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Response paper to Kenneth Delaney’ Interview Transcript
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Response paper to Kenneth Delaney’ Interview Transcript
Kenneth Delaney is a war veteran from World War II who speaks about his experience in the war. He was born in Long Island, New York and was enlisted to the army from civil life. In his interviews, Delaney shows pride in his service at D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Hurtgen Forest. His heroics are illustrated by the numerous wounds he suffered but still continued to fight in battles in the world war. He was clearly a brave soldier and mentions it in his interview. When he landed on Omaha Beach, for instance, his first reaction was not nervousness. He was shot and dragged himself to a safe place as the battle raged on and his colleagues got killed as he watched. He recuperated nevertheless and went right back to the war, fighting in the Battle of Bulge.
The Battle of Bulge was not for the soft-hearted. Kenneth Delaney was recuperating at a hospital when the medics told them that anybody that was able to walk or crawl was required in the field. The American army was overwhelmed and these brave men had to endure pain in order. His response to the devastating attacks on the American troops in Belgium. He speaks of soldiers whose spirits could not be broken and his own account of how he participated in the war is a testimony of how these soldiers during that time (Delaney 1). Although his story became popular and was actually documented there are other battles heroes whose activities we will never know. Despite fighting when not in the perfect health state with injuries from previous battles, Kenneth got injured in the battle of Bulge and had to seek treatment once more. The narrative of the Battle of Bulge was crucial as was every soldier that was countering Hitler’s effort to split the allies as they moved towards Germany.
The D-Day was a battle that began in 1944 and lasted between August and June of that same year. Kenneth Delaney was part of 156,000 soldiers who made up the Allied forces that invaded France and managed the mission to liberate Western Europe from the control of Nazi Germany. This invasion was among the largest amphibious assaults in history. Kenneth recalls watching landing craft they were using to land on the beach being blown up as well as the ships that they used from England (Delaney 2). As soon as they landed, Delaney was shot in the foot. He crawled among fellow members of his troop mourning and hollering from wounds. There were no medics to cater to the overwhelming medical need of all the wounded soldiers. Most medics were wounded or dead. When some medics managed to reach there side, they only had enough manpower to help one individual at a time. Delaney gave the chance to other people he felt needed more attention and went back to the crossfire. He used his rifle spraying the Germans although he had no clear sight of his targets. What counted was he did as much as he could at that particular moment.
There were many heroes in the Second World War that will not be appreciated that they ought to be for their bravery and sacrifice for the nation. Although some like Kenneth Delaney came forward with their stories, there is still nothing the world could do to repay the man for his sacrifice. His tone in his interviews about battles that wounded him and nearly got him killed has no regret. He appears happy that he was shot at the Battle of Bulge or at Normandy even before he was ready to get into the fight. Most people would have taken advantage of the injuries to stay away from the Battlefield, but not Kenneth Delaney a true American hero and embodiment of the true meaning of patriotism.
Works Cited
Delaney, K. T. “Memoir : Kenneth T. Delaney: Experiencing War: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress.” American Memory: Remaining Collections, memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01930/pageturner?ID=pm0007001&page=1.
Key Terms
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Key Terms
The New Frontier was a legislative initiate by President John F. Kennedy that was about spending massively on social reforms as well as welfare programs. It included ambitious new projects like space exploration and the Peace Corps.
The bay of pigs was a failed invasion carried out in 1961 by the CIA during President Kennedy’s administration on the Gulf of Cazones in Cuba.
The Berlin wall was an enclosure that divided the city of Berlin in half between 1961 and 1989 and restricted access to West Berlin from East Berlin and adjacent areas.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a military and political standoff between the US and Soviet Union that was caused by the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba less than 100 miles from the shores of the United States.
The student nonviolent coordinating committee was a group of civil activists that gave a voice to younger blacks in the civil rights movement.
Freedom Riders were civil rights activists rode into segregated Southern States on interstate buses in 1961 and years that follow in protest of the Supreme Court Decision on Morgan v. Virginia and Boynton v. Virginia.
