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Description

Oral history interview of Mr. John W. Brink. Interview conducted by Sharon Rodriguez at the Masonic Home of Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida on 03/22/2018.

Log

0:01 Introduction; 0:41 Early childhood and education; 2:35 Life prior to the Army; 3:20 Pearl Harbor attacks; 4:50 Choosing to enlist in the Army; 5:45 Family and friends' reactions to his enlistment; 6:45 Basic training and advance training; 11:25 Experiencing a smoke bomb; 12:35 Training courses; 13:45 First assignment after training; 15:05 Time in Europe; 16:40 Working with Landing Ship Tanks (LTS); 17:15 Time in England; 18:43 Experiencing Omaha Beach; 21:39 Locals in France; 22:30 Delivering tanks all the way in Paris; 23:40 Involvement in the Battle of Bulge; 25:40 Getting the scarlet fever; 27:10 Being sent back and forth through Europe; 29:00 Shelling in Bonn; 30:40 Rise to the rank of Corporal; 32:15 Work with soldiers from other countries; 33:20 Communicating while in Europe; 34:20 Being too busy for leave; 34:40 Most memorable experience during service; 36:00 Deciding to leave the Army; 37:00 Time in England; 39:00 Time after the service; 39:30 Returning to civilian life; 40:20 Former compatriots; 41:25 Advice for anyone considering joining the military; 42:20 Veterans groups; 46:20 Awards and commendations; 46:50 Closing remarks.

Date of Birth

1921-11-29

Place of Birth

Clyde (N.Y.)

Gender

Male

Race

White - Non Hispanic

Home State

New York

War or Conflict

World War II

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1942-02-23

Type

Video; MovingImage

1945-02-23

Entrance into Service

Enlisted

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Unit of Service

3156 Company, 305th Ordinance Regiment

Location of Service

Pacific Ocean; Caribbean Sea

Highest Rank

Corporal; CPL

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Unspecified

Battles

Battle of the Bulge; Battle of Normandy

Medals

Unknown

Achievements

The veteran was shelled in Bonn.

Note

More battle information: Landing ship-tank (Omaha Beach, Normandy) through Belgium Germany. The veteran was awarded ribbons.

City of Birth

Clyde

Country of Birth

US

Interviewer

Rodriguez, Sharon

Interview Date

Spring 3-22-2018

Location of Interview

Masonic Home of Florida, St. Petersburg, FL

Subjects

Brink, John W.; World War, 1939-1945 -- 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

Rodriguez, Sharon

Length of Interview

48 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

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