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Description

Oral history interview with Thomas C. Groomes. Interview conducted by Julio Hierro and Caleb Krueger at Trevor Colburn Hall, UCF, Orlando, Florida on November 9, 2018.

Log

0:37 Where and when was Mr. Groomes born; 0:47 Reflection of living in hometown of Augusta, GA; 1:05 Where Mr. Groomes resided by till service; 1:12 What parents did for a living; 1:20 Mention of siblings; 1:30 Education before service; 2:12 Education during service; 2:21 Physical training before the service; 2:34 Family in the military; 2:51 Families thoughts on service; 3:39 Feelings about basic training; 3:55 Transfer from Army to Air Force; 4:05 Experience in basic training; 4:50 Thoughts on instructors; 5:21 First assignment/ Remembering Cuban Missile Crisis; 7:01 Deployment to Laos/ Pre-deployment memories; 9:03 Arrival to Laos; 9:59 Brief stint in Vietnam; 10:27 First impressions of Laos; 12:07 Typical day on the job; 13:21 Keeping in touch with family; 13:48 What food was like; 14:20 Entertainment; 15:08 Leave/Vacations; 16:06 Humor during assignments; 17:15 Combat Stories; 22:30 Retirement; 23:08 Life Post-retirement; 23:51 Medals and Citations; 24:08 Highest Rank Obtained; 25:10 Education Post Retirement; 25:30 Career Post Retirement; 25:50 Contact with Former Comrades; 26:58 Social Issues Post War; 29:05 Family Life Post Career; 29:33 How Service is Remembered; 30:00 Additional Stories from Service; 32:19 One Phone Call; 33:21 Negative Public View of The War; 34:58 Wrap Up.

Date of Birth

1941-11-05

Place of Birth

Augusta (Ga.)

Gender

Male

Race

Unknown

Home State

Georgia

War or Conflict

Vietnam Era

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1959-01-01

Type

Video; MovingImage

1982-01-01

Entrance into Service

Enlisted

Branch of Service

U.S. Air Force

Unit of Service

Unknown

Location of Service

Vietnam; Laos

Highest Rank

Senior Master Sergeant; SMSgt

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Yes

Battles

Tet Offensive; Lima Site 85 Laos

Medals

Bronze Star; Commendation Medal

Achievements

See interview for details.

Note

The veteran won 2 Bronze Combat Stars and 3 Commendations.

City of Birth

Augusta

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Hierro, Julio; Krueger, Caleb

Interview Date

Fall 11-9-2018

Location of Interview

Trevor Colburn Hall, University of Central Florida

Subjects

Groomes, Thomas C.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives; United States. Air Force

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

Hierro, Julio; Krueger, Caleb

Length of Interview

36 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

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