can anyone give me some good questions to ask for a interview i have with a WWII veteran?

Question

It's for a school project, and I wanted to know if anyone could help me, I have no clue what type of questions I should ask. Any help would be very useful. Thanks

Answer 1

Was he drafted or did he volounteer?
Which year did he join the military?
Which branch of the military did he join?
Did boot camp prepare him well for the things to come?
Was it hard for him to leave his family and his home town or did he look forward to the 'adventure' at the time?
Which region/counties was he sent to?
What were his expectations, how did his experiences match these?
What incident/s during his active service is still very much on his mind?
What incidents does he like to remember/which ones not?
Like did he make friends with other soldiers who didn't return?
What did he imagine the locals to be like? What were they really like? How does he see the people in these former enemy countries now?
What were his feelings when it was all over?
Was he sent back home imediatly after V-day?
If not, how was the time there like after the war had ended?
How was his reception back home when he returned?
Does he feel proud about his service? Does he feel the duty he did to for his county is respected enough nowadays?
Does/did he talk with his children and grandchildren about his experiences? Are they interested in hearing these old stories?

That should just about cover it for an hour or two, right?

p.s. I'm German and my father was on the other side of the front at D-Day...

Answer 2

Most WWII veterans are reticent about their service. I would start by asking what he was doing on Dec. 7, 1941. This is the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the beginning of the war for Americans. Then you could go on and find out if he was in the Europeon theater of operations or in the South Pacific. These were being fought simultaneously but were very different wars. Once you find this out you can go into what he did during the war.

Answer 3

1. Did you volunteer or were you enlisted for WW2?
2. What was your rank when you entered and what was your rank when you left? How old were you when you went to war and how old were you when the war was over?
3. Did you have trouble re-adapting to life after the war?
4. How do you feel about that war? At that time, did you think you were doing something nobel for your country and the world? Do you stil feel the same?
5. If you were to be asked to participate in the current war on Iraq or Afghanistan, would you? What are your thoughts on those wars versus WW2?
6. Did you have the opportunity to bring any of the concentration camp prisoners out of the camps?
7. What memories do you have about the war that bring tears to your eyes?
8. What is your favourite war story?
9. What went through your mind as you landed, for the first time on enemy soil?
10. When was the first time you killed someone and what went through your mind? What went through your mind when you saw a friend of yours shot down for the first time?
11. Did you sustain any battle wounds? How severe were they? Did you ever come close to death - when was that? What went though your mind? How did you come out of that situation?
12. What about home did you miss the most?
13. Tell me, how did you feel when they told you that the war was over?
14. What was the most important lesson you took away from WW2?

Answer 4

First, ask him what branch did he serve in.
Then ask where he was stationed, when did he enter into the war.
Ask if he was drafted in or volunteered.
Ask if he knew why he was going into war.
Ask if he believed in the cause for the war or was he just doing what he was told as a solider.
Then ask, what the most memorable event that he experienced.
Ask, if he would have, would he have done something different.
Ask how the war has effected him.
How it effected his life and family.
Ask if he still keeps in contact with his friends who served with him.
Did he have to serve with people he would not usually talk and get to know.
Ask if he has anything to share with you that he would like you to really know about the war. (trust me, my family was in the war, they will have stories for you)
For the most part, keep your mind open to the fact that they were young like you, and they had fun, they know how love can turn into heart break. Be open to LISTEN, and be respectful and not think of it as a project but meeting another person who had hard ship. Remember, that he is part of a few good men who sacrificed their lives for a country that did not welcome them home with equal rights and racial tension.

May you gain a friend.

Answer 5

First it depends on what war he was in Pacific or Europe. What branch of military he was in.

One things you should ask him though is how can we regain the patriotism that was shown through out WWII.

What made him decide to fight for his country.

Ask him what he learned by about life from being in a war.

All other questions are pretty basic, such as where were you, how long did you serve, receive any medals.

Answer 6

What service were you in ( army, navy, marines)? What was your branch of service ( Infantry, quartermaster, ordnance, etc) ?
Where did you take your basic training ? Do you have any overseas service ? Where did you serve overseas ? If yes, which major battles were you involved in ? What was your length of service ? What was your rank at discharge ? Do you have any special memories that you would like to tell us about ? If you were a young person now, and had to go back into service, would you choose the same service and branch ? Why ?
What advice would you give a young man who asked you if you would recommend his volunteering to serve ?

Answer 7

Did you kill unquestionably everybody will in all probability end the interview right now. maximum Veterans stay with the guilt of having taken a human existence prevalent and basically did what they did because of the fact they had to or die themselves. replace that question with the place did you serve, commence consisting of your induction and till the tip of the conflict. they're going to inform you approximately boot camp back then, transport over seas and the place they fought. How approximately questions approximately residing circumstances, availability of nutrition, clothing and how they felt approximately mail from dwelling house. Companionship and comradre with different infantrymen. How they felt with regard to the enemy infantrymen back then and how they sense approximately them now after all those years and existence reviews. end with how they think of their conflict reviews affected their lives because of the fact the conflict.

Answer 8

Questions: Did you volunteer or were you drafted? Do you recall anyone ever protesting the war? Did people resent rationing or did they feel it was patriotic? Did you see any women in uniform? Did you get to select the service you joined?

Answer 9

Kinda depends on where they served and what they did. What branch did they serve in? Ask about his friends and superior officers, what challenges they faced, how they survived. Try to get them talking on their own. Let the memories flow.

Answer 10

Ask if they keep in touch with anyone they served with; if they found any goodness in people in the midst of war; the thing or things that made them angry, sad, or proud.