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Description
Oral History interview of Walter Nelson. Interview conducted by Dorsey, Dennis at Village on the Green, Longwood, FL.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 1:00 Childhood; 1:30 Sibling (15 Children); 1:50 Family reaction to serving in military; 2:15 Why enlist; 2:30Basic Training/ Camp Roberts, California; 4:30 Being on a Ship from Virginia to Italy; 5:55 Scout in Company I of the 103 Regiment, 34th Division; 7:05 Combat experience; 8:30 Being captured by German ambush; 9:45 POW Camp; 10:20 Being liberated from POW Camp; 12:05 Given 90 day leave/ Reuniting with family; 13:40 Being a Corporal in Washington DC; 15:00 Discharged December 1945/ Return to college; 15:24 Most Memorable Experience/ Prisoner of War; 16:23 Reception at home; 16:40 Transition to civilian life; 17:20 Military experience impact on post-war career; 17:50 Contact with fellow soldiers after service; 19:00 Military organization involvement; 19:28 Advice for prospective soldier; 19:42 Assessment of career in military/ Luck; 20:20 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1924-03-19
Place of Birth
Racine (Wis.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Wisconsin
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1943-01-01
Type
Video; MovingImage
1945-12-11
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
3rd Platoon, I Company, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division; 89th Infantry Division; 300th Military Police Company
Location of Service
Camp Roberts (Calif.); Los Angeles (Calif.); Hunter Liggett Military Reservation (Calif.); Camp Butner (N.C.); Fort Benning (Ga.); Fort Meade (Md.); Tuscany (Italy); Cavallino-Treporti (Italy); Moosburg (Germany); Fort Sheridan (Ill.); Miami (Fla.); Fort Myers (Va.); Washington (D.C.); Stalag VII-A (Germany); European Theater
Highest Rank
Corporal; CPL
Prisoner of War
Yes
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Bronze Star Medal; Good Conduct Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; Victory Medal; Prisoner of War Medal; Expert Machine Gun Ribbon; American Theater Medal
Achievements
See video for details.
Note
The veteran was stationed in Tuscany, Italy. He served in the larger Apennine Mountains Campaign, and was captured in Cavallino, Italy. He was interned at Moosburg, Germany (Stalag VII-A). After his service, the veteran became an aerospace engineer at the Kennedy Space Center.
City of Birth
Racine
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Dorsey, Dennis
Interview Date
7-14-2015
Location of Interview
Village on the Green, Longwood, FL.
Subjects
Nelson, Walter C.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; Prisoners of War -- United States; 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
Dorsey, Dennis
Length of Interview
21 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, "Nelson, Walter C. interview" (2015). Veterans Oral Histories. 382.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/382