The Lessons of the Vietnam War

Oral History Project, Student Instructions

This is an out-of-class assignment that will culminate in a written format.

Your Task

In a group, you will interview a veteran who has seen combat. This interview will be taped, transcribed, edited, then put in final form, a class book

Guidelines

1. You may work in groups of two or three.
2. You will need a tape recorder and one hour of tape.
3. Everyone in your group must contribute equally.

Step One

1. Find someone in your community to interview and make an appointment. Make sure he/she is willing to be interviewed and that he/she knows the interview will be taped.
2. Draw up a list of questions before your interview.

Your best approach is to ask open-ended questions. Examples: (a) How did you get into the service? (b) How would you describe some of the men in your company? (c) Could you tell about a time you were really frightened? (d) What was it like to come home? Other subjects you can cover might be: Why did you enter? What branch were you in and why did you pick it? What were your feelings at the time of your entry into the army? What was basic training like? What specialized training, promotions, honors did you get? Were there any conflicts between personal standards and military life?

Step Two

Do your interview. You should ask an opening question that will be both enjoyable and easy for the interviewee to answer at considerable length. The interviewee should be able to run without interruption on this subject for as long as he or she wishes. By showing your sincere interest in the interviewee's narration, you will establish better rapport. Go easily. You are not Tom Brokaw and this is not Sixty Minutes. The subject of combat experiences is often painful. Save sensitive questions for the end. Do NOT be judgmental. If the interviewee asks for your opinion, avoid giving it. Do not make lame comments like "ooh, gross!" (a conversation stopper).

Do not be worried about meanderings. You can cut off conversation if you stop these. If such comments get completely out of hand, they can be corrected by asking a series of closed questions, like, "What are the dates here?" or "Where were you at this time?"

At the end of the interview, make sure you have the person's name correctly spelled and the date(s) and place(s) of his/her service.

Thank the interviewee (profusely). Be sure the interviewee understands that this is part of a class project and that the transcribed interview will be put in a class book (which will not be published but will be on public display).

Step Three

Transcribe your interview. When transcribing, type or write as nearly verbatim as possible. You can include your questions if you wish, but you do not need to. You need not transcribe false starts, stammering, and insignificant repetition. You also do not need to transcribe offhand comments like, "okay," "all right," "is that right?" etc. If possible, use a word processor, as this enables you to edit and move things around more easily.

Editing: Rearrange ideas that are out of order. Check for correct spelling, punctuation, etc.

Final Copy: Your final copy must be typed (yes, you read it correctly, typed) on standard size white paper.

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