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Roger Knight in Vietnam

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Persian Gulf War, 1991; Vietnam War, 1961-1975
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: Plans and Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of the Army; Company D, 169th Engineer Battalion, 159th Engineer Group, 20th Engineer Brigade
  • Location of Service: Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia; Washington, DC; Dinh Quan, Vietnam; III Corps, Vietnam; Long Binh, Vietnam
  • Highest Rank: Colonel; Captain
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/84060

View full service history

"Getting equipment out of the mud on Long Binh perimeter became one of my specialties…" (Memoir, page 14)

As a member of an Army construction battalion serving in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970, Colonel Roger Knight took part in a critical element of the war effort, though one that is often overlooked in contemporary accounts: the building of roads, bridges, and buildings throughout South Vietnam. His VHP collection features meticulous documentation of his time with the 169th Engineer Battalion, including a memoir, over 500 photographs, and a compilation of original military documents. Through his reminiscences, based on his original diary entries, and the images he captured on film, he presents a view of the day-to-day life at Long Binh as well as a variety of construction projects along highway QL-20. Following his time in country, he continued his career in the Army Reserve, also serving in the Logistics Operation Center at the Pentagon for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.

[ 169th Engineer Battalion Document Collection 1944-1999 ]

More Resources

[ Delta Company, Vietnam, June 1969 - July 1970 ]
[ Memoirs of a LOC Lizard ]
[ Memoirs of Colonel Roger L. Knight ]
[ Photo Album ]
[ Background Memoir and Notes ]
[ Awards and Decorations ]

About this Item

Title

  • Roger Lee Knight Collection

Names

  • Knight, Roger Lee

Home State

  • Maryland

Headings

  • -  Knight, Roger Lee
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: Company D, 169th Engineer Battalion, 159th Engineer Group, 20th Engineer Brigade
    • Location of Service: Dinh Quan, Vietnam; III Corps, Vietnam; Long Binh, Vietnam
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1968-1994
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran s served with the Army Engineer School after the Vietnam War.
  • Persian Gulf War, 1991

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: Plans and Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of the Army
    • Location of Service: Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia; Washington, DC
    • Highest Rank: Colonel
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Biographical information [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2012-06)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2012-06)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1973-1990)
  • Manuscript: Unit histories [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Unit histories [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2000-02)
  • Manuscript: Unit histories [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2012-07)
  • Photograph: Digital print [511 items] -- Photograph (collected 1969-1970)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 2012-07-17)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2012-06; 2012-07-16)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1994)
  • Manuscript: Unit histories [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2018-08)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2018-09-16; 2018-09-16)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2018-09-16; 2018-09-16)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/84060

Cite as

  • Roger Lee Knight Collection (AFC/2001/001/84060), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • pdf

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

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:

Knight, Roger Lee. Roger Lee Knight Collection. 1968. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.84060/.

APA citation style:

Knight, R. L. (1968) Roger Lee Knight Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.84060/.

MLA citation style:

Knight, Roger Lee. Roger Lee Knight Collection. 1968. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.84060/>.