The first time he ever drove in a car, rode in a plane, or saw a movie.
Ask if he ever saw a President in person, or went through the ranks in WWI with any of the generals of WWII.
Ask which handshakes were the most memorable of his life.
Posted on 11/12/2001 6:46:39 PM PST by freeplancer
At the end of this week, I will be arriving home in my hometown in Illinois. Believe it or not, there is a friend of the family who is a true veteran of WW1 and he still has all of his faculties. I am going to interview him for a documentary, but I would really like to hear what some other people would be curious about. If anyone has any "non-humorous" questions or ideas that would aid me in what could be my last chance to ever have a sit-down with a "Dough Boy" (infantry) from WW1, I would really appreciate it.
Also, I wonder how one could find out just how many of these crusty vets are left alive?
I will post a report when I return home.
The first time he ever drove in a car, rode in a plane, or saw a movie.
Ask if he ever saw a President in person, or went through the ranks in WWI with any of the generals of WWII.
Ask which handshakes were the most memorable of his life.
Bring maps with you and make sure you write down his movements. Ask him what his first impressions of aircraft was. Does he still have any momentos or his uniform? Any pictures?
My wife used to home health a lot of old people and she never bothered to ask any questions.
He was also a very moral man and he loved this country. I can hardly wait to see him again, and Grandma.
1. Prepare beforehand. Identify your objective and formulate questions based on obtaining the information you seek. In this case, what are you looking for? the effects of service on his family? The impact the war had on his subsequent life? The tactics and equipment used? Identify your goals and develop questions based on meeting them.
2. Let every answer generate at least three more questions, if for nothing more than clarification.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask the same question two or three times, phrasing it slightly differently each time. You'll be amazed how much more information may be obtained this way.
4. When you complete the interview, ask one more time, "Is there anything else you'd like to add?" This really puts the ball in the interviewee's court, and places emphasis on the things they find important. I don't know how many times I've been ready to wrap up a 30 minute interview, asked this question and gone on for another hour...
5. Thank the man deeply and graciously, if not for you, for me!
Also, did you or any of your buddies suffer chemical attack?
Is there something about your experience that you think could never be understood by someone who wasn't there?
But seriously, my grandfather served in WW I (immigrant enlistee), and I would have loved to have the opportunity to interview him today.
I bet his words of wisdom would be inspiring.
2) Is there something you've kept inside all these years and just never let anyone know about it until now?
On second thought don't, he might have a coronary.
My suggestion: be low key, make him like you, put him at ease, find ways to motivate him (preserving his stories for his own family history is a good angle) and show continual interest and that you care. Don't fuss all over him if he starts to cry. Go chronologically from well BEFORE the war. Focus at some point on how he met his wife, there's always a story there and ultimately that's almost certainly what was most important to him. Don't be afraid of the mundane, and don't expect heroic stories. A half-hour ramble about a pre-War school outing may give real poignancy and perspective to a later anecdote about having to eat rats in some trench in France.
He may self-edit and offer only those things that he has learned over the years pack the most oomph. Don't settle for that. Get the humdrum as well as his story about that time when Black Jack Pershing stopped and shook his hand.
Good luck with it.
With all respect due a fellow Freeper, that a really stupid question. We will ALWAYS have wars.
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