Interview with Bert R. Francis and Arlayne Francis, April 26, 2018

Interview Summary

Francis talks about his first assignment after his second tour in Vietnam at the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic base in Norfolk, Virginia. He talks about working as a military instructor in the military science department at Purdue University while still being a member of the Marine Corps. He discusses his next assignment in which he received a battalion command at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Francis talks about the Marines' process of downsizing after the end of combat operations in Vietnam and about how a lot of the Marines' equipment was worn out in the years after Vietnam. Francis talks about serving in the Marines during the Jimmy Carter administration, which downsized and underfunded the military. He talks about the numbers of women in the Marines both during and after the Vietnam War, and how the Marine Corps handled homosexuality. Francis talks about having to serve as a magistrate while he was in battalion command at Camp Lejeune, and sentencing soldiers to life sentences in Leavenworth prison for criminal acts. He discusses the improvements that occurred in equipment and morale in the Marines after Ronald Reagan became president. Francis talks about some of his civilian jobs after retiring from the Marines.

Interview Keyword

Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic Norfolk (Va.) Recruitment Financial analysts Civilian life Force Readiness Information Section

Interview LC Subject

United States. Marine Corps Military life. Leadership. Purdue University Camp Lejeune (N.C.) Vietnam War, 1961-1975. Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion United States. Marine Corps--Women.

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Interview Usage

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