How to Find out About the Career of a Retired Military Officer

Interviewing A Member of The Greatest Generation ~ You can find out simply by asking open ended questions regarding their career, and waiting on the response. But once you do ask, you must be prepared to listen.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A willing participant, this person must be a talker
• Tape Recorder (may be hidden if the participant is a close relative)
• Video Recorder (may be hidden if the participant is a close relative)
• Plenty of Time
• Tissue

1. Recording the conversation is important, as many participants skip around from subject to subject and it may be a bit hard to keep up, if you were to simply take hand written notes. Prior to asking the questions you may need to determine if the participant is willing to be recorded, or video taped, for accuracy. If not then you will need to take notes. Either way, it is important to accurately collect the information, even if you must hide your recording device to obtain it!
2. Ask an open-ended question like: So you were in the military? This allows the participant to fill in the blanks, anyway they like. It also provides you with valuable opportunities to ask follow-up questions later on, directly related to the information the participant is willing to speak about. But, be careful not to probe too much.
3. A soldiers reality... Relax and be prepared for tears, be sure to have your tissue on hand. Experiences are often vivid for the participant, as they tell the story, scenes are revisted in their minds.
4. Be patient, smile, and listen attentively. This makes the participant feel appreciated for sharing valuable historical information. And the participant will converse more freely if they know you are genuinely interested in the experience that they are willing to share with you.
5. Friend of your veteran... Finally,
   
   * If you are unable to get the cooperation of a loved one who served in the military and they were a high ranking officer. You may want to use the Library of Congress as a research resource to obtain some history at www.loc.gov respectively.
   * Additionally, you can speak with friends of the veteran if they are still available, and want to talk about it.

Tips & Warnings

• Get the information (By hook or by crook), even if you must conceal your recording device, and don’t be afraid to do just that. Especially, if it is a WWII Veteran that you are attempting to interview. These generations of soldiers are known as "The Greatest Generation" however, collecting the information and getting them to speak freely about their experience may require some creativity on your part. Either way, it needs to be collected and shared, for generations to come!
• If not you, then who....who will interview and document this history before it is lost forever.
• If you like any portion of my interview tips, please rate my article.