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Description
Oral History interview of Benjamin Mixon. Interview conducted by Orleman, Andrew at University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL.
Log
0:42 Early childhood; 1:17 Education prior to entering the service; 2:01 Experience at North Georgia College; 2:36 Being commissioned and subsequent training; 4:33 First assignment at Fort Bragg and challenges joining right after the Vietnam War ended; 5:27 How the Army readjusted to become an all-volunteer Army; 6:28 First assignment overseas in Germany; 7:10 New equipment that the Army was beginning to use and how it affected the way the Army training functioned; 9:20 Assignment with the Ranger Battalion; 10:13 Making a unit combat-ready; 11:26 Experience in the First Gulf War; 14:22 Daily life during the First Gulf War; 15:15 Interacting with foreign troops; 16:57 Most memorable experience during the First Gulf War; 17:32 Assignments after the war in Italy; 18:38 Becoming a G3 and moving around frequently; 19:17 Memories of September 11th, 2001 and how it affected the Army; 21:39 Moving to the 18th Airborne Corps in his experience in Afghanistan; 23:09 Description of Bogram Air Base; 24:19 Becoming the J3 of the US Southern Command in Miami and dealing with trying to stop drugs from entering the US; 26:39 Becoming commander of the infantry division in Hawaii and trying to get them ready to deploy; 28:43 Description of the staff he worked with as a commander; 29:58 Deploying his division to Iraq; 30:18 Dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs); 31:19 When we were losing the war and then the onset of The Surge; 32:52 Interacting with the Iraqi Army; 33:35 Difference between Kurdish Forces and the Iraqi Army; 34:39 Description of life while in Iraq; 36:09 His unit's experience with combat; 36:54 Strategies troops used to combat IEDs; 39:20 Most memorable experience in Iraq; 40:44 Being reassigned to Hawaii and being promoted to Lieutenant General and Commander of the US Army Pacific; 42:08 Why the Army was shifting to the Pacific; 42:59 Dealing with the press; 43:58 Medals and awards he received throughout his career; 44:47 Why he decided to retire from the Army; 45:10 Most memorable assignments from his time in the Army; 46:21 Transitioning to civilian life; 47:52 His association with veterans organizations; 48:35 Advice to those considering joining the military; 49:49 Reflections on his career.
Date of Birth
1953-03-06
Place of Birth
Fort Campbell (Ky.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Kentucky
War or Conflict
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1975-05-28
Type
Video; MovingImage
2011-04-01
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
101st Airborne Division; 18th Airborne Corps; 25th Infantry Division
Location of Service
Fort Bragg (N.C.); Germany; Italy; Afghanistan; Miami (Fla.); Hawaii; Iraq
Highest Rank
Lieutenant General; LTG
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Army Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia); Ranger Tab; Master Parachutist Badge; Expert Infantryman Badge; Pathfinder Badge; Air Assault Badge; Combat Action Badge; Philippine Legion of Honor
Achievements
Chief of Plans, 101st Airborne Division during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Chief Of Staff CJTF 180 Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan; Commander Task Force Lightning and Multi-National Division North Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Note
Medal details: Army Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Stars.
City of Birth
Fort Campbell
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Orleman, Andrew
Interview Date
7-22-2014
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Mixon, Benjamin; Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives; Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, 2001-present -- Personal Narratives; United States. Army
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
Orleman, Andrew
Length of Interview
51 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, "Mixon, Benjamin interview" (2014). Veterans Oral Histories. 252.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/252