Preserving Vietnam History
In March, we asked our community to share their stories of how the Vietnam War impacted them. Now, we’re pleased to share some of your astonishing responses.
In concert with Ken Burns’ newest documentary, The Vietnam War, we are sharing narratives of immigration, service, and volunteerism from our region. These 15 stories are published online as part of an oral history collection, available to the community. Interview features include a woman’s life as the child of a Vietnamese military officer during the fall of Saigon, a Forward Air Controller’s experience as a “Raven” serving on a secret mission in Laos, and an infantry leader shouldered with the heaviest of responsibilities.
You can hear these powerful testimonies and more below. Look for Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War, a 10-part 18-hour documentary premiering September 17 on KVIE.
My Vietnam War Story
C. Emmett Mahle
Colonel, U.S. Army
Sacramento
Carolee GiaoUyen Tran
Refugee
Davis
Gene Hamner
Captain, U.S. Air Force
Lodi
Joe Scheimer
Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Gold River
Lenore Justman
Casualty Staging Facility Volunteer
Sacramento
Mareth Chan
First Lieutenant, Khmer Air Force
Stockton
Tido Thac Hoang
Refugee
Elk Grove
Mardeio Cannon
Specialist 6, U.S. Army
Sacramento
Ed Laird
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Rocklin
Gary Reeder
Captain, U.S. Army
Sacramento
Charlene Rhodes
Roseville High School Class of 1965
Roseville
Jerry Hare
Captain, U.S. Air Force
El Dorado Hills
Phoebe Astill
Roseville
Robert Dohlke
Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force
El Dorado Hills
Tom Palmer
Major, U.S. Air Force
Auburn