Nonviolent civil disobedience is challenging the government and its policies through non-violent means.
The March on Washington was a huge protest on August 1963 attended by half a million people challenging the inequalities African Americans faced 100 years after they became free citizens.
The Black Power movement was a crusade for political and social issues whose promoters believed in equality of all Black people, self-sufficiency, and racial pride.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned segregation in public places and outlawed job discrimination on the basis of race, religion, skin color, national origin, or sex.
The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 established the Head Start Program that was created to prepare school going children for success in public schools.
Medicare is a program that gives health coverage for people over the age of 65 and people with disabilities regardless of income. Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides medical cover for people for low-income people.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the aim of bringing down legal barriers that hindered African Americans from exercising their legal rights.
The Tet Offensive was a series of coordinated attacks on over 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam by the Communist government of North Vietnam.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Lyndon Johnson the authority to take needed measures to repel any armed attacks on the United States forces and to prevent further aggression by North Vietnam.
The Silent majority was a time coined by President Richard Nixon that meant a larger contingent of Americans did not feel part of the dissent voices that defined the time period around Nixon’s presidency.
The Great Society was a local program by President Lyndon B. Johnson administration that established social welfare programs sponsored by the Federal Government.
President Johnson Policy on communisms and social issues
President Kennedy through his young and energetic White House strived to create their informal contact with foreign affairs administration. Kennedy worked to build a democratic firewall that locked out communism although he was failing in South Vietnam. His work in Vietnam was part of his plan to stop the spread of communism. He faced the threat of Castro and his resolve to spread communism to other developing nations in America with support from the Soviet Union. He authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion which was a huge failure and tarnished his name as a defender of freedom because of his interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. He went on to collect millions of dollars to expand America’s combat forces to keep up with the Soviet Union’s Khrushchev’s military challenge.
Kennedy proposed his domestic agenda in his “New Frontier” speech. Kennedy was active with Civil Rights Laws in his quest to halt the biggest crisis at the time. He wanted the support of Democratic Southern Senators because he felt the weight of pushing too hard for Civil Rights. He succeeded in the enactment of the Civil Rights Act. He also succeeded in tax cuts, advocated for mental health issues, worked for affordable housing, equal pay for all genders, among other agendas.
Divisions and the Achievements of the Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement had a group of moderates who were willing to negotiate with the courts and the white man and included NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and UL (National Urban League). CORE and SNCC were radicals that advocated for violence if prompted. They did not agree with NAACP and UL who thought they were too radical.
The Civil Rights movement achieved the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which were laws that ensured African Americans could enjoy constitutional rights. They ended segregation in the Armed Services, segregation in public schools, contributed to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 protecting voter rights, the voting Rights act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968
President Johnson’s War on Poverty
President Lyndon B. Johnson put measures to provide healthcare for the poor as a way to fight poverty. He enacted the Head Start program to ensure low-income children succeeded in public schools. The Great Society called for an end to poverty and racial injustice and provided an opportunity for every child.
America’s Motivation in the Vietnam War
Americans involved in the Vietnam war was part of its plan to curb the spread of communism. President Kennedy was focused on ensuring that developing nations did not adopt communism and President Johnson continued this legacy.
Why Nixon Won the Presidency
Nixon campaigned on a platform that reached the “Silent Majority” which included the Working and Middle-Class Americans. He gave the promise of bringing America together. His election was also aided by his promise to find peace with Vietnam. Americans wanted to get out of the Vietnam Quagmire desperately.
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When were you born
Mr. Clifford was born in 1940 and cannot remember the precise date or month.
Tell me about your childhood
I grew up in in a family of 6 in Charlotte, New York City, His family had just moved there because his father was searching for a job at one of the manufacturing industries in the city. Although he was white, he did not have much privileged because his family led a modest life with limited resources. He states that he had what one would call a normal childhood. I lived the curious years, did the mischief, but overall I was a disciplined child with profound academic ambitions. Not many children then considered education as important as he did.
Tell me about your teenage years.
