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Mark Kirk [detail from video]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Afghan War, 2001-; Kosovo, 1999
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: VAQ-209 (Electronic Attack Squadron); Military Joint Intelligence Center
  • Location of Service: Afghanistan; Arlington, Virginia; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Aviano Air Base, Italy; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
  • Highest Rank: Commander
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/38582

View full service history

"When you wear the uniform, it changes you." (Video interview, 28:17)

Working in politics on Capitol Hill, Commander Mark S. Kirk realized that he couldn't effectively advise on military matters without personal experience--so he volunteered for a direct commission in the Navy. This decision led to a dual career as both a politician and an intelligence officer, and eventually, as an air crewman flying missions in Iraq aboard a Prowler aircraft. Of his military service as a whole, he comments that it meant a "fundamental transformation of life," and explains that all veterans, no matter the conflict or time period in which they served, are set apart by the way in which they have taken on the success and safety of the United States as their own personal responsibility.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Mark S. Kirk Collection

Names

  • Kirk, Mark S.
  • Library of Congress
  • Veterans History Project
  • Williams, Brien R.

Home State

  • Illinois

Headings

  • -  Kirk, Mark S.
  • -  Kosovo, 1999 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Afghan War, 2001- -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Kosovo, 1999

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: VAQ-209 (Electronic Attack Squadron); Military Joint Intelligence Center
    • Location of Service: Arlington, Virginia; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Aviano Air Base, Italy; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
    • Highest Rank: Commander
    • Dates of Service: 1989
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
  • Afghan War, 2001-

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Location of Service: Afghanistan
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2006-05-03)
  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-05-03; 2006-05-03)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/38582

Cite as

  • Mark S. Kirk Collection (AFC/2001/001/38582), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Kirk, Mark S, Library Of Congress, Veterans History Project, and Brien R Williams. Mark S. Kirk Collection. 1989. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.38582/.

APA citation style:

Kirk, M. S., Library Of Congress, Veterans History Project & Williams, B. R. (1989) Mark S. Kirk Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.38582/.

MLA citation style:

Kirk, Mark S, et al. Mark S. Kirk Collection. 1989. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.38582/>.