Minnesota's Greatest Generation Oral History Project: Part II: Interview with Donald C. Williams

Titles: Minnesota's Greatest Generation Oral History Project: Part II: Interview with Donald C. Williams (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Born and raised in Faith, South Dakota, Donald Williams attended Faith High School. He worked in a shipyard in Seattle prior to entering the Army in 1943. He served in France in a Graves Registration unit. After the war he re-enlisted and served in Italy and Germany in Quartermaster units until he was discharged. He attended teacher's college and taught in the Minneapolis public schools. Using the GI Bill, he completed two master's degrees from the University of Minnesota. Williams also served in the Army Reserve and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He lived in the Twin Cities for many years before returning to Faith, South Dakota. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Growing up in a small town during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl; quality of rural education and the employment opportunities open to young men and women prior to World War II; working in the defense industry; service in World War II in a Graves Registration unit; options at home when discharged after the war; re-enlisting in the army and service in the Army of Occupation; college in the 1950s; finding employment; changes in public schools from the 1950s to the 1980s; service in the Army Reserves and changes during the Vietnam War; changes in Minneapolis and suburban development.

Dates

• 06/04/2006 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Williams, Donald C.
• interviewer: Bekke, Douglas

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 115
• Accession Number: AV2008.26.36

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Minnesota's Greatest Generation Oral History Project: Part II' <OH 115>

Quantity: 3 hours sound cassettes 73 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 138 minutes length

Subjects

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