The 1950s were not favorable years for most Americans particularly those in the economic class Mr. Clifford’s family was in. He did not use the time to develop, explore, rebel or be mischievous, rather he had to work at a cotton mill to help his family navigate the economic hardships of the period. He was considered a man by the time he was 13 as warranted by circumstance.
How did each of the following influence you?
Great Depression
I feel that the great depression affected me through the increased government intervention that resulted and most importantly the formation of social assistance agencies. A working man like himself could salvage something after years of labor through increased government intervention such as the creation of elaborate retirement schemes.
World War II
World War II gave the world computers through the Colossus, which was the first programmable, electronic, digital computer. As an academic and one of the privileged people to use a computer during the early years, Mr. Clifford considers it the most important aftermath of World War II. This is because it is something that still exists and influenced his work considerably.
Atom Bomb
As a lover of art, Mr. Clifford believes 20th Century, music, TV, films and literature was profoundly affected by anxieties created by the atom bomb. He says that he has been influenced by a popular culture that began to grapple with the power of these bombs.
The Korean
Mr. Clifford admits that he did not feel the direct effects of the Korean War. However, it is after this war that the American military presence across the globe intensified creating a nation that is feared with a citizenry that feels safe from external threats. He believes that he feels safe because of the years of military activities across the world to ensure the world lives in an orderly fashion.
Space Program
Space technology has impacted greatly on everyday life, reiterates the interviewee. Mr. Clifford is not your typical 80-year-old. His cognition is perfect and he is so engrossed in technology. The use of GPS is the most dependable thing today and an important tool for him in particular. Mr. Clifford still drives that is why he believes the GPS is very necessary for him. This was a technology developed in space technology but has turned crucial in everyday life.
Civil Rights Movement
I noticed that the interviewee focused on the long term effects of a particular issue. The greatest achievement of the civil rights movement shaped according to him is the free society that he lives in today. He believes that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that resulted from years of activism is still as relevant today as it was during its enactment. The greater social and economic mobility of minorities has created an economically robust society, which means he can enjoy the benefits he is enjoying today.
Vietnam War
Mr. Clifford admits that he interacted with the Vietnam War more profoundly through reading. Reading the Vietnam War made him cynical and suspicious of America’s institutions. It is one of the events that compromise the notion that patriotism was serving one’s country. This war fueled the suspicion that American leaders were lying in war and created the basis of more distrust with the modern wars with Asian nations.
Watergate
Mr. Clifford believes that distrusting the government has become more common recently thanks to the Watergate scandal. The involvement of President Nixon in the Watergate cover-up begs the question of how many times have heads of state done the same thing and the truth never came out. It has influenced his way of thinking somehow and led him to condemn President Trump on the issue of using Ukraine to better his chances at the presidency. It is more likely that this is another cover-up.
Computers
Computers define every aspect of his life. He spends almost 80 percent of his time relying on computers. His phone especially controls various crucial aspects of his life; talking to loved ones, scheduling, entertainment, learning, and so forth. He does not use gadgets as liberally as he used to but he does most things around his house using smart home technology. He believes the idea that old people cannot be tech-savvy is utterly misplaced, he is living proof.
Persian Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War has considerably impacted the economy of this nation. Mr. Clifford continues to suggest that the war consumed a lot of resources that would have been channeled to improve various sectors because the war was avoidable to a significant extent. The economic hardships such as the struggles with the health care system and paying for treatment are partly because of misjudged prioritization of public resources.
Current events of today
The 911 instilled fear in Mr. Clifford as an American citizen. It has also created in him an involuntary suspicion of Middle Eastern people.
The Corona Virus currently ravaging through the world has affected and influenced every aspect of his life. He is particularly wary of the mortality rate among people his age. He does not want any interactions and now lives alone with his dog. He will not be allowing any visitors going forward.
These days mostly social issues because of social media and the news affect Mr. Clifford. Twitter, in particular, is a platform where Most Americans among other people of the world share social issues such as video evidence of police misconduct. There are also numerous posts of violence and evidence of a rotten society. Just by scrolling through his timeline, he comes across posts that trouble him more than anything in this world does.