Interviewing a Vietnam Vet, 2004, by Sam Allen

From MemoryArchive

Who: Sam Allen
What: Interview with Vietnam war veteran
When: June 2004
Where: Yeppoon

It was a cold winters day in Yeppoon and my grade 7 teacher had just instructed the class about the up coming assignment on wars. She said we could interview a war veteran and present the oral on that or we could go to the library and research a war which we wanted to show the class. When I got home I described the assignment to my dad, who said he knew a old war veteran who lived by himself in a small, old house close by.

When dad introduced us it was at the local memorial ceremony on Anzac day. Just looking at him made me feel awful as my heart sank to my stomach. He was a tall, lanky old man dressed in a war uniform, just looking into his eyes I knew he had lived a long painful life. The next week went in a blur as I got ready for the interview.

As he came into the filming room I sat him down and started asking him questions about his experience in the Vietnam War timidly. For I was nervous that I would ask a question which was too personal and would bring back painful memories. After an hour the interview was over and had been a success and had been finished without a hitch but when he left I still saw that same troubled look of a past hero.

When I looked over that interview that night I cried for he was a hero and had lost everything in his life which was valuable. But I still think he was happy when I showed him to the class in his true light and glory.