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Introduction Lesson

Orientation on Korean War Veterans

How old were the veteran's you are about to interview when they entered the service?
Probably between 18 and 21they could have been your older brothers, and some of you could
have enlisted to fight--with your parent's permission. Much has changed since then, and I will
use the next 20 minutes to orient you to the veterans then and now.
America in 1950
- What was America like when these veterans were 18-25 years old? Changes and similarities
- Population
-- 154,230,000 Americans in 1950 in 2012 over 313,000,000 doubled (not incl HI or AK)
--- PA 3rd largest (10.5 mil), #1 NY (13.4), #2 CA (10.6), IL (8.7) OH (7.9) 2010 #6 12.3
-- Urban, USA 64% live in cities, PA 66% -- 2012 82% live in cities (2500 people or more)
-- life expectancy 68 years, half of population dead 2012 79 years old , collect 13 year SS
--- IMR all deaths under age 1, 30/1000 2012 6/1000 - much better medical care now
--- First treatment for high blood pressure with resperine; DNA helical structure thru X-ray
- Economics America booming after WWII expansion and depression
-- GDP $294 billion, in 2012 $15,240 billion 52 times larger (not accounting for inflation)
--- industry converting from war industry to commercial, US produces 50% worlds goods
-- 16% men in agriculture/mining, 37% industry/const, 47% services 2012 1%, 19%, 80%
--- women made up 29% of the labor force, then much changed because of WW2 work
--- unemployment at 4% (near full employment (14.6% end of depression), 2012 8.2%
-- High school graduates: 55%, college: 10% -- 2010 80%, 27%; college tuition $600(35,636)
--- household income $3216, spent $**/student 2010, 49K per teacher, 11K/student yearly
-- car $1,510, gas 18c/gl, house $7354, milk 82c/gl, 5lb flour 49c, inflation $900 now $100
- Diners Club because first charge card used in New York City
- Entertainment: no internet, no smart phones, no iPods, no music videos right???
- popular song: mega rockn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fsqYctXgM
- Cinderella released, may be Disneys most popular movie of all time MOVIE LIST
- Isaac Asimov writes I, Robot & Ray Bradbury Martian Chronicles sci-fi goes mainstream
- Jack Kerouac writes first beatnik novel The Town and The City start of the counterculture
- Oct 2, Charles Schultz publishes first comic of Peanuts
- April 1950 5,343,000 TVs in US homes, by Oct 8,000,000 and 107 stations in 60 cities
- Politics: dominated by start of Cold War politics, fateful year
- Sen Joseph McCarthy starts anti-communist crusade & black list 205 commies in State
- Soviet Union & Red China sign mutual defense pact impression of communist monolith
- Pres Harry Truman orders development of hydrogen bomb, respond to Soviet bomb in 49
- Viet Minh attack French base in Indochina start of Vietnam conflict
- June 25 North Korea invades south encircle Pusan Perimeter, 15 Sep US lands at Inchon
-- 19 Oct PRC sends thousands of troops across Yalu, 28 Nov Chosin Reservoir retreat
That was then, this is now. What happened to those Korean War veterans?
-- some WW2 veterans were recalled to active duty, because military unprepared for war
-- only 10% of Korea-era veterans saw combat, still served in USA, training, maintenance
- This war is often called the Forgotten War
-- after total victory in WW2, Americans didnt understand limited war in nuclear bomb era

-- first hot battle in the Cold War

- In 2012 an 18 year old soldier in 1950 is 81-veterans youll meet were junior enlisted/officers
-- gone from radio shows to digital age not as technologically savvy as you
-- age related physical ailments poor eye sight, hard of hearing, poor mobility, memory lost
-- some have ailments from their service frost bite, scars, burns, broken bone
-- may be curmudgeonly irritated that they are not as strong as once was or as independent
- Some have not talked about their experiences, and bottled them up
-- raw emotional experiences outbursts, crying, suppressed memories
-- memory loss, remember events wrong after 70 years not according to history books
--- be respectful, ask for clarification, gently ask about what you think is the right answer
--- accept answer and research later. seek more clarification, but do not confront
- What does all of this mean for you?
-- be patient, work with veterans to overcome their problems
-- ask about war reaction, basic training, duties, transport, home coming, what it meant
-- call ahead, be punctual, be prepared, be respectful, get in their shoes (old and young)
-- they'll complain some feeling pains, feeling forgotten, feeling lonely, feeling mortality
--- complaints against the military or veterans administration be sympathetic
-- be flexible in contacting them. May not hear telephone ring
--- they are much more use to receiving mail or visits, so use that if no phone contact
--- all of this means you need to accommodate, use telephone and mail, go to their home
-- be creative in helping them remember
--- use AHEC survey questions provided to start conversation
--- play ipod loaded with music from that era before interview, link to first question - LIST
--- after first questions if stalled, ask to see memorabilia and ask for stories about it
- Some may die during this year
-- natural process for elderly, we can expect at least one veteran to die this school year
-- if it happens be respectful and sympathetic to his family
--- send a sympathy card expressing your condolences
--- if you connected with the veteran, other things to consider:
---- call the family to express condolences, share notes already taken with veteran
---- CVSD grief counselor, talk to your own family members and friends
--- if sufficiently advanced (after first interview), complete project as memorial to veteran
- To help you get a better perspective of this period from the view of the veteran, posted on web
site are lists of movies to watch, books to read, or music to listen to
-- I hope I put into perspective your project and how your interviewees saw and see the world
Sources:
Events: http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/
http://www.answers.com/topic/1950
trends: http://www.theusaonline.com/people/urbanization.htm
Population data: 1790-1949: http://www.1930census.com/1940_the_year_in_history.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_United_States_Census

http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1950cenpopv2.html
eO: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005148.html#axzz0zRg23xAh
IMR: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5714a6.htm
Econ:
GDP: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104575.html#axzz0zRdQDEMI
Ed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_attainment_in_the_United_States
Labor: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2002/05/art2full.pdf
Cost employment 1900-1950: http://www.bls.gov/opub/uscs/1950.pdf
Sector employment 1950-2000 http://www.bls.gov/mlr/1993/11/art1full.pdf
2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation calculator
US Census Bureau
National Automobile Dealers Association
College Board Annual Survey of Colleagues, 2010
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1950.html