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Description
Oral history interview of Mr. William Mandigo. Interview conducted by Walter Napier at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida on 03/14/2018.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 0:31 Place of birth/date of birth; 0:39 Family; 1:19 Education; 1:55 Being told he wasn't college material; 2:24 Family members who served; 2:40 Employment prior to joining the military; 2:42 Reasons for joining the Air Force; 3:19 Induction physical experience; 4:06 Why he chose the Air Force; 4:29 Being selected for Officer Training; 4:40 Basic Training; 6:11 Additional training; 6:58 Volunteering for Reliability/Maintainability training; 8:14 Trying to get out of aircraft maintenance; 8:35 Masters degree in the Air Force Institute of Technology; 9:52 Orders to Vietnam; 10:59 First impressions of Vietnam; 11:53 O-1 Bird-dog aircraft; 12:33 O-2 Sky-master aircraft; 14:05 FCF (Functional Check Flight) ride experience; 15:56 OV-10 Bronco Aircraft; 16:40 Vietnam living conditions; 18:10 Communication ability; 18:53 Life in Vietnam; 20:35 Rocket attacks and Tet Offensive; 22:51 Difficulties of telling friend from foe; 24:05 Final thoughts on Vietnam; 25:15 Returning from Vietnam; 26:06 First duty station after Vietnam; 26:45 Almost leaving the Air Force; 28:54 Logistics officer at Sheppard's AFB; 30:45 Feelings on the end of the Vietnam War; 32:10 Differences in the post-Vietnam Air Force; 33:27 Being stationed in Germany; 34:44 Comparing Logistics to Air Craft Maintenance; 35:25 Impressions of Germany; 36:22 Cold War threat while in Germany; 37:22 Favorite destinations in Europe; 37:57 Eglin AFB assignment (War Games); 39:04 Working with Italian and British Military; 40:47 Retiring out of Eglin AFB; 41:22 Earning the Bronze Star; 42:10 Reasons for retiring; 43:10 Defense contract work; 44:02 Returning to civilian life; 44:52 Staying in contact with individuals he served with; 46:01 Advice for someone wanting to join the military; 47:03 Final Thoughts; 48:32 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1940-09-24
Place of Birth
Plattsburgh (N.Y.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
New York
War or Conflict
Vietnam Era
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1963-09-24
Type
Video; MovingImage
1984-09-24
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Air Force
Unit of Service
19th Tactical Support Squadron; Bien Hoa Airforce Base, Vietnam
Location of Service
Fort Ord (Calif.); Fort Benning (Ga.); Schweinfurt (Germany); Fort Riley (Kan.); Fort Belvoir (Va.); Adelaide (Australia); Brisbane (Australia)
Highest Rank
Major; Maj
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Tet Offensive
Medals
Bronze Star; Meritorious Service Medal; Air Force Commendation Medal
Achievements
Exposed to hostile fire while supervising flight live aircraft maintenance operations.
Note
The veteran was in Tet Offensive in January 1986. He was awarded Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal twice.
City of Birth
Plattsburgh
Country of Birth
US
Interviewer
Napier, Walter
Interview Date
Spring 3-14-2018
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida
Subjects
Mandigo, William; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives; United States. Air Force
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
Napier, Walter
Length of Interview
49 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
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Mandigo, William interview" (2018). Veterans Oral Histories. 602.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/602