Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Audio Recording Frederick Oliver McElderry Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: National Security Agency
- Location of Service: Long Beach, California;Vietnam
- Highest Rank: E-3
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/10567
Arriving in Da Nang, Vietnam in 1966, Navy veteran Frederick McElderry was assigned to a four man river boat, a LCM-8 landing craft, and given orders to cover "logistics." He spent his days and nights towing supplies, transporting prisoners of war, and engaging in firefights with the enemy, and was told over and over, "Don't trust anyone." To cope with the overwhelming paranoia and fear, he shut down emotionally, eventually developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite his longtime struggles with PTSD, he has never regretted joining the Navy.
Frederick Oliver McElderry Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayEnlisting in the Navy; early service aboard the USS Brush which was stationed in the Tonkin Gulf; return to the States; receiving orders to Da Nang; training; instructions not to trust anyone. 00:00:52.0 - 00:11:58.0
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PlayBeing issued weapons; transfer to Chu Lai; transferring prisoners of war; first experience with death. 00:21:27.0 - 00:28:42.0
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PlayFirefight that erupts while he is watching a movie; strangeness of war; how war affected him emotionally; roots of post traumatic stress disorder. 00:34:50.0 - 00:37:31.0
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Frederick Oliver McElderry Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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About this Item
Title
- Frederick Oliver McElderry Collection
Names
- George, Ellen L.
- McElderry, Frederick Oliver
- VA Medical Center, Chicago Health Care Systems
- James, Marie L.
Home State
- Illinois
Headings
- - McElderry, Frederick Oliver
- - Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: National Security Agency
- Location of Service: Long Beach, California;Vietnam
- Highest Rank: E-3
- Dates of Service: 1965-1967
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Audio: CD [2 items] -- Reference copy (collected 2003-11-29; 2009-08-20)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2003-11-29)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [3 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1967)
- Audio: Microcassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-11-29)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/10567
Cite as
- Frederick Oliver McElderry Collection (AFC/2001/001/10567), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- online text