Area Men Collect U.S. War Veterans’ Stories
March 9, 2016
By: Taylor Dungjen, Toledo Blade
March 9, 2016
More than 700 times, Andrew “Bud” Fisher has sat across from war veterans to hear and collect their stories.
Each of those recorded interviews has been archived in the Library of Congress, part of the Veterans History Project, and at the University of Toledo’s Ward M. Canaday Center.
Mr. Fisher, 85, of Sylvania, and George Pugh, 73, of Whitehouse, are continuing the long-running project, hoping to reach as many World War II veterans from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan as possible before it’s too late.
“We’re worried so many World War II vets will pass on without their families knowing what they did,” Mr. Fisher said.
A copy of every interview is provided to the veteran for his or her family. There is no cost to participate in the project.
Mr. Fisher latched on to the Veterans History Project in 2002 when the University of Toledo became a project partner.
“I was retired and a terrible golfer and I wanted to do something worthwhile,” he said. “I called and volunteered; what they didn’t tell me was that I was the only volunteer at the time.”
Mr. Pugh, who has known Mr. Fisher for years, has joined his friend for nearly 100 interviews. They try to do one a week. Mr. Fisher is the interviewer and Mr. Pugh records on each interview on video and later edits the footage.
“I want to give the families a recorded history of what they said,” Mr. Pugh said. “That’s what’s most important.”
Mr. Pugh and Mr. Fisher paired up with veterans — anyone from any American war — mostly through word-of-mouth referrals. They’ll mention their volunteer work to someone who will know someone. Interviews last about an hour to an hour and a half.
Later this week the pair will sit down with Horace Appleby, a 102-year-old World War II veteran who, in July, was given service medals he never knew he earned. U.S. Rep Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) presented Mr. Appleby of Toledo with 10 medals: the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Honorable Service Lapel Button, and the Marksman Badge with rifle bar.
In each interview, Mr. Fisher says they start by asking veterans about their lives before military service, their training, and their travels. From there, the interviewers ask about how those experiences related to the subject’s military experience. The approach helps draw out nervous or shy veterans into sharing more of their stories, some of which they’ve never before told.
“It’s amazing to learn that the man next door turns out to be a hero,” Mr. Fisher said. “He never said anything to anyone and come to find out he’s got this Silver Star.”