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Gannon, Loren (Video interview), part 3 of 3

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Title	Gannon, Loren (Video interview), part 3 of 3
Transcript of interview (PDF)	http://www.library.ohiou.edu/cdm/images/cantigny/pdf/gannon_loren_transcript.pdf
Collection	Cantigny First Division Oral Histories II
Interviewee	Gannon, Loren
Highest Rank/Grade Held	Lieutenant Colonel
Subject-People	Gannon, Loren
Subject-Name	United States. -- Army. -- Infantry Division, 1st -- History United States. -- Army. -- Infantry Division, 1st -- Biography United States. -- Army. -- Infantry Division, 1st -- Interviews
Subject-Place	Korea Germany Iceland France Vietnam United States
Subject-LCSH	Korean War, 1950-1953 Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Cold War Soldiers -- United States -- Interviews
Relation-Is Part Of	Gannon, Loren (Video interview and transcript)
Run Time	1:00:10
Description	Part 3 of 3. Loren Gannon, Jr. of St. Clair, Michigan saw active service in both Korea and Vietnam. The interview begins with Gannon talking about growing up during the World War II era. All of the young men in his community were gone, which allowed Gannon a different set of opportunities. He remembers piloting a ferryboat and working in a salt factory, which under normal circumstances he would have been too young to do. When older, he was recruited into the National Guard by his neighbor, a company commander. There Gannon attained the rank of master sergeant, to which he attributes his ability to finish first in his class in basic training. He says that the Army wanted to put him into the Signal Corps to be a high-speed radio intercept operator in Russian, but he preferred staying with the infantry, although it meant being sent to Korea. He tells the story of his first combat action, a Chinese attack at two in the morning. Lt. Colonel Gannon notes that during the Korean War the army was still very much segregated. The country was prejudiced and soldiers brought their prejudices into the Army with them. After spending a year in Korea, he entered Officer Candidate School (OCS). Attending OCS very near to Michigan State University, Lt. Colonel Gannon relates the tale of calling a girl there, Jenny Sloat, whom he had known from junior college, "chasing her" and subsequently marrying her. They are still married fifty four years later. Lt. Colonel Gannon recalls his time in Germany after being commissioned, and notes his good fortune at being able to eventually bring his wife to join him. He also tells stories of his interactions with the German people. He notes the very clear threat posed by the East Germans and the Russians, and still believes that the Russians were seriously contemplating trying to take Europe. It was at the end of his time in Germany that Lt. Colonel Gannon was transferred into the 1st Infantry Division. He comments on the division's great reputation and refers to the Big Red One as "the premier American unit" noting its great deal of built-in pride and esprit d'corps. Ordered to Vietnam in 1966, Gannon--now a major--evaluated American advisors who were helping to train the Vietnamese officers at that time. He comments on the quality of the Vietnamese army, feeling that it had improved vastly over time and had become completely capable of defending South Vietnam, though it was cut off by Congress and could not operate without supplies. After a one-year tour in Vietnam, Lt. Colonel Gannon was shipped back to the States and began working as an ROTC professor at the University of Dayton. After spending three years there he moved to the history department as an instructor in American social and cultural history, and also taught some architectural history at Wright State. In closing Lt. Colonel Gannon, Retired states, "I love the Army, I'll tell you that."
Collection finding aid	http://alice.library.ohiou.edu/record=b4677159~S7
Interviewer	Givens, Seth
Videographer	Hollar, Kyle
Producer	Falk, Jonathan
Location Recorded	Dayton (Ohio)
Original Date	2009-07-17
Acknowledgements	Cantigny First Division Foundation WOUB Center for Public Media
More Info	http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm4/collection.php?CISOROOT=/CtgnyOrHis http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org/
Copyright Info	Copyright for oral history interviews resides with both the interviewee and interviewer. Reproduced here with permission.
Copyright Holder	Gannon, Loren Givens, Seth
Media Type	Moving Image
Original Format	DV - NTSC
File Format	Adobe Flash
Digital Identifier	cantigny_gannon_loren_20090717_03.mp4
Language	English
Publisher	Ohio University Libraries. Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections

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Gannon, Loren (Video interview), part 3 of 3

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