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Description

Oral history interview of Mr. James Shaffer. Interview conducted by Brandon Nightingale at VFW Post 10147 in Apopka, Florida on February 6, 2019.

Log

0:52 Birthplace and early childhood; 1:42 Mother's nursing career; 2:19 Father's occupational and military history; 4:17 Education; 5:10 Being drafted and joining the Army; 6:20 Army training; 7:36 First assignment; 9:15 Becoming an officer; 10:16 Choosing flight school; 11:09 Motivation for becoming an officer; 11:41 Assignment: Defense Counsel in Special Court Martials; 12:18 Flight Training in Fort Wolters, TX; 14:26 Advanced Flight Training in Fort Rucker, AL; 16:37 Assignment: 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam; 17:57 First mission in Vietnam; 20:00 Assignments: Lift Platoon and Sky Platoon; 22:32 First impressions of Vietnam; 26:07 Interactions with the locals; 27:37 Writing home and morale; 28:47 Combat mission in Vietnam; 37:07 Being rescued; 42:04 Reuniting with rescuers; 43:54 Thoughts on end of war in Vietnam; 45:37 POW training program; 49:06 Injury recovery process; 54:00 Fellow patient's injury and recovery stories; 58:50 Leaving the Army; 1:03:10 Returning to civilian life; 1:04:42 Post-Vietnam years in the Army; 1:06:46 Advice for potential recruits.

Date of Birth

1944-05-08

Place of Birth

Brooklyn (N.Y.)

Gender

Male

Race

Unknown

Home State

New York

War or Conflict

Vietnam Era

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1967-02-07

Type

Video; MovingImage

1973-09-05

Entrance into Service

Drafted

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Unit of Service

11th Armor Cav.

Location of Service

Fort Benning (Ga.); Fort Lewis (Wash.); Fort Sill (Okla.); Fort Wolters (Tex.); Fort Rucker (Ala.); Vietnam; Fort Gordon (Ga.)

Highest Rank

Captain; CPT

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Yes

Battles

Unspecified

Medals

Unspecified

Achievements

The veteran flew cobras. He was shot down three times and shot five times. He also escaped a burning helicopter.

Note

The veteran was engaged in skirmishes.

City of Birth

Brooklyn

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Nightingale, Brandon

Interview Date

Spring 2-6-2019

Location of Interview

Apopka, Florida

Subjects

Schaffer, James; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- 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

Nightingale, Brandon

Length of Interview

70 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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