Interview with William Lewis, January 10, 2019
Project: Scott County (Kentucky) Public Library: Scott County Veterans Oral History Project
Interview Summary
This interview is with William Lewis - a veteran of the Vietnam War who served in the Army primarily as a door gunner on CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Lewis talks about growing up in a community on Duvall Station Road in Scott County and the importance of his high school coaches to his later life. He enlisted in the Army in 1967 and was trained as a clerk typist, but was detailed out as a door gunner once he arrived in country. He talks about his responsibilities and experiences, including being shot down on one occasion. As a black soldier in Vietnam, Lewis talks about race relations and divisions in the Army and says that he tried to always portray a unified front among his fellow soldiers. After the war, Lewis stayed in the Army and was sent to Bangkok, Thailand, where he began using heroin. He got clean before he returned to the United States, and he continued his career in the Army working in supply chain management. He reflects on his service in the Army and the role of the United States in Vietnam before ending the interview.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
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Interview LC Subject
Minorities--United States--Social conditions. United States. Army United States. Army--African American troops. Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Aerial operations, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--African Americans. Chinook (Military transport helicopter) Heroin abuse--United States. Supply chain, logistics and operations managementInterview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Lewis, William Interview by James Bartek. 10 Jan. 2019. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Lewis, W. (2019, January 10). Interview by J. Bartek. Scott County (Kentucky) Public Library: Scott County Veterans Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Lewis, William, interview by James Bartek. January 10, 2019, Scott County (Kentucky) Public Library: Scott County Veterans Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7mh0k0ppw91