Collison whitehead, today live from noon to 3 00 p. M. Eastern n book tv on cspan 2. Next, katherine westmoreland, wife of william westmoreland, who commanded u. S. Forces in vietnam talks about her life as a military daughter, sister and spouse. She recounts her time living in vietnam and serving as a red cross nurses aide during the war. And she recalls hosting president s and first ladies as well as her friendship with bob and delores hope. This interview is from the west point center for oral history and is a little over an hour. Good evening, maam. Today is october 1, 2016, and were in the west point center for oral history, and im here with Katherine Stevens vandusen westmoreland but you go by kitzy. Could you spell your last name for the transcriber. Westmoreland. Thank you, maam. Tell me about your childhood. I know you grew up as a daughter of an army officer. Tell me what it was like growing up as an army brat . Katherine when i grew up in the army, i would say i grew from mi
Now you lived at the academy yourself. What does west point mean to you . Oh, thats a brutal question. It was so much a part of my life that whats that . So was there anything in new york city with the Vietnam Veterans . No, i dont think. Remarks from 1985. O rrk daddy, yes, he led that march. And that was he was very proud of that. He walked down. Was it fifth avenue . I dont know where it was, but they gave themselves a march because no one else did. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Now, your necklace, mrs. Pope gave that to you. Yeah. This is west class ring and the then i was out visiting the hopes, wes and i, on my 50th birthday. And i wasnt a very good sport about it, about being 50. I thought i was really over the hill. And dolores gave me this which says oh, to be 50 again. And she always said she, i guess she really was my best friend and i think i was probably one of her best friends. And but she always said she was 17 years older and she always said, im old enough to be your mother. And i w
I knew 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 wonderful childhood. I had two brothers and we all were well, my father had been in the cavalry and he was one of a wonderful horseman. So both my brother, my older brother and i rode from the time i guess i was 3 years old, and my older brother was the same way. What post were you on when you grew up . Well, i was born in princeton, new jersey. The followers at princeton for six years. When he married my mother, my mother was a very beautiful lady, and i think most of the princeton students were in love with her because she was so lovely. And then my older brother was born there and i was born there. Okay. And and then where else did you grow up . Princeton and then, oh, dear. Fort bragg, fort hamilton, washington, fort sill, oklahoma, hawaii, back to oklahoma wow
During the vietnam war. This interview is from the west point center of oral history and is a little over an hour. Today is the first day of october 2016 and we are in the west point center for all history and im here with Catherine Stevens can you please spell your last name . Tell me about your childhood. I knew you grew up as the daughter of an army officer. As an like growing up army brat. I grew as a millionaire child without any money. Wonderful had the most wonderful childhood. Brothers and my father had been in the cavalry. He was a wonderful horseman. Both my older brother and i rode from the time that i was three years old, and my older brother was the same way. I was born in princeton. For six years and when he married my mother, my mother was so bear was a very beautiful lady. My older brother was born there. Where else did you grow up . Bragg. Washington. Oklahoma. Hawaii, back to oklahoma. If the cut new york. I got free tuition. One of the questions i always asked people
Tell me about your childhood. Like growingit was up as an army brat. Katharaine i grew up as a millionaires child without any money. I have the most wonderful childhood. I had to bang brothers. Had two brothers. I rode. Interviewer will you stationed stationed . Re you katherine princeton. Six years. T of the principal been princeton students were in love with my mother because she was so lovely. My older brother was born there and i was born there. Interviewer where else did you grow up . Atherine fort bragg, fort washington, oklahoma, hawaii, back to oklahoma. And cornell. I got free tuition. I guess that was it. I met my husband. One of the questions i always ask people who lived through world war ii remember about the day pearl harbor was attacked . We had all been foxhunting. We went to a movie. We were told we had just left hawaii. It was an unbelievable moment. What did that event mean it to your parents to your parents . My father was very surprised. Scofiled. Ationed in schofi