Founding freedom riders. Katherine westmoreland, wife of u. S. Army general William Westmoreland who commanded u. S. Forces in vietnam talked about her life as a military daughter, sister and spouse. She recounted her time living in vietnam and serving as a red cross nurses aide during the war and recalled hosting president s and first ladys as well as her friendship with bob and dolores hope. This interview is just over an hour. Good evening, maam. Today is the 1st of october, 2016, and were in the west point center for oral history, and im here with Katherine Stephens van deusen westmoreland, but you go by kitsy. Right. Thats right. Maam, could you please spell your last name for the transcriber. Westmoreland. Thank you, maam. Tell me about your childhood. I know you grew up as the daughter of an army officer. Tell me what it was like growing up as an army brat. Well, when i grew up in the army, i would say i grew up as a millionaires child without any money. So i had the most wonder
At the end of january 1968 saigon was alive with the festive spirit as everyone prepares for the tet lunar new year. For the people of vietnam tet is both a joyous and a sacred time of the year. It was supposed to be the first spring of the second republic of vietnam and the tet truce proposed by the communist north vietnamese seemed to promise people a holiday free from the everpresent anxiety of war. The people gathered to pay respects for their ancestors. On the eve of the new year, thousands of saigon families prayed before the altars of their ancestors. They prayed that peace might be restored to their homeland. This year, however, the traditional firecrackers of the tet celebration came the fireworks of war. The vietcong taking advantage of the noisy celebration and the savage attacks on saigon, violating the fruits that they themselves his proposed. Areas of the city became a blazing inferno. Columns of smoke rose skyward after block after block in the capital city burned with t
Point center for oral history. Its 1 10. Were here at the west point center for oral history studio on february 23rd, 2015, with mr. Henry james thomas. Hello, mr. Thomas. Hi. How are you doing . Pretty good. Welcome. Thank you. Were happy to have the chance to talk to you today. Can you tell me a little bit about your childhood . Im interested because it seems like your independent, fighting spirit seemed to emerge early, earlier than most. Yes. I spent part of my childhood in georgia, in the middle part of georgia. I was born in jacksonville, florida, and i think from age probably 3 to 8 was spent in georgia, wadly, georgia, an area considered middle georgia. Not that far from augusta, georgia. And thats where i came of age as a teenager. I came by my activism very early. I always had sort of an innate sense of what was right and what was wrong, and i dont know exactly where i got that from. And the idea of segregation and things that white people could do and black people could not
Spirit seemed to emerge early, earlier than most. Yes. I spent part of my childhood in georgia, in the middle part of georgia. I was born in jacksonville, florida, and i think from age probably 3 to 8 was spent in georgia, wadly, georgia, an area considered middle georgia. Not that far from augusta, georgia. And thats where i came of age as a teenager. I came by my activism very early. I always had sort of an innate sense of what was right and what was wrong, and i dont know exactly where i got that from. And the idea of segregation and things that white people could do and black people could not do, i understood very early as maybe as early as 7, 8 years old that there was something wrong with that. Obviously i wasnt capable of any kind of deep philosophical thinking. Its just that why cant we go there and white folks can, and why are we poorer than white people. Those were the things that as a child concerned me. I did have one incident in wattly, georgia, wherein i guess i violated
Cadet, has vietnam war service, his years teaching at military colleges, and the time when Newt Gingrich audited his class. The interview is produced by the west point center for oral history. Its an hour and 40 minutes. Good afternoon. Today is 13, november, 2015 and i am in the center for oral history with mr. Kenneth g. Carlson. How are you, sir . I am fine, thank you. Sir, could you please spell your last name for us carlson. Youre not the only carlson in your class, are you . I am not the only carlson in my class. Theres another guy with the same name, kenneth carlson, hes kenneth r. Carlson. He was a wrestler. Im kenneth g. Carlson. I was sort of a basketball player. Did that cause any problems for you . Absolutely. The day i reported into the gymnasium, i walked into the door with my little bag and the people who had the roster there said youve already signed in. I said, no, i havent, i just walked in the door the first time. They said kenneth carlson, you just youve already sig