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Description
Oral History interview of Russell Blair. Interview conducted by Verlander, Connie at Village on the Green in Longwood, FL.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 0:37 Early Life; 1:27 Traveling and Moving; 2:13 Schooling in San Jose Costa Rica; 2:59 High School in Germany; 3:25 Graduated early in 1949; 4:12 Joined Army National Guard; 4:33 Enlisted in army; 5:34 Transferred to Army Band; 6:10 Basic training in Fort Dicks; 6:46 Experience at West Point Military Academy; 7:37 Decision to leave the service; 8:01 Commercial Broadcasting; 8:42 Germany trial and experience living in Germany; 11:08 Lessons from the service; 12:10 Radio station at school; 12:42 Came to Florida; 13:16 Radio Station work in Springfield, MA; 14:05 Job at Public Relations Department at Tupperware; 14:59 Retirement and views on the US Army; 15:24 Volunteering at Police Department; 16:04 Final Thoughts; 16:25 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1932-09-13
Place of Birth
Ft. Benning (Ga.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Georgia
War or Conflict
Korean Conflict
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1949-01-01
Type
Video; MovingImage
1952-06-13
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
U.S. Army Military Academy Prep School; 180th Special Regiment; 9th Infantry Division.
Location of Service
Fort Dicks (N.J.); West Point (N.Y.); Germany
Highest Rank
Private First Class; PFC
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Unspecified
Achievements
See video for details.
Note
“Grew up in career military (Army) family; Lived in Hawaii, Costa Rica and Germany during much of my school age years, including all of my high school (Nuremberg and Munich) in Germany; Briefly attended U.S. Military Academy at West Point (class of 1956); Left to attend American International College, Springfield Mass. to pursue a career in broadcasting; Worked in radio and TV from 1953-1963 followed by a 29 year career with Tupperware Corp; Retired in 1992; Have worked as a volunteer with Altamonte Springs, FL police department since 2002.“ - The Veteran.
City of Birth
Ft. Benning
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Verlander, Connie
Interview Date
8-28-2014
Location of Interview
Village on the Green, Longwood, FL.
Subjects
Blair, Russell; Korean War, 1950-1953 -- 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
Verlander, Connie
Length of Interview
16 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, "Blair, Russell interview" (2014). Veterans Oral Histories. 263.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/263