NEWS AND EVENTS:

NOTE: The Sparta Historical Society inspired some of this kind of interviewing with an interview day a few years back. All work done here will be shared with the Historical Soc - which has been supportive with facilities and to help find people to interview. Soc. members are encouraged to help out on the day of interviews if they wish. Contact Vic Campbell. Ledger Article by Lockwood.

Buzz Creek assisted and coached ninety students in Mr. Steven Schel's history classes at Sparta High School with WWII Veteran interviews. The April 8 interviews involved planning logistics and use of a wiki website for students to coordinate their work with each of 10 fellow team members assigned to each veteran. Vic Campbell of Buzz Creek, has done this for years and had a long standing goal to involve students in the work. Campbell acted as liaison to the veteran community and as technical adviser to the students. Amazing video interviews were made and will be available to libraries and the Library of Congress as well as the veterans themselves. Web clips from the interviews will be made for the the special wiki that will become public once the videos and supporting data are finished by the student teams. Mr. Schel's used the opportunity to develop a template / lesson plan to allow other schools to duplicate the effort with veterans or with any segment of people with a story to tell. He will be presenting his lesson plan to the other county schools through the office of the Sussex County School's Superintendent. I'll post links here when it is ready.

The amazing group of veterans included an 8th Air Force bomber pilot who told of the loss of his wingman over Germany and how later he learned of survivors, one of whom was helped to escape by a German soldier. An audio tape of this airman's story was given to the school. Years later the airman became a priest and the soldier who saved him was at his ordination ceremony. Two Marines who battled at Iwo Jima were interviewed. One Navy wildcatHELLCAT fighter pilot described his singular achievement in battle with Japan in which he accidentally landed (very briefly) on a Japanese air craft carrier. It was dark. No on else is recorded to have done that and lived to tell about it. Another veteran was with the Asiatic Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor. They knew there would be an attack in the Philippines and were ready - and were confident when it happened the Pearl Harbor fleet would come to their rescue. Well, the Pearl harbor fleet did not make it and the Asiatic Fleet fought and died over the next 3 months. Those who survived from the destroyed fleets of the US, Holland, Britain and Australia - were captured and became part of the well known saga of "The Bridge on The River Kwai".

The students learned much from these veterans and they learned one great lesson above all - the Peace is a goal worthy of every effort.

Buzz Creek is open to coach others who want to make video oral histories and post them on the web. Buzz Creek can also help with commercial web video features. Some local video features are available from the easy to remember site -- ME3TV.org . Visit anytime.






April 8, 2008 --- SPARTA HS Interview Project - 9 Veterans: Phone and town (contact info) to be provided by email. Student team will call these vets and clarify the name - spelling - army unit and time of service (some basics) to be placed in a paragraph introduction for the videotaping. Student team should also prepare at least a ONE PAGE summary of the history of the UNIT (or ship or fleet) from the conversation and internet research. This will help those in the "audience" to understand the time frame and the direction as the interview takes place. Another part of the team will prepare the interview and another will summarize what is said on tape to a ONE PAGE individual summary. Paperwork for the Library of Congress (release forms and history forms) will be completed by part of the team as well. When taping is done ... another part of the team will follow up with ME3TV (me) to be sure the tape is completed promptly to DVD and duplicated for the school and the individual. (A more concise detail of activities will be in the LESSoN PLAN - which can include disciplines like HISTORY, ENGLISH, Literature, GEOGRAPHY, POLITICS and MEDIA PRODUCTION (computers).

Part of the team will be ESCORTS to greet the vet at the parking lot and bring them in to the ineterview and to take them back to their car when done. These are aging veterans and most will be pleased to have an escort to help them find their way around.

