We welcome your comments on this interview at VeteransHistoryProject@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com
Catalog number: VIS 201.0719
In this interview, Oliver Murray recalls his experiences serving in the United States Army during and after the Vietnam War. He remembers growing up in rural South Carolina; the two-room schoolhouse in which he was educated; and the segregated facilities in his community. He attended ROTC at South Carolina State College and decided to make a career in the military because of the limited opportunities available to a college educated African American man there in the 1960s. He describes his two tours in Vietnam; the men with whom he served, including several commanding officers he admired; being wounded in a search and destroy mission in 1966; and the racial inequities and discrimination that he witnessed. He recalls his post-Vietnam War assignments; his advancement in rank; and the additional educational opportunities of which he took advantage. He remembers retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1984 and describes his post-military career as a lawyer; his family; and the Agent Orange-related illnesses that he has experienced. He reflects on his military career and the importance of education.
25 авг 2021
