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Description
Oral History interview of Charles E. Ball. Interview conducted by Allan Schmidt at University of Central Florida.
Log
0:11 Introduction; 1:00 Date and place of birth; 1:05 Parents occupations; 1:16 Education growing up; 1:53 Family in Military; 2:23 Why he choose Navy; 3:03 Boot Camp; 4:23 Training to be Navy Combat Medic; 7:59 Receives Navy Commendation in South Carolina; 9:28 Duties while in Da Nang; 12:12 Marines reaction to a Navy Combat Medic; 13:41 Typical day in Da Nang; 14:30 Leeches; 15:37 Interactions with the locals in Vietnam; 16:44 Communications with home; 18:00 Liberty in Bangkok; 19:04 Most memorable while on Liberty; 19:49 Most memorable experience while in Da Nang; 21:14 Using C-4; 22:48 Diesel Fuel explosion; 24:01 Things do not go as planned; 26:13 Why he left Navy; 27:47 Talking about medals; 30:04 Last 30 days in country; 32:08 Falling off the hill; 33:53 meeting the SGT. I saved in Okinawa; 35:56 A rewarding job; 38:32 I don't wake up screaming; 40:20 Meeting wife at Pax River Naval Air Station; 41:03 Cold hard dose of life; 43:14 Life after the Navy; 44:53 Received by community after discharge; 46:12 No contact with fellow veterans; 48:29 Veterans groups; 49:31 Making his way to Florida; 51:16 His time in Okinawa; 53:23 Final Thoughts.
Date of Birth
1947-10-26
Place of Birth
Washington (D.C.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
NA
War or Conflict
Vietnam Era
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1965-09-14
Type
Video; MovingImage
1968-09-04
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
September 1965 - November 1965 Boot Camp (Great Lakes, IL); November 1965 - February 1966 USS Wasp (Aircraft Carrier) (Boston, MA); February 1966 - May 1966 Navy Hospital Corps School (Great Lakes); May 1966 - September 1966 Naval Hospital, Charleston, SC; September 1966 - October 1966 Field Medical School, Camp Lejeune, SC; November 1966 - November 1967 Fleet Marine Force, Marine Corps, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, DaNang, Vietnam; November 1967 - September 1968 Patuxent River Naval Air Station; Discharged September 4, 1968
Location of Service
Great Lakes (Ill.); Naval Hospital Newport (R.I.); Camp Pendleton (Calif.); Da Nang (Vietnam); Naval Air Station Alameda (Calif.)
Highest Rank
Petty Officer 3rd Class; PO3
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Campaign Medal; Vietnam Service Medal
Achievements
"At Charleston Naval Hospital, SC, received a Navy Commendation for saving a teenager's life who was thrown from his car during an accident near where my friend and I were hitch-hiking back to the base, right place at the right time; Proud to have been a Navy Combat Medic for Marine Corps infantry." -- The veteran.
Note
"I was 17 when I joined the Navy; young, stupid and naive. In a little more than 1 year later, 2 weeks after turning 19, I am in Vietnam about ready to put-on a flack-jacket, a helmet, and prepare my medical kit to spend the next 30-days living in rice-paddies and elephant grass while it rained; a theme that would repeat itself for the duration of my time in Vietnam. Welcome to Vietnam and the war. And, there is always more in a war zone. When I came home from Vietnam, I certainly wasn’t a kid anymore and not the same person. To be clear, although it change my life forever, I don’t wake up with nightmares or cold sweats, but I do remember both the good and the bad, and will dwell on the good if I think about it. I will share with you that there is one thing this 19-year-old Corpsman looked forward to when we were out in the field: the rain. I remember vividly getting rained on, trying to sleep in the rain and walking for long periods in the rain..." – The veteran. He was awarded Vietnam Service Medal with Marine Corps Insignia and Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star. Service role and location details: Boot Camp (Great Lakes, IL); USS Wasp (Aircraft Carrier) (Boston, MA); Navy Hospital Corps School (Great Lakes); Naval Hospital, Charleston, SC; Field Medical School, Camp Lejeune, NC; Fleet Marine Force, Marine Corps , Da Nang, Vietnam; Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
City of Birth
Washington
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Schmidt, Allan
Interview Date
Fall 10-19-2017
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida
Subjects
Ball, Charles E. ; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives; United States. Navy
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
Schmidt, Allan
Length of Interview
57 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
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Ball, Charles E. Interview" (2017). Veterans Oral Histories. 578.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/578