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Description
Oral History interview of Russell Harrison Beltz. Interview conducted by Brandon Kirk via Zoom on August 11, 2021. Interview topics include pre-military life; Army Draft experience: what it looked like for Mr.Beltz while in college; Training; Transition from training to army reserves, to civilian life, and back to the army; Parachute training at Fort Benning; Time between duties at Fort Benning and Fort Rucker; Experience attending chemical school; Deployment to Germany and experiences there; Transferring between airborne duties and chemical duties; Experiences in Germany: artillery unit, training, and enemy interactions; memorable experience at McDonald’s during a nuclear protest in Frankfurt, Germany; Experience within the military and mindset during active duty; Return to civilian life; Draft experience: what it was like being in the army reserves; Cities visited in Europe while stationed overseas; Cultural interactions between Germans and Americans; Experience at Soviet checkpoints during the Cold War; Readiness of detachment during the war; Thoughts on the fall of the Berlin Wall; Awards: third oak cluster, NCO professional development ribbon, parachutist badge, expert rifle badge, German bronze medal; Obtaining the rank of Sergeant and experience as a training NCO; Story of how Mr. Beltz met his wife; Return to the U.S. and orders upon return; Return to jump school; Military career after leaving Germany; Transition back to civilian life.
Date of Birth
1949-07-01
Type
Video; MovingImage
Interview Date
8-11-2021
Location of Interview
Zoom
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
Length of Interview
31:09
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, "Beltz, Russell Harrison interview" (2021). Veterans Oral Histories. 692.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/692