"The uniform makes for brotherhood, since when universally adopted it covers up all differences of class and country." ~Robert Baden-Powell

Lewis Cooke was drafted into the Army when he was eighteen. He served a year in Vietnam as an infantry soldier, mostly deploying into the vast countryside on search and destroy missions.

In this audio story, Lewis talks about a very important reminder of the war.

One day Arnold Benson loaned a pair of fresh pants to Lewis Cooke, who desperately needed a change of clothes after being in the field on extended missions. Unknowingly, Arnold left his dogtags in the pants pocket. When Lewis was searching for Arnold to return his dogtags, he learned that he had been killed in an ambush. Lewis was devastated by the news, and to this day he's kept Arnie’s dogtag linked to his own.

“It is my prize possession of the war,” Lewis admits. ... See more

"My son was in France and has been missing since Jan 16. He is in the Armored Infantry – ‘A’ Co. 66th AIB, AP0262. His name is PFC Charles F. Erck, Jr." ~Mrs. Charles F. Erck, Tupelo, Mississippi, 1945. ... See more

"My son was in France and has been missing since Jan 16. He is in the Armored Infantry – ‘A’ Co. 66th AIB, AP0262. His name is PFC Charles F. Erck, Jr." ~Mrs...

On episode 43 of Veteran Voices: The Oral History Podcast, we talk with James Van Keuren about his book, World War II POW Camps in Ohio. Drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs and residents, as well as archival research, Dr. Van Keuren delves into the neglected history of Ohio’s POW camps. ... See more

On episode 43 of Veteran Voices: The Oral History Podcast, we talk with James Van Keuren about his book, World War II POW Camps in Ohio. Drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs and residents, as well as archival research, Dr. Van Keuren delves into the neglected history of Ohio's POW camps.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
https://wp.me/p8nTyT-2SG ___________________________________________

Don't miss episodes of the Veteran Voices podcast. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app.
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Dr. James Van Keuren WWII POW Camps in Ohio   ABOUT THIS EPISODE On episode 43 of Veteran Voices: The Oral History Podcast, we talk with James Van Keuren about his book, World War II POW Camp…

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On episode 43 of Veteran Voices: The Oral History Podcast, we talk with James Van Keuren about his book, World War II POW Camps in Ohio.

Drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs and residents, as well as archival research, Dr. Van Keuren delves into the neglected history of Ohio's POW camps.

During the 1940s, more than six thousand prisoners of war resided at nine camps in Ohio.

The Italian POWs arrived first, charming "the locals with their affable, easygoing natures, while their German successors often put on a serious, intractable front."

Some local residents fondly recall working alongside the prisoners and reuniting with them later in life.

Others held the prisoners in disdain, feeling that they were coddled while natives struggled with day-to-day needs.

Don't miss this fascinating conversation with podcast host and veteran oral history recordists Kevin Farkas of The Social Voice Project. ... See more

"I'd give anything to hear his voice again," said one family member speaking of her late grandfather. "There are so many questions I would ask him."

In special recognition: Grandpa Jim Cunningham passed away in December 2018 at the age of 96. During WWII, he was a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps stationed in England. He was a B-17 co-pilot, making 35 heavy bombing missions over Europe, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters for his skill and courage.

Of particular note, at the time of this interview Grandpa Jim was completely deaf. ... See more

"I'd give anything to hear his voice again," said one family member speaking of her late grandfather. "There are so many questions I would ask him." Call the...

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

As The Social Voice Project moves into its seventh year producing public-interest, community-oriented podcasts, we've decided to refocus our podcasting efforts to serve a broader range of like-minded organizations and individuals.

In Beaver County, along the Ohio River Valley, and throughout Western Pennsylvania, there are many new, innovative community-oriented projects being created by energetic, forward-thinking organizations and individuals.

Our region is now experiencing a renaissance of new thinking, attitudes, and values around what most matters to people in terms of social justice, environmental health, inclusive history, and community well-being.

Capturing, preserving, and sharing the stories we want to tell the world about these issues and ourselves is going to play an increasingly important role in our lives.

Equally important will be the time, effort, and space we create for listening to these stories about ourselves and communities.

The Social Voice Project's new Community Podcasting initiative is going to be a vital part of this new movement, and we are excited to work with a wide range of like-minded media creators and storytellers, such as Erin Ninehouser of Rustbelt Mayberry Photography, Christopher Padgett of Human City Creative, Bryan Chemini of Pittsburgh Technical College, Will Halim of Storyburgh, and many others.

To make way for this new effort, we are going to rebrand some of our existing podcasts. Some we will bring to a close so that we can put our resources into more viable projects. ... See more

"One of the first things we can do is learn more about what people go through following trauma," writes Erik Marks, a clinical social worker in Framingham, MA.

"This does not mean clinical training. It just means getting an overview of what the person is experiencing. For some of you, this article will be considered enough, I encourage you to find more.

"Rather than re-tell you specific stories I’ve heard over the last thirty years, I’ll point you to two web sites of veterans stories in their own words: Veterans Voices-Story Corps and Veteran Voices: The Oral History Podcast."
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Producer's Note: Except for the rightful notoriety around Veterans Day or Memorial Day, veterans’ experiences typically go unnoticed and underappreciated by the public. Every veteran has an important story to tell, yet, saying “thank you for your service” rarely extends to “will you tell me your story of service and sacrifice."

To listen to veterans’ stories—more important, to ask them to tell their stories—is to better understand what veterans endured. Some served on the battle field, others on the chow line. But every veteran stood the watch in harm's way so you didn’t have to.

Some paid the ultimate price, and far too many carried their physical, psychological, emotional, and moral wounds into civilian life—where you see them shopping at Walmart, in church, school, or at work. Here they probably won’t tell you their stories. Not on the fly at least, not in passing, not as you’re walking away after a half-sincere “thank you for your service.”

For many years our oral history work has given veterans an opportunity to tell their stories, if for no other reason than the experience is important to them. Storytelling can be cathartic, uplifting, and healing. When veterans tell their stories, the experience is very often transformative. As listeners, we’re changed too. Storytelling is a humanizing experience.

So, we are always grateful when people find a useful humanity in our veterans oral history work, as Erik Marks does in his work around trauma and PTSD. If the stories we capture, preserve, and share are helpful and healing, our efforts have purpose and value.

~Kevin Farkas, executive producer
The Social Voice Project

VISIT VETERAN VOICES: THE PODCAST
https://thesocialvoiceproject.org/veteran-voices-podcast/ ... See more

by Midnight Freemason Contributor Bro. Erik Marks I recently made the acquaintance of brother Dave Pechey who introduced me to the...

Ralph Stoner of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania spent more than three decades in the Air Force and Army, an enlistment that runs from the Vietnam War to the Global War on Terror.