Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer, Part 2

NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail sentence; life in training being “at the whim” of whoever happened to be in charge; and recounts his memories of his basic military training and how his socioeconomic and background attitude shaped his experience. Towle speaks about his pride graduating from jump school and how that accomplishment earned him benefits and status that other soldiers didn’t receive, particularly related to the uniform and the biggest thrill of his life being the moment he received his wings. He recalls being sent to Washington, D.C. to do riot control following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. carrying unloaded M14 rifles while civilian police shot at will; being forced to shoot a man who allegedly came at him with a machete while attempting to loot a liquor store and the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath; being in Germany when the population was anti U.S. military; the power wielded by the military police. Towle discusses his ongoing fear of the Military Criminal Investigation Division and the lack of a statute of limitations for things “that happened over there that you can’t talk about,” including “Zippo raids” and mock VC villages. Towle talks about his work driving a resupply truck and using sandbags to protect the occupants from [improvised explosive devices], the emotional change he experienced between the shooting in Washington, D.C. and shooting men during combat; reaching the point he refused to return to duty and receiving a medical discharge; the psychological impact of losing patriotic idealism, facing the reality of war, and actively blocking social attachment; the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics as psychological warfare; post-traumatic stress; a fireworks display triggering a flashback; going to Togus for treatment; the negative impact of “John Wayne Syndrome” on Vietnam Veterans; the psychological impact of hypervigilance; the lack of military support for returning Vietnam Veterans; returning stateside with no money or ticket home; waiting in airports for days trying to catch a military flight home, “That was my thank you for a job well done.” Text: 42 pp. transcript. Time: 02:18:19. Listen: Part 1: mfc_na4503_01A Part 2: mfc_na4503_01B Part 3: mfc_na4503_02Ahttps://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ne_vietnam_vets/1063/thumbnail.jp

THE HISTORICAL BASIS RECORD FOR GRAIN AND SOYBEANS IN DELAWARE; MARKETING YEARS 1996/97 TO 2000/01

Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer, Part 3

NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail sentence; life in training being “at the whim” of whoever happened to be in charge; and recounts his memories of his basic military training and how his socioeconomic and background attitude shaped his experience. Towle speaks about his pride graduating from jump school and how that accomplishment earned him benefits and status that other soldiers didn’t receive, particularly related to the uniform and the biggest thrill of his life being the moment he received his wings. He recalls being sent to Washington, D.C. to do riot control following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. carrying unloaded M14 rifles while civilian police shot at will; being forced to shoot a man who allegedly came at him with a machete while attempting to loot a liquor store and the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath; being in Germany when the population was anti U.S. military; the power wielded by the military police. Towle discusses his ongoing fear of the Military Criminal Investigation Division and the lack of a statute of limitations for things “that happened over there that you can’t talk about,” including “Zippo raids” and mock VC villages. Towle talks about his work driving a resupply truck and using sandbags to protect the occupants from [improvised explosive devices], the emotional change he experienced between the shooting in Washington, D.C. and shooting men during combat; reaching the point he refused to return to duty and receiving a medical discharge; the psychological impact of losing patriotic idealism, facing the reality of war, and actively blocking social attachment; the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics as psychological warfare; post-traumatic stress; a fireworks display triggering a flashback; going to Togus for treatment; the negative impact of “John Wayne Syndrome” on Vietnam Veterans; the psychological impact of hypervigilance; the lack of military support for returning Vietnam Veterans; returning stateside with no money or ticket home; waiting in airports for days trying to catch a military flight home, “That was my thank you for a job well done.” Text: 42 pp. transcript. Time: 02:18:19. Listen: Part 1: mfc_na4503_01A Part 2: mfc_na4503_01B Part 3: mfc_na4503_02Ahttps://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ne_vietnam_vets/1064/thumbnail.jp

Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer, Part 1

NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail sentence; life in training being “at the whim” of whoever happened to be in charge; and recounts his memories of his basic military training and how his socioeconomic and background attitude shaped his experience. Towle speaks about his pride graduating from jump school and how that accomplishment earned him benefits and status that other soldiers didn’t receive, particularly related to the uniform and the biggest thrill of his life being the moment he received his wings. He recalls being sent to Washington, D.C. to do riot control following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. carrying unloaded M14 rifles while civilian police shot at will; being forced to shoot a man who allegedly came at him with a machete while attempting to loot a liquor store and the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath; being in Germany when the population was anti U.S. military; the power wielded by the military police. Towle discusses his ongoing fear of the Military Criminal Investigation Division and the lack of a statute of limitations for things “that happened over there that you can’t talk about,” including “Zippo raids” and mock VC villages. Towle talks about his work driving a resupply truck and using sandbags to protect the occupants from [improvised explosive devices], the emotional change he experienced between the shooting in Washington, D.C. and shooting men during combat; reaching the point he refused to return to duty and receiving a medical discharge; the psychological impact of losing patriotic idealism, facing the reality of war, and actively blocking social attachment; the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics as psychological warfare; post-traumatic stress; a fireworks display triggering a flashback; going to Togus for treatment; the negative impact of “John Wayne Syndrome” on Vietnam Veterans; the psychological impact of hypervigilance; the lack of military support for returning Vietnam Veterans; returning stateside with no money or ticket home; waiting in airports for days trying to catch a military flight home, “That was my thank you for a job well done.” Text: 42 pp. transcript. Time: 02:18:19. Listen: Part 1: mfc_na4503_01APart 2: mfc_na4503_01BPart 3: mfc_na4503_02Ahttps://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ne_vietnam_vets/1062/thumbnail.jp

A program to develop a high-energy density primary battery with a minimum of 200 watt hours per pound of total battery weight third quarterly report, jan. - mar. 1965

Electrochemical study of prospective electrode- electrolyte systems for high-energy primary battery with minimum of 200 watt hours per pound of total battery weigh

A program to develop a high-energy density primary battery with a minimum of 200 watt hours per pound of total battery weight Fifth quarterly report, 1 Jul. - 30 Sep. 1965

High energy density primary battery development - electrochemical half-cell screening of anode- electrolyte combinations, cell discharge, and potential studie