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Description
Oral history interview of Michael Waldrop, conducted by John Grande in Orlando, Florida on February 27th, 2018.
Log
0:31 Birth-date and general family background info; 1:40 Background history with veteran involvement; 2:00 Elementary Education; 4:01 Basic Training at Ft. Benning; 8:00 Discussing the differences between Basic and O.C.S.; 9:41 Talks about his MOS; 13:13 Family history in the military, grandfather and father; 16:20 Why he chose the Infantry over other MOS's; 19:39 Being recalled to active duty from the Inactive Reserve; 21:50 Training in preparation for re-deploying; 27:30 Talks about the importance of the Mission in Afghanistan; 28:20 First impressions of Afghanistan; 30:40 Taking enemy fire while traveling in a helicopter; 32:25 Describes the experience of working closely with local Afghans; 34:10 A typical day in Afghanistan; 35:50 Working with coalition forces in Afghanistan; 36:55 Details the engagement where he was wounded in leg on July 9, 2006; 46:38 Medical treatment in field hospital following medivac; 48:30 Returning Stateside briefly to recuperate from wounds; 49:47 Leaving Afghanistan following 13 months and returning home; 50:30 Experience with mental health counseling and non-profit work with vets; 51:44 Leaving the Army following Afghanistan; 52:30 Awarded CIB, Purple Heart, and two Bronze Stars for valor; 53:17 Post military employment; 55:45 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1974-05-29
Place of Birth
Charleston (S.C.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
South Carolina
War or Conflict
Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1993-06-29
Type
Video; MovingImage
2006-08-29
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
Unknown
Location of Service
Con Thien (Vietnam); Khe Sanh (Vietnam); Camp Carroll (South Korea); Vandegrift Combat Base (Vietnam)
Highest Rank
Captain; CPT
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
Yes
Battles
Unknown
Medals
Combat Infantryman Badge; Purple Heart Medal; Bronze Star Medal
Achievements
Please see video
Note
The veteran got out of the Army after the first contract. He Was recalled back to the Army in 2005. More medal details: he was awarded Bronze Star twice.
City of Birth
Charleston
Country of Birth
US
Interviewer
Grande, John
Interview Date
Spring 2-27-2018
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida
Subjects
Waldrop, Michael; 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
Grande, John
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
Semester
Spring
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Waldrop, Michael interview" (2018). Veterans Oral Histories. 582.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/582