the project |
the interviewers |
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With the blessing of Hatfield's American Legion Post 344, the Hatfield Historical Society won a $3,700 Preservation Grant for Veterans Collections, Monuments and Memorials from MA SHRAB (the State Historical Records Advisory Board).
The grant allowed the Historical Society to purchase field audio recording equipment (see below), have the interviews transcribed by Boston-based Audio Transcription Center, edit excerpts from the interviews and create this website. The rest, including soliciting images, interviewing our veterans (and talking them into participating), was completed by a small group of dedicated volunteers and advisors. |
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Project manager Kathie Gow and interviewer Hannah Zahn at the Hatfield Fedex on Nov. 29, 2019, mailing off our veteran interview CDs, log and bio sheets to the Library of Congress.
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Both the audio files and the transcripts will become part of the Hatfield Historical Museum's Vietnam Collection, along with images and other items donated by the veterans.
The second part of the grant included meeting the requirements to participate in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. We are excited to announce that the personal stories of our 11 veterans -- untold for five decades -- and now part of Hatfield's history, are also now part of our nation's history. |
"I’ve thoroughly enjoyed going through these transcripts...Perhaps enjoyed isn’t the right term, because there is an element of sadness, particularly with this one [Tom Tataro's interview]. I lost an uncle in the Vietnam War, who was also a helicopter crew chief...It feels good to be able to have a small part to play in helping these stories get told."
--Kristof Nelson, Audio Transcription Center
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our audio kit and setup
Tascam DR-40 field recorder
MXL 770 cardioid condensor mics Mic pop filters, cables and stands Over-the-ear headphones USB power brick for backup power Interview photos, 2019, by Kathie Gow |
acknowledgmentsWe'd like to thank Dr. Kelly Crager, Head of the Oral History Project at the Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech University, for sharing his expertise on interviewing Vietnam veterans with us via videoconference; Sam Redman, Associate Professor of History at UMass Amherst, for his advice on oral history projects; American Legion Post 344 for their support and use of their facility for interviews; Legion Commander Tom Tataro for his help in coordinating and setting up for interviews and being the impetus for this project; Hatfield Veterans Services Officer Gerry Clark for his help in soliciting veteran participation; and Hollington Lee for researching and prepping the recording kit and technical assistance throughout the project.
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