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Description

Oral history interview of Mr. Thomas H. Ratner. Interview conducted by John Grande at the Masonic Home of Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida on 03/22/2018.

Log

0:34 Interview Begins; 1:23 Growing up in Washington D.C.; 2:35 Education-teachers were wives of military officers; 3:11 Visiting Congressmen's and Senator's offices in D.C.; 3:31 Higher education in Maryland and London; 3:55 Why he joined the Navy; 4:45 Flight school; 4:53 "Dempsey Dumpster" anecdote; 6:09 Discipline in eating; 6:54 Sent to naval air station in California; 7:45 Cross training into helicopters; 7:59 Piloted helicopter in Vietnam: SEAL team insertions and extractions; 9:22 Wounded soldiers and their treatment; 10:44 First impressions of Vietnam - 1960's; 11:10 Conditions in Vietnam; 11:57 Training in Vietnam; 13:53 Techniques for staying awake while flying across the Pacific; 15:18 Experiences in Da Nang; 17:07 Most difficult flying conditions; 18:18 Disagreement with a senior officer; 19:19 Pulled a prank on a battleship; 20:44 Camaraderie among men; 21:36 Returned home and decided to leave Navy; 22:55 Received a letter of commendation and promotion from commander; 23:23 Served short time in Army and Air Force; 23:52 His reception in the community after his return; 24:58 Easy transition to civilian life; 25:21 Special Agent in Fugitive Extradition Operation (DOD) for 17 years; 25:57 Traumatic brain injury and recovery; 29:11 Current life in retirement; 32:43 Interview concludes.

Date of Birth

1939-12-01

Place of Birth

Washington (D.C.)

Gender

Male

Race

White - Non Hispanic

Home State

Washington D.C.

War or Conflict

Vietnam Era

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1957-02-23

Type

Video; MovingImage

1968-02-23

Entrance into Service

Commissioned

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Unit of Service

SS Kitty Hawk CV63/ 111

Location of Service

Vietnam

Highest Rank

Lieutenant Colonel; LtCol

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Unspecified

Battles

Unknown

Medals

National Defense Service Medal; Rifle Marksman Badge

Achievements

The veteran piloted helicopters.

Note

Not applicable

City of Birth

Washington DC

Country of Birth

US

Interviewer

Grande, John

Interview Date

Spring 3-22-2018

Location of Interview

Masonic Home of Florida, St. Petersburg, FL

Subjects

Ratner, Thomas H.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives; 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

Grande, John

Length of Interview

33 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 & University Archives

Contributing Project

UCF Community Veterans History Project

Document Type

Interview

Semester

Spring

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