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Oral history interview with Richard A. Vickery recorded on 2008 July 18

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Oral history interview with Richard A. Vickery recorded on 2008 July 18

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Title	Oral history interview with Richard A. Vickery recorded on 2008 July 18
Description	Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Richard Vickery joined the Army National Guard in 1981, at the age of 17. He went to basic training Fort Benning (Ga.), which he describes as the “gateway to hell”. After basic training he finished high school before going to advanced training the following summer. After advanced training he returned to Massachusetts and became a member of the 104th Infantry, as part of the army National Guard he was required to do drills one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer. He did this until 1985, when he joined the army full time, and went to training to become a cook. He was then sent to Manheim, Germany, where he was stationed for two years as a base cook. He returned to the United States and joined the National Guard again for a period of years on and off. In 2005, at the age of 41, he received his letter of active duty. He was sent to Fort Dix for training as an MP, although he was unaware of what his assignment would be. Vickery left for Iraq in October of 2005, he was then assigned to Abu Grhaib prison as a guard with the 96th MP Battalion, working with the 181st Engineering platoon. The conditions at Abu Grhaib were very frightening, as they were constantly being bombarded by sniper fire, mortars, and RPG attacks. Vickery was assigned to work at the 344th Hospital as a guard of the patients in surgery, and then later on as a guard at the detainee camp. In January of 2006, he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), although he was not sent back the U.S. until Oct. of 2006. After returning to the United States, Vickery was referred to the VA to treat his PTSD, and during the interview he discusses how that has affected his life. He retired from the Army National Guard in late 2007 after more than twenty years of service.
Coverage	1981-2007
Date Original	07/18/2008
Digital Format	video/x-ms-wmv
Duration	01:07:45
Contributors	Hurst, Eileen
Software	Windows Media Player required for viewing
Access Restrictions and Permissions	No access restrictions. For permission to reproduce contact Central Connecticut State University, Center for Public Policy and Social Research at (860) 832-2976
Image Identifier	VHP2008/31
Creator/Owner	Vickery, Richard A.
War or Conflict	Iraq War, 2003-
Branch of Service	United States. Army Massachusetts. National Guard
Unit of Service	96th MP Battalion. 181st Engineering Battalion.
Rank	E-4/Specialist
Status	Veteran
Subject	United States. National Guard Bureau Iraq War, 2003- -- Personal narratives, American. Veterans -- Massachusetts -- Interviews Veterans -- United States -- Mental health Abu Ghraib Prison Post-traumatic stress disorder
Geographic Location	Fort Dix (N.J.) Fort Benning (Ga.) Massachusetts Manheim (Germany) Kuwait Iraq
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University. Center for Public Policy and Social Research
Language	eng
Relation	Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Type of Resource	Moving image
Citation	Richard A. Vickery Papers. VHP2008/31. Veterans History Project; Central Connecticut State University, Center for Public Policy and Social Research.
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Oral history interview with Richard A. Vickery recorded on 2008 July 18

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