:
    German 352nd Volksgrenadier Division
    Thorsten Herbes shares his grandfather's (Erich Michely) story from the German perspective, who was taken prisoner in Mertzig, Luxembourg on 12/22/44 by 3d Battalion, 319th Inf Reg. [DOCUMENT]

Here's a Step-by-Step Procedure for Conducting an Oral History

Sample Oral History Interview Questions to Ask
  1. Develop a list of initial questions. Focus on the basics, such as:

    • What branch of the service did he serve? Most of the 80th Division veterans served with the U.S. Army, but I would not be surprised if several veterans served with another branch such as the Marines or the Navy.

    • What was his rank? In most cases, an enlisted man joins the Army as a private and works his way up through promotions. Officers start as 2d Lieutenants and work their way up through promotions.

    • Did he join the 80th as a replacement soldier? The 80th entered the ETO (European Theatre of Operation) in July 1944 when they arrived in Scotland. They hit the beaches of Normandy the first week of August 1944. Anyone joining the 80th Division after that time would be considered a replacement.

    • In what unit did he serve? In the 80th Division during WWII, there were three rifle regiments (317th, 318th, 319th), four Field Artillery Battalions (313th, 314th, 905th, 315th), and a number of other support units (80th Reconnaissance Troop, 305th Engineer Combat Battalion, 305th Medical Battalion, 780th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company, 80th Quartermaster Company, 80th Signal Company, Military Police Platoon, Headquarters Company, and the Band). He may have served in more than one unit. Also, note the company he was in: for every rifle regiment, there are three battalions, each with three rifle companies and one heavy weapons company.

    • Was he awarded any medals? If so, what medals and does he have the official citations that came with the award? While the citation would be "official," ask him about the circumstances. This may be a tough one (see below), but it would help explain the story.

    • In what campaigns did he participate? During WWII, the 80th Division participated in four campaigns: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe.

  2. Keep in mind there are typically three "phases" of your veteran's history:

    • Before action: This is where he learned to become a soldier. Initial training, then training for his particular MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), though not everyone had specific training, then training with the unit.

    • Action: The 80th Division spent 277 days in continuous combat. Many veterans fought with the 80th Division from the time the division landed on Utah Beach in early August until the end of the war on May 7, 1945. This will be the toughest part of the interview.

    • After the war: Many veterans came home in one piece; others, not so lucky. But all veterans came home a different person than when they went over. It's also important to try to understand how the war shaped their lives and what they did after the war.

  3. Conduct the interview - this is where you get to talk to your veteran and ask specific questions. You've got your initial set of questions (see examples below), but you may find you want to ask more questions that take you into a different direction during the interview--be flexible. That's fine and you should go with the flow. You've got to be interested in your veteran's story and learn to adapt to the conversation. There is no book to read on how to do this, thought there are lots of resources; you just learn by experience. If you're interviewing your father or grandfather, be patient (both of you). These men grew up without computers, some without telephones--a proud generation that grew up not showing their emotions.

A Few Tips for You

  • Before the Interview, do a little research: Does your veteran have any papers or documents from the Army? The discharge papers will provide a lot of information. Some veterans filed their papers with the local clerk of the court, many of which are online. Does he have a scrapbook, or any photos from the time? Does he have the letters he wrote home?

  • When you conduct the interview, try to avoid background noises, such as phones, TVs, radios, noisy pets.

  • Write your initial set of questions down and share them with your 80th Division veteran. If you don't have a script, your conversation may go all over the place. Also, letting your veteran know what you'll be asking will give him a chance to think about and reflect what he's going to say; he may also have several other questions to suggest you ask.

  • If you can get one, use an audio recorder, preferably digital. You can try to record using a video recorder, but the veteran may be self-conscious about what he looks like rather that what he's saying. Many older people don't want pictures or videos of themselves, so using audio is less intrusive and makes the person more comfortable. It's also easier, less expensive, and less time-consuming.

  • A digital recorder allows you to store the voice file onto the computer and playback using the computer. This is especially important when you transcribe (or have someone else transcribe) the interview. On the other hand, a video of the oral history interview would be a treasure for you and your family. Set the microphone six to twelve inches from the veteran. Test the audio (or video if you're videotaping) before you start.

  • Conduct the interview in a safe, comfortable environment. Try to interview the veteran at his home, where he's more comfortable. Before you start the interview, spend a few minutes talking about the interview in general, how it will proceed, and what you're going to ask. You don't necessarily want to just jump in there and start asking questions.

  • Don't rush the interview. Most veterans like to talk about themselves, but not about everything. Begin the interview by asking some of the basic questions outlined below, then transition into more specific questions. To do this right, expect to conduct the oral history interview over a period of time. It will probably take more than an hour or two and you may want to break it into several different interviews.

  • Don't interrupt. It's not your job to comment on what the veteran is saying, but to record the memories. Remember, you're asking someone to bring back memories (some may be difficult and emotional) that happened 65+ years ago. If you get stuck on a question, or in an awkward moment, ask him what the weather was like or were there any particular sights or smells he remembers.

  • Ask the veteran's permission to send this Oral History to the 80th Division Veterans Association.

  • Be sensitive. There are some taboo subjects that your veteran may not want to talk about-at least not up front. The subject of killing is difficult, but what probably hurts more is the subject of lost buddies. If your veteran gets upset or emotional as they tell their story, you should react and show concern. Give him time to recuperate. You may even suggest taking a break after acknowledging this tough moment.

What to Do When You're Done with the Interview

First of all, you will probably be exhausted as will the veteran--it's natural, especially if any of the interview was emotional. Thank the veteran for his time and his service to this great country of ours. The next steps are to review the interview. If you've done an audio or video interview, you want to take some time to digest the information; it's ok, there's no rush. Once you've had time to rest and digest, you'll want to transcribe the interview. In other words, you'll listen to the recording and type out the interview. Usually, the transcription takes the form of:

Question (or your name as the interviewer): Here's the question I asked (verbatim).
Answer (or the veteran's name): Here's the answer by the veteran.

This is an important step, since this becomes the recorded Oral History. It will take time, especially if you've done a quality job. You want to make sure that you type the questions and answers in the order in which you conducted the interview. After you've typed it all out, review for spelling and grammar errors. Then, you'd probably like to share it with the veteran. He may have remembered something else, or after reading the interview, may need to make a change or two. This is very common and it is courteous. Once you are comfortable with the interview and the Oral History, you'll want to send it (either e-mail or postal mail) to:

80th Division Veterans Association
Andrew Z. Adkins III
80th Division WWII Historian
3520 N.W. 41st Terrace
Gainesville, FL 32606
adkins@80thdivision.com