Donnelly Brings Veterans Project To Warsaw
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The Office of Sen. Joe Donnelly brought the Veterans History Project to Warsaw at Lake City Place Senior Living, 425 Chinworth Court.
Veterans of any branch of the United States Military who served at any time were invited to Lake City Place to share and have their story recorded. Interviews had to last at least 30 minutes. The public was invited to come out and interview the veterans.
The project was created in 2000 to collect, preserve and make available the personal stories of American veterans. The oral histories are kept in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress where scholars, students, authors, filmmakers and history buffs can hear individual accounts of soldiers’ service.
Donnelly has had his staff conduct the Veterans History Project around the state to publicize it. A representative of his office said it helps honor veterans and the sacrifice they made for America.
“Any person can do a Veterans History Project,” the representative said. “A lot of times people are only comfortable with people they know. The only requirement is it has to be at least 30 minutes. But anyone can do it.”
A provided field kit gives suggestions to the interviewer on how to prepare, participate, interview and submit the recording. There’s a biographical data form for participants to fill out, release forms for the veteran and interviewer and other information in the kit like suggested questions.
One of the participants Friday was Mayor Joe Thallemer, who interviewed U.S. Navy veteran Phillip Neff. Neff served from 1958 to 1962.
Neff was born at the Old McDonald Hospital in Warsaw Oct. 23, 1939. His parents were from Claypool.
“My whole family, except me, were railroaders primarily on the Nickle Plate Railroad,” Neff told Thallemer. He had nine family members who worked on the railroad, starting with his grandfather in 1907 in Claypool.
He had two older siblings, a brother, Bill Neff, and a sister, Sue Ann Neff Harshbarger. Neither served in the military.
Phillip Neff entered the service at 18 after finishing high school.
Though he was “1A” on the draft, he joined before he could be drafted.
“I lost my job, I didn’t get another one, so I went ahead and joined,” Neff said.
He enlisted in the Navy initially in Warsaw but had to go down to Indianapolis to actually join. From there, Neff said they were bussed to Great Lakes.
He went through three months of basic training there plus nine months of electronics school. After that year, he boarded a ship in San Diego, Calif.
Thallemer asked Neff, “So why did you specifically choose the Navy? Was there this electrician’s program or was there a specific reason you chose the Navy?”
“I thought the schooling was better for what I wanted to do, which was electronics. They assured me that I would get that, and I did,” Neff answered.
“Did you talk to any of the recruiters in any of the other branches?” Thallemer asked.
“No,” Neff stated, adding he signed up in Indianapolis March 24, 1958. He and the other Navy recruits were put on a bus the next morning and sent to the Great Lakes.
He said there were about four or five other people on the bus from the Warsaw area, but he just met them through the whole process.
Neff continued sharing his story for the next half hour with Thallemer prodding him along with questions.
“It was not that tough. Keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told,” Neff said about his time in the service.
For more information on the project, contact: Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20540-4615; by phone, 202-707-4916; fax 202-252-2046; email [email protected]; or online at www.loc.gov/vets/[[In-content Ad]]
The Office of Sen. Joe Donnelly brought the Veterans History Project to Warsaw at Lake City Place Senior Living, 425 Chinworth Court.
Veterans of any branch of the United States Military who served at any time were invited to Lake City Place to share and have their story recorded. Interviews had to last at least 30 minutes. The public was invited to come out and interview the veterans.
The project was created in 2000 to collect, preserve and make available the personal stories of American veterans. The oral histories are kept in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress where scholars, students, authors, filmmakers and history buffs can hear individual accounts of soldiers’ service.
Donnelly has had his staff conduct the Veterans History Project around the state to publicize it. A representative of his office said it helps honor veterans and the sacrifice they made for America.
“Any person can do a Veterans History Project,” the representative said. “A lot of times people are only comfortable with people they know. The only requirement is it has to be at least 30 minutes. But anyone can do it.”
A provided field kit gives suggestions to the interviewer on how to prepare, participate, interview and submit the recording. There’s a biographical data form for participants to fill out, release forms for the veteran and interviewer and other information in the kit like suggested questions.
One of the participants Friday was Mayor Joe Thallemer, who interviewed U.S. Navy veteran Phillip Neff. Neff served from 1958 to 1962.
Neff was born at the Old McDonald Hospital in Warsaw Oct. 23, 1939. His parents were from Claypool.
“My whole family, except me, were railroaders primarily on the Nickle Plate Railroad,” Neff told Thallemer. He had nine family members who worked on the railroad, starting with his grandfather in 1907 in Claypool.
He had two older siblings, a brother, Bill Neff, and a sister, Sue Ann Neff Harshbarger. Neither served in the military.
Phillip Neff entered the service at 18 after finishing high school.
Though he was “1A” on the draft, he joined before he could be drafted.
“I lost my job, I didn’t get another one, so I went ahead and joined,” Neff said.
He enlisted in the Navy initially in Warsaw but had to go down to Indianapolis to actually join. From there, Neff said they were bussed to Great Lakes.
He went through three months of basic training there plus nine months of electronics school. After that year, he boarded a ship in San Diego, Calif.
Thallemer asked Neff, “So why did you specifically choose the Navy? Was there this electrician’s program or was there a specific reason you chose the Navy?”
“I thought the schooling was better for what I wanted to do, which was electronics. They assured me that I would get that, and I did,” Neff answered.
“Did you talk to any of the recruiters in any of the other branches?” Thallemer asked.
“No,” Neff stated, adding he signed up in Indianapolis March 24, 1958. He and the other Navy recruits were put on a bus the next morning and sent to the Great Lakes.
He said there were about four or five other people on the bus from the Warsaw area, but he just met them through the whole process.
Neff continued sharing his story for the next half hour with Thallemer prodding him along with questions.
“It was not that tough. Keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told,” Neff said about his time in the service.
For more information on the project, contact: Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20540-4615; by phone, 202-707-4916; fax 202-252-2046; email [email protected]; or online at www.loc.gov/vets/[[In-content Ad]]
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