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Description
Oral History interview of john cheek. Interview conducted by Heumann, Caroline at Veteran's Residence.
Log
0:22 Birthplace; 0:30 Childhood, father's military career; 2:18 Education; 3:02 Other family in the military; 4:00 Influence to join the army; 4:55 Joining ROTC; 5:24 Family's reaction to his enlistment; 5:54 Going through ROTC; 6:15 Ranger School; 7:20 Basic Training; 7:54 Stationed in Germany; 9:22 Arriving in Germany; 10:38 Prior exposure to German language/culture; 11:25 Being hit by a train and MedEvac back to U.S.; 12:55 Reassigned to Infantry Board; 14:10 Transferred to Chemical Corps because of injury; 15:20 Move to Denver with Chemical Corps; 16:02 Chemical Training and role of the Chemical Corps; 17:10 Changes in Chemical Corps because of Vietnam; 19:22 Typical Day in the Army, training the National Guard; 20:35 Days when things don't go according to plan; 21:05 Work with readiness group; 23:10 Surprise Inspections; 23:28 Fellow Servicemen; 24:02 Pranks; 25:35 Work with other branches; 26:25 Staying in contact with family; 27:15 Staying in contact with people he served with; 28:28 Moving around a lot with the military; 29:07 Experience in Germany and Korea as a child; 30:05 Entertainment and traveling (Mardi Gras, Athens, New Zealand); 33:32 Leave; 33:57 Retiring; 34:31 Last day of service; 35:02 Readjusting to civilian life; 35:10 Job in Florida; 35:39 Home brewing and opening a brewery; 37:57 Highest rank and medals; 39:34 End of Interview.
Date of Birth
1953-03-27
Place of Birth
Fort Leavenworth (Kan.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Kansas
War or Conflict
Cold War Era
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1976-10-31
Type
Video; MovingImage
1986-03-21
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
Infantry officer basic, ranger school, 1/87 Germany, Fort Benning hospital patient, 36th engineer group, XO and ASST S-1 HQ CMD Fort Benning, infantry test and evaluation board, research and development chemical school, chemical officer advanced course. Training and doctrine command chemical school, readiness group Denver chemical branch assistance team chief, temporarily retired disabled list.
Location of Service
Fort Benning (Ga.); Baumholder (Germany); Fort McClellan (Ala.); Aurora (Colo.); Orlando (Fla.)
Highest Rank
Captain; CPT
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
Yes
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Army Commendation Medal; Overseas Duty Ribbon; Army Achievement Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon
Achievements
See video for details.
Note
Service related injuries include broken femur, lupus, and other illnesses.
City of Birth
Fort Leavenworth (Kan.)
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Heumann, Caroline
Interview Date
Fall 4-25-2017
Location of Interview
Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Cheek, John; Cold War -- 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
Heumann, Caroline
Length of Interview
40 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
Fall
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Cheek, John interview" (2017). Veterans Oral Histories. 522.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/522