Vietnam Veteran
I interviewed Sargent Jim Dombrowski, a Vietnam Veteran at the VFW in Jonesboro, GA. He is now a 68 years old retired Veteran. His physical appearance was somewhat neglected. He was drinking a cold beer and smoking a cigarette. He served from 1965 to 1967. When I started with the interview Sargent Dombrowski looked a little tense, I could also observe his anger and pain in his eyes, but at the same time he was excited to start with the interview. He has five children, four girls and one boy. He does not really see his kids very often. My first question was, how do you describe yourself? He looked down and said: I am a typical old Veteran, I enjoy coming to the VFW, drink a beer and play cards with my friends. …show more content…
Fred Bentley opened the door and asked me if he could help me with something. Yes, I replied to him. I told him that I was a college student in need of an interview for my English class. He accepted and directed me to their lunch area. He sat down and put his television on mute, and with a nervous smile he told me how can I help you? I started by asking him where he was born, he said that he was born in Atlanta, GA in 1975. He is working for the city of Palmetto, and also for Fulton County. As a child he was very naughty and enjoyed to ride his bicycle. His mom was a school teacher, his dad was a factory worker. Mr. Bentley grew up in Palmetto, GA. I asked him what he wanted to be when he was a child, he said that he always wanted to be a firefighter. In the beginning of the interview he seemed nervous and shy, and then began to have more confidence on me and started to talk even more. He was laughing and told me that he was sorry for talking too much because they never have any visitors, and I laugh with him too. His first job was as a bag boy at a grocery store called Bradley’s, in Palmetto. He said it was fun to work at the store because he worked with his school friends. He loves to go hunting, fishing, and he loves to swim. He also enjoys to travel with his wife, and he also has 2 step children. He went to a technical school to study residential and commercial wiring, but he did not finished. He also said that …show more content…
Opal Mathis resides in a nursing home in Lake City, GA. Mrs. Opal looks like Mrs. Rosa Parks. Her hair is all white, wears glasses, and she uses a hearing device. When I came into her room to start with the interview, she looked at me and said “oh well young lady I am ready for my first and may be the last interview of my life,” and she started to laugh. She was sitting in her bed with a purple dress and black slippers. She is a very happy and friendly lady, she loves to make friends and talk to everybody. She was born in Brownsville, Texas in January 7, 1923. Mrs. Mathis, married to John Gable in the year of 1950. They had 4 children, but unfortunately one of them passed away when he was a baby. She misses her grandkids and she wishes to see them more often. She got up from her bed and told me to hold her hand, and she directed me to the back garden of the nursing home, while we were walking towards the garden other residents were watching us, and with joy in her voice she told them “look my granddaughter came to visit me.” I was speechless, I laughed shyly and I kept walking. Once in the garden, Mrs. Mathis showed me a big pine tree and told me that when she came to the nursing home for the first time she planted the tree to see it grow, as once she saw her kid’s grow. She started to cry and told me that she missed them, I was speechless, and at this point I saw how lonely Mrs. Mathis was. I tried to change the subject, I asked her about her first kiss, and she said