Loading...
Description
Oral history interview of Mr. Steven Allen Epkins. Interview conducted by Anthony Pilot at Faith Lutheran Church in Naples, Florida on October 9, 2018.
Log
0:22 Birthplace and family; 1:42 Life before military service; 2:15 Enlisting in the military; 3:52 Choosing the Army; 4:50 Experience in boot camp; 5:38 Specialized training; 8:52 Feelings on reporting to Vietnam; 10:13 Job in Vietnam; 11:40 Interactions with foreign nationals; 12:25 Adapting to jungles; 13:25 Food in Vietnam; 14:15 Survival in Vietnam; 15:43 Comradery and correspondence in Vietnam; 16:56 Meeting and marrying first wife; 17:24 Worst memory of Vietnam; 20:38 South Vietnamese forces; 22:04 Becoming/Being a Captain; 25:35 Anecdote: Range Control Officer; 27:36 Assignment to Special Forces Thailand; 28:57 Military strain on family; 29:20 Anecdote: Special Forces Thailand; 34:30 Army Security Agency Officer/Cryptologist; 35:42 End of Vietnam War (Mood); 36:23 Treatment upon returning from Vietnam; 37:27 Second time in Fort Bragg; 38:32 Year stationed in South Korea; 41:46 Teaching English in South Korea; 43:10 Third time in Fort Bragg; 44:50 United States Central Command; 46:22 Children; 47:12 Scope of surveillance; 48:50 Taking command in Germany; 53:50 Changes to technology through career; 54:33 Command in Berlin; 56:00 Stationed in Saudi Arabia; 56:32 Writing debriefing reports and Army War College papers; 58:05 US Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg; 58:35 Determining combat effectiveness; 59:22 Reputation as a high ranking officer; 1:01:12 Retiring from the Army and joining civilian workforce; 1:04:57 Selling cars; 1:05:30 Teaching Army JROTC in Florida; 1:08:04 Teaching in charter vs public schools; 1:08:33 Retiring from teaching; 1:09:29 Property management; 1:10:09 Impact of time in the military; 1:10:37 Veteran's organizations involvement; 1:11:00 Adapting to civilian work after military; 1:13:17 Life lessons from the military; 1:15:23 Message for future generations.
Date of Birth
1947-01-20
Place of Birth
Dixon (Ill.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Illinois
War or Conflict
Vietnam Era
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
Unspecified
Type
Video; MovingImage
1995-04-30
Entrance into Service
Unknown
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
Army Security Agenda; Intelligence Center of Maryland; Fort Bragg; Fort Bliss; Military Command in Vietnam; 36th Engineer Battalion; Special Forces, Thailand; 18th Airborne; 358th Army Security Agency; 3rd Brigade; 501st Brigade; 313th MI Battalion; U.S Army Special Forces, 7th Group; U.S. Army Field Station Berlin, 82nd Airborne; U.S. Army War College; U.S Army Special Op Command
Location of Service
Laos; Cambodia; Vietnam; Germany; Fort Bragg (N.C.); Fort Bliss (Tex.); Thailand
Highest Rank
Colonel; COL
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Battles
Operation Desert Storm
Medals
Legion of Merit; Bronze Stars; Defense Meritorious Medal
Achievements
See interview for details.
Note
The veteran was awarded 2 Legions of Merit and 2 Bronze Stars.
City of Birth
Dixon
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Pilot, Anthony
Interview Date
Fall 11-29-2018
Location of Interview
Faith Lutheran Church, Naples, Florida
Subjects
Epkins, Steven Allen; 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
Pilot, Anthony
Length of Interview
77 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, "Epkins, Steven Allen interview" (2018). Veterans Oral Histories. 640.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/640