1. Glenn Wershing (Korean War re - aftermath of WWII) ... While this is the ONLY Korean War vet in this group .. he will be a good interview. A well rounded area geologist and archaeologist for NW NJ plus an excellent presenter on Korean War. Lives in Greene Township.
2. Ivo Duvall (Navy - Murmansk Run to Russia and Pacific War too) Ivo "EYE-VO" made NINE convoys to Murmansk including the most ill fated of all, known as PQ-17. As the Pacific war heated up he was transferred to a destroyer and served in major actions in the Pacific. He lives in Kinnelon.
3. Joe Keller (Army WWii Europe) ..ARMY - 101st Airborne - drops in Holland and was in the Bulge. HE was not at the DDAY drop. He lives in Sussex, NJ.
4.Earl Mills - Ball Turret gunner on B17 over Europe .. 28 missions ... shot down (caldwell) (973) 226-xxxx - 8th Air Force - 305 bomb group.
..... hard of hearing... but outstanding story.. "salty" language. 100 pct disabled since war for chronic nervous disorder. (nice guy ).
5.Frank J. Mooney - Sparta - 973-729-xxxx- USN - SN3 A Cox'n's mate - (boat driver) USS Lake DE301 Pacific - Big storm "Halsey's Typhoon" ......and invasions of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Peleliu ... more.. service jan 44 - end of '46. (not before 3 or 4 april if possible?) back from trip on april 1.
6. HOWARD BROOKS - USS Houston (CA-30) survivor - (Burma Death Railway) - Battles of Java Sea and Sunda Strait. Death of the Asiatic Fleet. Was a seaman? at the time. Movie "Last Stand of USS Houston" (buzzcreek.com) and recently featured in Oct 2007 Military Heritage Magazine as well as Public TV Texas Channel 8 - story of the USS Houston. See www.usshouston.org . SCHEDULE at NOON please. Mr. Campbell will treat him and his wife to a late lunch after the interviews are over. He will travel up here from Laurel Hill, NJ (near Philly).
7. Ed Clohessy - Marine - WWII - Pacific Sparta . 2nd Marine Division. Understands how to work with the kids and the interview ... so he is known to be a good interview.
8. Jerry Cleveland 81 years old from Paramus. Fought on Iwo Jima and would be thrilled to participate - However, MUST be booked in the 12 noon slot. (See special Ed teacher at SHS for phone and details)..
9....Charles Fletcher - fighter pilot - naval aviator - Hellcats. Squadron was VF-8. He lives in Newton. A recent car crash has left him a bit hobbled but unbowed. He uses a walker but it is suggested he be provided a wheelchair to get to and from his car and the interview location. He is also the inventor of the HOVERCRAFT ... which was first "flown" here in SPARTA!

I WILL TRY TO GET TWO BACKUP vets FOR INTERVIEWS. I may include several more that were not locked in yet from names provided. These will all be interviewed BY ME (and any volunteers) at a later date in Sparta (not too late...maybe in a week or so past this date).



NJ HERALD ... STAR LEDGER ...

January 16 - NJ HERALD Article on Bristol Glen
Interviews with veterans and more news from Bristol Glen from 2007.

JANUARY 17 - BOONTON - Victoria Mews nursing home has asked to have 8 vets interviewed there. I NEED volunteers to show up who want to learn to do this. also see HOW TO link at left. It stresses me to do these interviews and to NOT have anyone present to learn how to do them in their own community.
January 23 - Boonton Neighbor News - Victoria Mews Retirement Home hosts vet interviews. Excllent Article. Notes encouragement needed to have schools involved

NOVEMBER 29 - The Sparta Ambulance Building was used to interview several veterans from nearby . Volunteers that want to help shoot or help the veterans encouraged to contact Vic Campbell. Without volunteers to learn HOW TO (see link at left) I am burning out.

On November 13, Vic joined the "GEM VAC VETS" of Glen Gardiner, NJ on a bus trip down to the NJ Vietnam memorial and museum. It was very interesting. A lot of WWII vets came along too. I taped some of the trip to share with the "Gem Vac" group (so called because what used to be a coffee group on Tuesdays, grew into a regular gathering of vets too big for a diner - so they now meet at the Gem Vacuum Cleaner service shop on Hwy 31. Tuesdays -- all day -- they come in for a little comaraderie and coffee and leave again. No records, no roll call - just a relaxed gathering over the day. A number of these vets will be interviewed as time permits.

Announcements	Forms Library of Congress	Planning Notes
Interview Spotlight	Training	USS. O'Callahan USS Houston