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Description
Oral History interview of Merewyn Lyons. Interview conducted by Floyd, Amy at Veteran's Home in Orlando, FL.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 1:36 Early Life; 1:52 Parent's Occupations; 2:11 Family; 2:22 Education before military service/ Graduate Education; 3:24 Pre-Military Education's impact on service; 4:05 Father's Military Service; 5:54 Decision Process regarding Commission in the Navy; 6:41 Preconceptions regarding military service/ Being a woman in the Service; 9:02 Officer Candidate School; 10:51 Motivation through Officer Candidate School; 15:01 Driving in Guantánamo Bay/ Day to Day Duties in Guantánamo Bay; 16:32 Women's Employment Opportunities in the Navy; 19:19 Comparison of Male to Female Career Opportunity; 22:49 Personal feelings regarding Naval Attitudes toward Women on Ships; 25:27 Problems of Remaining in Contact with fellow soldiers; 26:38 Overseas Deployment; 27:24 Day to Day Life in Guantánamo Bay; 30:51 Most Memorable Experience in Guantánamo Bay/ Haitian Refugees; 38:37 Contact with Civilians; 40:38 Surprising Aspects of Military Service/ Transitioning to Military Service; 42:56 Problems of Recreation Services/ Theft and Incorrect Usage of Funds; 46:49 Being Fearful in the Military; 47:19 Subordinates Mobilized to Bahrain during Desert Storm; 48:29 Remaining in Contact with Family Members while deployed; 50:37 Recreation in Guantánamo Bay; 53:07 Travel on Leave while in Guantánamo Bay; 55:16 Food in Guantánamo Bay; 56:27 Differences in Uniforms between Men and Women; 57:18 Meeting her husband while the veteran was in the military; 58:13 The Veteran's Children; 58:36 Being a Mother and Wife while in the Military; 59:30 Retirement/ Medals Received; 1:00:32 Last Day in Service; 1:01:14 Transitioning to Civilian Life after Military Service; 1:02:30 Education After Military Service/ Employment After Service; 1:04:50 Career After Military Service; 1:07:17 Military Service's Impact on Career; 1:09:41 Impact of Reservist's Deployment in Desert Storm; 1:12:16 Impact of Deployment on Mothers; 1:13:30 Reflection about Women's Military Service and Personal Feelings about its value; 1:14:48 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1954-05-01
Place of Birth
Charleston (W. Va.)
Gender
Female
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
West Virginia
War or Conflict
Persian Gulf War
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1976-12-15
Type
Video; MovingImage
1994-10-01
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
U.S Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Navy Regional Data Automation Center; Naval Security Group Activity Northwest; Naval Surface Reserve Force; Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center, Omaha; Bureau of Naval Personnel
Location of Service
Guantánamo Bay (Cuba)
Highest Rank
Lieutenant Commander; LCDR
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Navy Achievement Medal; Navy Commendation Medal; Overseas Service Ribbon; Marksmanship Ribbon (Sharpshooter)
Achievements
Recreation Services Officer, GTMO; Computer Operations and Communications Security Officer; Signals Security Officer; Commanding Officer, Reserve Programs Officer
Note
"I was retired under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority that was enacted by the Navy right after the Berlin Wall fell. Many officers who were tenured were retired early then. The Navy assumed that the world would be in a state of eternal peace after the Soviet Union fell apart, and not as many officers would be needed anymore." -The Veteran.
City of Birth
Charleston
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Floyd, Amy
Interview Date
3-21-2015
Location of Interview
Veteran's Home in Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Lyons, Merewyn E.; Persian Gulf War Era, 1990-2003 -- Personal Narratives; Women and the military -- United States; United States. Navy
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Floyd, Amy
Length of Interview
76 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
video
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Lyons, Merewyn E. interview" (2015). Veterans Oral Histories. 368.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/368